Dentures – Phoenix, AZ

Effects of Missing Teeth

Missing teeth affect more than just your appearance. The longer you wait to replace them, the greater the risk for irreversible damage to your other teeth and jawbone. Tooth roots are the main source of stimulation for the jawbone, keeping it strong and dense. The more teeth you have missing, the weaker the bone becomes, shrinking over time.

Tooth loss from accidents and severe decay can cause teeth to shift, changing the way your pearly whites fit together. This can cause damaged enamel, bruxism (teeth grinding), and contribute to temporomandibular joint pain. So, there are many reasons not to wait, even if you’re young. Dentures aren’t only for seniors!

What Qualifies You for Dentures?

Anyone with healthy gums and sufficient density in their jawbone can get dentures. They are an adaptable treatment, so it doesn’t matter how many teeth you’re missing or where. Whether you have a few in different places or have lost a whole dental arch, there's a prosthetic that can help restore your smile.

To truly determine what’s best for you, the process begins with a consultation. Our team will assess your oral health, talk about your goals and expectations, and walk through your finances to get a better picture of your situation. With this information in hand, we can find the best solution for your needs.

Alternative Tooth-Replacement Options

If, after your consultation, you decide that dentures aren’t a great fit for your goals, your dentist will recommend other options. Dental bridges and implants are two great examples of alternative tooth replacements.

• Dental Bridge: For patients only missing a couple of consecutive teeth, bridges offer an economical option. Your dentist will first shape healthy teeth on either side of the gap. Next, crowns supporting a false tooth (pontic) are placed over the shaped teeth and bonded in place. This creates a single prosthetic that blends seamlessly into your smile.
• Dental Implants: These are titanium posts surgically placed into your jawbone to serve as anchor points for prosthetics. You’ll need a healthy jawbone to support implants, but they are the strongest tooth replacement available and even keep your jawbone from degrading over time!

If you’re ready to give dentures a chance, contact us at Bell Road Dental Care of Phoenix to schedule your consultation.

What Are Dentures Made Of?

There are two pieces that work together to create a complete denture – the base and the artificial teeth.

• The Base – No matter if it’s a partial or full denture, it must have a base. This is what keeps the teeth in position and creates the foundation for your new smile. Commonly made out of acrylic, it is matched to resemble the natural gum color so that it blends in beautifully with your existing smile.
• Artificial Teeth – The artificial teeth that exist on top of the base are crafted from porcelain or acrylic and mimic the look of real pearly whites. Capable of withstanding normal daily wear and tear, these teeth are durable and natural in appearance.

The Denture Creation Process

The process of creating dentures starts with an impression of your mouth. After capturing the shape and arrangement of your gums and remaining teeth (if there are any), we will send them off to a dental lab, where technicians will create a wax model of your dentures. Our team will then evaluate how it fits, its appearance, and how it functions before the final denture is created. The bite alignment, tooth shade, size, and shape are all determined before the wax model is sent back to the lab for further creation.

It is during this time that you will be provided with temporary dentures that you can wear. This will allow you to become familiar with how dentures feel when worn and how to use them in everyday life.

The wax model is placed into a flask that holds plaster that is poured in to form the shape of your dentures. The flask is then placed in hot water so that the wax melts. Acrylic is then injected into the flask to replace the wax, and the plaster is removed once the acrylic dentures are placed in an ultrasonic bath. After giving the dentures a final polish and cutting any excess acrylic away, the dentures are ready for our team to receive so that you can undergo a fitting.

Adjusting to Your New Dentures

It’s natural for it to take time to adjust to your new dentures, as these are foreign objects that your lips, cheeks, and tongue must become accustomed to. Some common adjustments you can expect include:

• Soreness in the beginning, as your jaw and gums must get used to the new teeth that are in place. This can be remedied with OTC pain reliever and a cold compress.
• Speech impediment that can be improved with slow speech and spending time practicing certain words and syllables.
• Eating habits, as you’ll want to start by consuming soft foods to minimize the amount of pressure placed on your dentures as you learn to eat properly so that they do not fall out.

Psychological Benefits

Tooth loss tends to ruin a patient’s mood. To be specific, it makes its sufferers feel insecure and ashamed of their looks. Such feelings can lead you to withdraw from social life and become self-critical. If that process isn’t curbed, you could fall into severe sadness or clinical depression.

