Dentures – Eatontown, NJ

What Are Dentures Made Of?

Dentures have two main parts:

• The base of a denture is usually made of gum-colored acrylic that is molded to each patient’s unique gumline. In some cases, nylon or resin is used instead of acrylic.
• The teeth of a denture are typically made of either acrylic or porcelain. Porcelain is the favored material for full-mouth replacement due to its durability and natural appearance. Acrylic is often better for patients who still have some natural teeth left because it has a lower risk of damaging natural tooth enamel.

The Denture Creation Process

Creating dentures can take several weeks. Here is a basic overview of the process:

• After any necessary preparatory work is completed, our team will take detailed impressions of your mouth and take some jaw measurements.
• Wax-up. We send the impressions to a dental lab, where a skilled technician will create a wax version of your gumline. A machine called an articulator will be used to set artificial teeth into the wax.
• The lab gives us the wax version of your dentures, and you will come in for a fitting. It may be necessary for you to visit us a few times as we continue to coordinate with the dental lab in order to make sure that your new teeth fit as well as possible.
• Delivery of the denture. After the denture’s fit is approved, the laboratory will create your final prosthetic. Once it is ready, you will return to our office so we can do one last inspection to make sure that everything meets our strict quality standards. Then, you can go off and start the process of adapting to your restored smile.

Adjusting to Your New Dentures

For some patients, it can take a few weeks or even a few months to adapt to a new denture. At first, you might experience a bit of soreness in your gum tissue. Extra saliva production is also common. Our team will give you tips to help you learn to eat and speak with your new prosthetic; practice and consistent use are both important! If you run into any severe difficulties with your denture, give us a call so we can assist you.

Psychological Benefits

Studies show that adults who are missing 10 or more teeth are at an increased risk of experiencing emotional consequences, such as sadness, depression, and social anxiety. Even though well over 40 million Americans are missing all of their teeth, the unspoken shame and impact surrounding this common dental issue can wreak havoc on your mental health.

Dentures have the ability to give you a new, natural-looking, and functional smile, allowing you to feel much more confident in smiling, laughing, and expressing yourself.

Clear Speech

Missing teeth can make it difficult to clearly pronounce certain sounds and words, leading to speech impediments like lisps and whistling while speaking. This is because the gaps can trap air and the tongue, ultimately making it harder to engage in conversations and communicate clearly. Because dentures will restore your whole smile, whether you’re missing several or all of your teeth along an arch, you’ll be able to speak with greater ease.

Expanded Diet

In addition to causing speech issues, gaps in your smile can also make it difficult to eat certain foods, especially those that are chewy or hard. While dentures won’t restore your bite power completely, you’ll still notice a big improvement. By making it easier to chew, your dentures can increase the types of food in your diet, allowing for better nutrition as well!

Improved Oral Health

Research shows that people living with gaps in their smiles are 30 percent more likely to lose more teeth. By restoring your smile with dentures, you may find it easier to stay on top of your oral health. Plus, dentures are incredibly easy to clean and up-keep, making preserving your new smile a breeze.

Expanded Opportunities

The boost of confidence that you’ll receive from having a full and healthy smile again is absolutely priceless. In fact, many people notice that due to the boost in their mood and emotional well-being, they’re more likely to go out and meet new friends, take on new challenges, like going to job interviews, and even go on dates!

Factors That Affect the Cost of Dentures

Ahead of denture treatment, our dentists will perform a quick oral exam. Doing so lets them assess factors that affect your treatment cost. Among these, the most common ones are:

• Preparatory Services – Before wearing a denture, you may need preliminary services. (Such work ranges from tooth extractions to gum disease therapy.) If so, you can expect a greater expense.
• Type of Acrylic Base – As it happens, a denture’s base can use varying kinds of acrylic. Treatment will cost more or less based on the type you get.
• Quality of Replacement Teeth – A denture’s artificial teeth are acrylic or porcelain. The acrylic ones are cheaper but short-lived. In contrast, porcelain teeth cost a lot and last longer.

