By Carole Levy
Kathy Danoucaras, a highly skilled prosthetist at KND Denture Clinic, explains that getting new dentures can be likened to breaking in new shoes.
“At the start, dentures might not be the most comfortable things to wear, but once a patient has worn them for a while, they become like a favourite pair of comfortable shoes that they’d never consider discarding,” Kathy says.
“Sometimes dentures may need a few adjustments to reduce soreness or other issues. This isn’t an indication that they’re ‘wrong’; it’s just that different people need different amounts of adjustment. Some people need up to five adjustments to get everything just right, some don’t need any.
“It’s a matter of the gums needing some time to adjust to the new pressures they are under from the dentures sitting more evenly on the gums.”
Kathy says that even when updating existing dentures, it’s quite common to experience some difficulties at first.
“There are also multiple factors that come into play when going from a partial denture – with some natural teeth remaining – to a full denture, where no natural teeth exist.
“We give all our patients focused attention when they get their new dentures – which we make on site to closely match their personal profile – so their experience is a positive one that can ultimately be life-changing.”
The KND team includes not just Kathy, who was a dux of her prosthetist class in 1992 when she completed her training, but also Nicholas Danoucaras and Sam Robertson, with qualifications obtained at RMIT. Aleksy Rozycki completes the team. A fluent Polish speaker and reader, Aleksy completed his training through RMIT six years ago.
The crew is a very friendly team of knowledgeable and highly-skilled professionals who love seeing the transformations that take place every day.
Kathy says that the first step is an initial consultation – no referral required.
“At this time, we assess what type of denture would work best,” she says. “There are several stages and visits involved in making dentures.
“We make sure both natural dentition and prosthetic teeth are colour-matched as closely as possible. Once dentures are inserted, any adjustments are done at no extra charge to the patient.”
The clinic has recently become an Australian Made and Owned approved licensee through Australian Made Campaign Limited. The clinic offers flexible hours to suit busy lifestyles. All government forms are accepted and private health claims are approved on the spot.
KND Denture Clinic, 192 Main Road East, St Albans. Inquiries: 9364 3677
Caroline Springs Dental, Suite 8, 242 Caroline Springs Boulevard,Caroline Springs. Inquiries: 8361 9722
