Beyond Exceptional Dentistry :: Georgia
1317 Abercorn Street
Savannah, Georgia 31401
(912) 234-8282
Dentist:
Dr. Rod Strickland
Completed Courses:
Meet the Dentist
Completed Courses:
Dr. Rod Strickland
Dr. Rod Strickland isn’t just a denture dentist, he’s the inventor of FOY® Dentures. Before he became a denture dentist, he had, like many, had given up on making dentures because the procedures he had been taught were unpredictable and usually created dentures that fit poorly, if at all. He sought to create a new type of denture that would improve the process of making dentures so that denture dentists could deliver a positive experience and quality dentures every time. He drew on his training as a neuromuscular and cosmetic dentist at the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies (LVI) as a foundation. The development of FOY® Dentures took more than two years, but ultimately he produced dentures that were capable of giving denture patients the same quality results he delivered to every other patient in his practice.
Dr. Rod Strickland received his dental degree from the Indiana University School of Dentistry, but he continues to pursue an advanced education to ensure he remains at the forefront of the dental field. For over 10 years, he held an appointment at Faculty Practitioner at his Alma Mater, the Indiana University School of Dentistry. In 2000, Dr. Strickland was declared the overall winner of the first “Dental Design Competition,” sponsored by Dental Economics. Although he grew up in Georgia, after he went to school in Indiana he decided to stay there for a while, and he developed a successful and well-reputed dental practice over 12 years before being invited to return to his home state of Georgia and join Dr. Brad Durham at Beyond Exceptional Dentistry in Savannah. This new opportunity gave him the freedom necessary to revolutionize the practice of denture dentists nationwide.
Dr. Strickland is married. He and his wife have four children.
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Growing Demand for Dentures in Savannah, Georgia
The population in Savannah is aging, and as we age, it’s natural that some of us will lose our teeth. By 2050, about 20% of the population of the US will be over the age of 65, and at that age about 26% of people have lost their teeth. Although many people will get dental implants, many more are likely to rely on dentures. But traditional dentures aren’t up to the task of serving the needs of all those future wearers.
Dentures often fit poorly, resulting in denture sores and pressure points that can speed the decay of the jawbone. As the jawbone is absorbed by the body, dentures lose what little fit they had and need to be refitted. In the meantime, patients are dealing with dentures that constantly come loose and aren’t good for chewing or talking. And even worse, dentures can make wearers look unattractive. Because they don’t replicate the youthful tooth dimensions in wearers, they can contribute to the appearance of jowls, sagging skin in the neck, poor jawline definition, and facial folds.
FOY® Dentures are designed to take advantage of neuromuscular principles to create dentures that fit better into the mouth system. FOY® Dentures are made taking into account how your muscles move, which makes them more comfortable and more secure in a mouth in motion.
And in the process, a FOY® Dentures dentist can assess the facial dimensions as they were in a patient’s use, the dimensions that define the optimal tooth length for the dentures. Restoring these tooth dimensions reduces the appearance of excess skin that contributes to jowls, sagging skin in the neck, and folds around the mouth. And because the dentures are more stable, it is easier to put the teeth further outward, resulting in a youthful fullness of lips and cheeks without fillers.
Overall, FOY® Dentures have improved the ability of dentures to meet the future demands of the population so that people in Savannah, Georgia will be able to enjoy a better denture experience so they’re living happier as well as longer.
Q & A With Dr. Strickland
Why did you invent FOY® Dentures?
Like many dentists, I had given up on dentures. They didn’t fit right and weren’t predictable. I wanted to give my patients quality results, and I just couldn’t guarantee them that with dentures as they existed then. If I couldn’t do it right, I just wouldn’t do it. I owed it to my patients to only give them quality dentistry, so I stopped being a denture dentist.
But after nearly a decade of not doing dentures, I realized this was not an adequate solution. There were still many people who needed dentures. Even with dental implants, people needed dentures atop those implants, and these had to be fitted properly in a way that was comfortable and supported their face properly. I had to become a denture dentist again, but that meant developing a technique for consistently delivering the high standard of care I promised to all my patients. And that’s why I developed FOY® Dentures.
How is being a denture dentist different with FOY® Dentures?
The most important difference is that a denture dentist can work with confidence, knowing that they will always be delivering consistent, quality results to their patients. In addition, a denture dentist becomes part of the FOY® Dentures dentist community, which means they can participate in discussions that help further the technique of providing quality dentures even more.
What is the most common complaint about economy dentures that you hear?
The most common complaint I hear about dentures is that they make people look unattractive and old. This is both because poor quality material is used, and because the denture dentist didn’t factor in the muscles as well as the other elements a denture has to fit. This means that when people smile, the dentures don’t sit right, and this can be seen even when a person isn’t smiling because those dentures have to support your face, and if they don’t fit right your face can look sunken or even off-kilter.
The most common complaint about economy denture dentists, though, is that the dentist never wants to do proper follow-up and refit dentures that don’t fit properly. In fairness, this is because most denture dentists don’t know how to do any better. They’ve used the technique they know, and if a denture doesn’t fit—which it often doesn’t—they don’t have the tools or the knowledge to diagnose and fix the problem.
What advice would you give a patient who is considering FOY® Dentures versus traditional dentures?
Your quality of life depends on the quality of your dentures. Doing anything in public–smiling, talking, eating, laughing, or having your picture taken (which these days happens any time you see a friend with a smartphone)—is easier if you have quality dentures.
If you’re prepared to risk your quality of life on a roll of the dice—which is what traditional dentures are—then you can consider working with a traditional denture dentist. But if you want to know that there is a system for getting predictable, quality results—and a system for fixing poor results in the rare case where they occur—then you want to work with a FOY® Dentures dentist.
