Dentures – Arvada, CA

Effects of Missing Teeth

Tooth loss can have a variety of different causes. This can include anything from tooth decay to gum disease to injury. According to the American Academy of Periodontology, there are numerous negative consequences of missing teeth, like facial sagging, difficulty speaking, trouble eating, and lower self-esteem. By opting for dentures to restore incomplete smiles, patients are able to improve these areas of their lives and show off a smile that makes them feel confident!

What Qualifies You for Dentures?

Dentures are ideal for those to have experienced significant tooth loss but have sufficient gum tissue and jawbone. Those who receive dentures must be committed to their dental health routine and willing to properly care for their new dentures and oral health going forward.

The number of teeth missing and where they are located in the mouth will ultimately determine which type of denture is ideal for you. Another great thing about dentures is that they are more affordable than other tooth replacement options, like dental implants, making them a good option for patients who are unable to invest much money into their smile at this time.

Alternative Tooth-Replacement Options

If you don’t make a good candidate for dentures or you want to consider other tooth replacements, here are some you may want to consider:

• Dental Bridges: Dental bridges are ideal for patients who are only missing one or a few teeth. They work by “bridging” the gap with a replacement tooth. Dental bridges are supported by crowns that are placed on the adjacent teeth or dental implants.
• Dental Implants: Dental implants are titanium, screw-like implants that are surgically inserted into the jawbone to act as missing teeth roots. Replacement teeth are then attached to the implants. Since a titanium post is inserted into the jawbone, patients must have a solid bone structure. This option is more costly than traditional dentures, but it’s intended to be permanent. 

Learn More About Dental Bridges

Learn More About Dental Implants

Psychological Benefits

You’re likely to start feeling a lot better about yourself after getting dentures. Tooth loss commonly leads to feelings of depression, and it can leave you feeling anxious about your appearance whenever you’re in social situations. With dentures, you will once again have a complete set of teeth, which can help you feel significantly more confident when interacting with others.

Clearer Enunciation

Whether you need to communicate something important to your boss or simply want to have a relaxing chat with a friend, it’s important to be able to enunciate your words properly so that you don’t have any trouble being understood. Sadly, losing teeth can often interfere with the proper pronunciation of a variety of words. Luckily, dentures can restore your ability to enunciate; once you have had a chance to get used to them, it shouldn’t be long before you’re once again speaking clearly and with full confidence.

Improves Nutrition

Have you had to change your eating habits after tooth loss? Having multiple gaps in your smile can make chewing problematic, potentially leading to digestion problems. On top of that, you may be prevented from eating certain foods entirely, which might increase your risk of malnutrition. With dentures, you will be able to enjoy a much more varied diet, which is important for protecting your overall health.

Preserves Oral Health

If you want to maintain a healthy mouth, it will be much easier to do so if you get dentures to fill in the empty space. Gaps in your smile can cause your remaining teeth to start to drift out of place. Partial dentures can help make sure your teeth stay where they are, thus preventing alignment issues and lowering your risk for additional oral health problems. On top of that, dentures will help properly distribute the pressure associated with biting and chewing so that your remaining teeth don’t wear down too quickly.

Expands Opportunities

When you meet someone new, there’s a good chance that your smile will be one of the first things they notice about you. As such, having a beautiful grin can go a long way toward helping you find success in your professional and personal lives. And of course, one way to ensure that your smile leaves a truly positive impression is to replace any missing teeth with personalized, natural-looking dentures that draw attention for all the right reasons.

Factors that Affect the Cost of Dentures

Generally speaking, there are three main factors that will influence the final price of your dentures:

• Your current oral health: Issues like gum disease and tooth decay will need to be treated before we can fit you with dentures. This means you may need to factor in the price of a preliminary gum disease treatment or tooth extraction when calculating the cost of dentures.
• Materials used for your denture: While dentures can be crafted out of a wide variety of materials, we only use high-quality options to ensure you get the durable, lifelike replacement teeth you deserve.
• The type of denture you need: As you may have guessed, the larger the denture, the higher the price. Partial dentures will often cost less than full dentures, and getting a single denture will cost less than getting a set of dentures.