Of course, dentures help you avoid a negative outlook by restoring your grin. They fill your so-called “smile gaps” and leave you more confident as a result. That way, you won’t have to worry about your looks, how you eat, or how you speak. You can just enjoy the company of your close friends and family.

Clearer Enunciation

Yes, a full smile is needed for clear speech. Without most (if not all) of your teeth, your tongue won’t have the support to enunciate words well. You’d just end up talking with speech impediments – lisps, slurred words, etc.

Thankfully, dentures are designed from the get-go to treat tooth loss. They can easily fill the gaps in your grin like natural teeth. Therefore, these devices will support your tongue enough to enunciate words. You’d simply need to practice with them for a few weeks first.

Improves Nutrition

Unless you treat them, missing teeth tend to result in a poor diet. Each tooth helps you chew food, so even losing a few can force you to give up healthy-but-tough meals. You’d then be at a much higher risk of malnutrition and indigestion.

All that said, wearing dentures lets you skip the nutrition problem. Relying on these artificial teeth lets you chew a wider range of food. Therefore, their use should expand your dietary choices and improve your nutrition.

Preserves Oral Health

Losing teeth causes the rest of your smile to suffer over time. As the condition advances, it creates “smile gaps” that let harmful bacteria build up over time. It could then tilt the rest of your natural teeth until these other ones fall out.

Even so, dentures defend against this oral damage by filling your smile gaps. Their artificial teeth can get rid of your mouth’s new empty spaces and keep nasty bacteria at bay. Plus, their weight will at least slow the tilting rate of your other teeth.

Expands Opportunities

Certainly, having a truly beautiful smile helps with a first impression. Being able to show off your gorgeous grin makes peers view you in a better light. As that happens, the goodwill you receive can take the form of opportunities – amazing friendships, lovely dates, high-paying work, etc.

Dentures give your mouth the pretty smile needed for good first impressions. By wearing them, you’ll have a gorgeous grin that draws admiration and positive feelings. Your friends, family, coworkers, and others will then want to share good opportunities with you. These positive connections will ultimately lead to excellent outcomes.

Factors That Affect the Cost of Dentures

Before you get dentures, our office will perform an oral exam. Doing so lets us review factors that affect your dentures’ cost. These elements are:

• Preparatory Work – In some cases, a patient needs preliminary services before getting dentures. (Such procedures can span tooth removal, gum disease therapy, etc.) Your expenses will rise if you require such things.
• Acrylic Base Type – Denture bases use varying kinds of acrylic. Depending on the type, your prosthetics may be inexpensive or costly.
• Replacement Teeth Material – Artificial denture teeth use acrylic or porcelain. The cost is low with acrylic ones, but the results are short-lived. Meanwhile, porcelain teeth get pricey but last longer.

Along with the points above, remember: low-cost dentures aren’t good. These kinds tend to use inferior acrylic and poor tooth materials. That being said, ensure your chosen dentures are high quality.

Are Implant Dentures More Expensive?

In terms of upfront price, implant dentures do cost more. Even so, the restorations have upsides that justify their price.

Firstly, implant dentures rely on dental implants. The latter objects are set in your jaw and slowly fuse with it once placed. Over time, they’ll make the denture permanent and keep it from slipping or falling. You’ll then attain a grin that blends seamlessly with adjacent teeth.

Plus, an implant denture is a good investment. Its implants can last for over 30 years with good care. In other words, its lifespan often goes past those of other options. (A regular denture only lasts for 5-7 years.) Thus, an implant denture doesn’t need as many repair or replacement visits. It’ll save you money otherwise spent on follow-up care.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Dentures?

As a matter of fact, yes – dental insurance does cover dentures. Most plans see the restorations as necessary for tooth loss. Therefore, they usually cover up to 50% of a denture’s cost.

All that said, there are exceptions. A given dental plan may have limited coverage or none at all. To compensate, confirm your benefits before treatment. Our dental team will gladly help you do so.

Other Options for Making Dentures Affordable

Besides insurance, there are other ways to make dentures affordable. Notable ones are a practice’s payment options. With the right kind, your final dentures won’t break the bank.

For instance, just look at Bell Road Dental Care. We offer:

• In-House Savings Plans – For an annual fee, our practice will give you (among other things) 20% off of denture treatment.
• Flexible Financing – Our office works with CareCredit, a reputable third-party financier. Through them, you could pay for dentures in monthly installments.

In the end, our office wants to give you effective and budget-friendly dentures. Find out how to finance them by visiting our practice in the coming days.