Given the factors above, remember: cheap dentures aren’t good. They rely on subpart acrylic and inferior tooth materials. Therefore, make sure your denture is of high quality!

Are Implant Dentures More Expensive?

Technically, implant dentures do cost more upfront. That said, they have benefits that justify this higher price.

You see, implant dentures use dental implants. The latter are titanium screws that act as substitute tooth roots. Once placed in your jaw, they slowly fuse with it until they become permanent. That being the case, dentures attached to implants don’t slip or fall.

At the same time, an implant denture is a wise investment. Its implants can last 15-30 years with proper care. In other words, this denture often lasts longer than a regular one. That means fewer repair or replacement visits.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Dentures?

Thankfully, dental insurance does cover dentures. Most plans view the prosthetics as medically necessary. As such, they typically cover up to 50% of a denture’s cost.

Of course, there are exceptions. Some dental plans have limited or non-existent denture coverage. For that reason, you should confirm your benefits before treatment. We’ll happily help you do so if you’d like.

Other Options for Making Dentures Affordable

Even if you lack insurance, other ways can make dentures affordable. The most notable of these are a practice’s payment options. If you select the right one, dentures can be quite budget-friendly.

Just look at Nu Dental of Eatontown, for example. We provide:

• Membership Plans – For a flat annual fee, you can join one of our office’s membership plans. These arrangements would give you major discounts on denture treatment.
• CareCredit Financing – Our office works with CareCredit, a third-party financier. With their help, you could pay for dentures in monthly installments. You’d be able to meet the treatment price over time.

For more facts on denture costs, book a consultation at our office! We’ll happily make your prosthetics pretty and affordable.

What is the Average Age for Dentures?

True enough, tooth loss can happen at any age. However, it still occurs more often for older patients. Those in their late 40s and early 50s are likeliest to be first-time denture wearers.

Current research supports this truth. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 66 % of adults aged 40-64 lack at least one tooth. Similarly, the American Dental Association found that over half of those aged 65-74 wear dentures.

Of course, you can still get dentures in your younger years. The need for them may increase with age, but young and old alike can be denture candidates.

How Long Will You Have to Wait to Get Dentures After Your Teeth Are Pulled?

Typically, the wait for dentures after tooth extraction is 6-8 weeks. That said, the exact timing depends on the denture you get. Certain kinds require your mouth to recover more for placement.

For example, consider immediate dentures. These kinds can be placed right after an extraction. (As such, they have the nickname of “same-day” dentures.) Given this trait, they’d let you enjoy eating and speaking right away. Still, these dentures may not fit your underlying bone and gums well.

In contrast, implant dentures involve a longer wait. They won’t fully work until 4-6 months after placement. Once that period ends, your implants will have properly fused with your jaw.

What Can’t You Eat with Dentures?

Dentures may act as replacement teeth, but they aren’t exactly like natural ones. There are foods you should avoid when wearing them. You may hurt your restored smile or oral health if you don't.

In particular, you shouldn’t eat the following:

• Sticky Foods – If you chew things like peanut butter or gummy candies, your dentures could get pulled out of place. Food bits would then get trapped and irritate your gums.
• Foods with Small Pieces – Items like popcorn kernels, shelled nuts, and sesame seeds have small pieces. As such, their tough bits might get stuck around your dentures and damage them.
• Hard Foods – Chewed carelessly, nuts, popcorn, carrots, and other hard foods can break dentures. You should thus avoid them as best you can.
• Tough Meats – Steak and pork chops require much chewing, straining your dentures and gums.

Can You Kiss with Dentures?

Honestly, yes – it’s entirely possible to kiss with dentures! Even so, you’ll need time to adjust to how the act feels.

Remember, dentures are artificial; they don’t have nerves like real teeth do. Therefore, you have to be cautious when kissing with them. You might kiss too hard or bump your partner’s teeth otherwise.

Luckily, you can speed up the adjustment. Just practice kissing gently when you’re wearing dentures. That way, your prosthetic teeth won’t shift out of place.