Dentures are usually covered, at least partially, by dental insurance, making them a very cost-effective option for replacing your missing teeth.
Depending on your situation, you may need to have oral surgery before your dentures can be placed, such as tooth extractions for full dentures, or alveoloplasty (bone ridge smoothing) to eliminate sharp bone ridges and ensure your dentures fit properly. Your dentist in Albuquerque will discuss these with you before you commit to treatment with dentures.
At your next appointment, Dr. Ng will take impressions, bite molds, images, and x-rays of your mouth, and record a lot of different information about your teeth, gums, and bite. Then, she’ll work with a dental lab to create a set of test dentures.
Your test dentures will consist of false teeth in a wax base. They will usually arrive at our office after a few weeks. You’ll come back to try on your dentures, and Dr. Ng will check and adjust the fit of the test dentures.
Usually, you’ll need to come back for multiple test denture try-ins, as this is when Dr. Ng will fine-tune the dentures and ensure they fit perfectly.
Once your test dentures are perfect, Dr. Ng will send in an order for your permanent dentures. The dental lab will build them based on the precise specifications gathered during the fitting and try-in process. Then, you’ll come back to Coronado Family Dental one final time to pick up your dentures and get care instructions and tips from Dr. Ng.
Partial dentures are made from a plastic and metal base, which holds one or more false teeth. These false teeth rest in the gaps in your smile, and the dentures themselves attach to your teeth using metal clips. These clips hold them in place tightly and prevent them from moving around when you eat, speak, and bite.
With partial dentures, you can quickly restore multiple missing teeth. They’re a good option if you’re missing several teeth and are not a candidate for other treatments like dental bridges or dental implants.
Full dentures replace all of the upper, lower, or both arches of teeth. They are intended only for patients who have lost most of their teeth due to oral trauma or chronic oral health issues like gum disease or extensive decay.
This is because full dentures are fitted directly onto the gums, and require you to have all of your remaining teeth extracted, even if they’re healthy. For this reason, they are only a good option if you have very serious oral health issues.
When you first receive new dentures, there will be about a month-long adjustment period. At first, the dentures may feel a bit uncomfortable and it may be difficult to speak and eat. However, all of these symptoms will resolve over time.
The most immediate benefit denture wearers will experience is the aesthetic improvement of the smile. However, other tasks may become more difficult at first. Eating will need to be taken slowly, as you will need to stick to a diet of soft foods for the first few weeks.
You should also cut food into much smaller portions. When it comes to speaking, you may notice that you sound louder than normal and that it’s difficult to pronounce certain sounds, such as the “s” and “t” sounds.
The best way to improve your pronunciation is to practice speaking out loud. Spend extra time on words that are hard to pronounce. The enhanced auditory sounds of your voice and is a result of your body detecting a foreign object in your mouth.
This will become less noticeable with time. You might also experience an increase in saliva production. Over time, it will reduce as your body gets used to detecting dentures in your mouth, but in the meantime, you can try sucking on hard candy to encourage more frequent swallowing.
When first wearing dentures, you should avoid hard, crunchy, chewy, and sticky foods. Foods that are too tough will require too much chewing and may cause soreness. As you get used to your dentures for the first month, your gums may already feel sore so during this healing time, you want to stick to soft foods that are not too hot or cold.
You should also be mindful while you’re eating so you don’t eat too fast and injure yourself. Cutting food into smaller pieces can help you eat slower and make chewing easier. After the first 3-4 weeks, you should be able to start introducing more normal foods into your diet.
As you get used to chewing with artificial teeth, try to drink water with your meals to assist with swallowing. Make sure you exert even pressure on the dentures by chewing evenly on both sides of the mouth.
The cost of dentures will vary by location, type of denture, and materials used in fabrication. Other factors also include the specialization of your dentist and how advanced their technology is.
If you choose premium dentures that are made to look very aesthetic and natural, this will cost more. Generally speaking, full dentures on average range from $600 to $1500 for both sets of teeth. You may also need to factor in the costs of appointments, extractions, and impressions.
When it comes to partial dentures, it depends on how many missing teeth you are replacing. This can range from $600 to $2500. If you have dental insurance, they will usually partially cover dentures if they are deemed medically necessary for your oral health. This coverage can range from 15 to 50% depending on your insurance plan and coverage. Contact your insurance company to find out if they will cover denture treatment. At Coronado Family Dental, we also offer financing options through CareCredit, offer flexible payment plans, and accept all major credit cards.
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