Are Implant Dentures More Expensive?

Thanks to modern dental technology, we can now pair dentures with dental implants for optimal results. Dental implants work as replacement tooth roots, giving the denture unmatched stability, comfort, and functionality. Implant dentures cost more time and money than their traditional removable counterparts. However, they can easily become the more cost-effective option over time since implant dentures don’t need to be replaced nearly as often as traditional dentures. Plus, implant dentures will help prevent further tooth loss, oral health issues, and jawbone deterioration, as well as the costs of addressing these issues. If you’d like to learn if investing in implant dentures is a smart choice for you, we invite you to visit us for a consultation.

Learn More About Implant Dentures

Does Dental Insurance Cover Dentures?

It’s important that you review the details of your dental insurance policy or contact your provider to fully understand what you can expect to pay for. Fortunately, dentures are typically considered to be a “major procedure” that earns around 50% coverage from dental insurance. Our knowledgeable staff has years of experience navigating dental insurance details and will always go above and beyond to ensure your benefits are being maximized.

Other Options for Making Dentures Affordable

Outside of dental insurance, we’re proud to offer several ways to help make dentures more affordable:

• Our in-office dental membership plan: Our membership plan works very similarly to dental insurance, but with a lower price and no confusing jargon. For a flat annual or monthly fee, you’ll get fully covered preventive care as well as deep discounts on our other services, including dentures.
• Flexible financing through CareCredit: We’ve also partnered with CareCredit to offer low- to no-interest payment plans for dentures. Qualifying patients can break down the cost of their dentures into smaller chunks that fit into their monthly budget.

Should I Have All My Teeth Pulled to Get Dentures?

Our aim is always to preserve and repair your natural teeth whenever possible. Extracting a tooth is only recommended when it’s absolutely necessary, such as if the tooth is infected, damaged beyond repair, or poses a threat to the rest of your smile. If possible, we’ll try to save your natural teeth with crowns or root canal therapy. Should you need to have some teeth removed, a partial denture can let you keep your remaining healthy teeth and replace the ones that have been extracted. While there are some exceptions, it is generally not advisable to have all your teeth removed to get dentures unless absolutely necessary.

Can I Sleep with My Dentures?

No one wants to be caught without their smile! When you first begin wearing your dentures, we’ll likely instruct you to wear them all day every day for a week. This will help your mouth adjust to them and give you a better feel for how to handle your dentures. However, after this first week, you’ll need to start taking your dentures out every evening and soaking them while you sleep. Overnight soaking is the best way to thoroughly clean out all the little nooks and crannies that can potentially harbor oral bacteria. Plus, taking your dentures out before bed will give your gums a chance to rest.

What Is the Average Age for Dentures?

Tooth loss can happen at any age, especially if you are at a higher risk of it due to genetics, health conditions, or lifestyle choices. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, about 66% of adults between the ages of 40 and 64 are missing at least one tooth, whereas only 33% of adults between the ages of 20 and 39 experience tooth loss. In a different survey from the American Dental Association, nearly 57% of people between the ages of 65 and 74 wear some type of denture. So while adults of any age can potentially find themselves in need of a denture, it’s more likely after the age of 40.

Does It Hurt to Get Dentures?

The process of being fitted for dentures itself shouldn’t cause you any discomfort, except for perhaps a little soreness in your jaws due to keeping your mouth open during your appointment. It’s normal to experience minor irritation in your mouth for a short period of time as you adjust to your new dentures. This length of time will vary from patient to patient, but it typically takes about a month for most patients to get used to their new dentures. If your discomfort doesn’t seem to be going away or if it starts to get worse, give us a call right away so we can investigate the cause.