Full & Partial Dentures
Provide Reliable, Convenient Tooth Replacement
When it comes to tooth replacement, dentures are the oldest solution still available today. Thankfully, these prosthetics have greatly improved over time, providing modern, reliable coverage for countless patients who’ve suffered extensive tooth loss. If you’re interested in undergoing a denture consultation, please give Dolan Dental a call today! Our Wethersfield team looks forward to meeting you and helping you regain a confident, functional smile.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Dentures?
Dentures are a great tried and tested way of addressing tooth loss. Depending on how many teeth you are missing and where they are located in the mouth, a customized plan can be made just for you. If you currently have any untreated dental issues, like tooth decay or gum disease, they will need to be addressed and eliminated beforehand. The health of your smile is always our top priority.
Effects of Missing Teeth
Tooth loss can be caused by several different factors. The most common causes of missing teeth are tooth decay, gum disease, and injury. According to the American Academy of Periodontology, there are several negative consequences of missing teeth, including facial sagging, difficulty speaking, trouble eating, and low self-confidence. Fortunately, dentures can positively impact all of these, improving your quality of life.
What Qualifies You for Dentures?
Dentures are great for patients who have experienced significant tooth loss yet have sufficient healthy gum tissue and jawbone. If you are getting dentures, you must also be committed to your dental health routine and willing to properly care for your replacement teeth.
The number of teeth that you are missing and where they are located in the mouth will ultimately determine the type of denture that you get. One of the great things about dentures is that they are more affordable than other tooth replacement options, like dental implants. This makes them ideal for patients who aren’t able to invest lots of money into their smile at this time.
Alternative Tooth-Replacement Options
If you aren’t a good candidate for dentures or they aren’t something that you are interested in, you may want to check out the other tooth replacement options that we have:
- Dental Bridges: Dental bridges work by “bridging” the gap in your smile. This method is ideal for patients who are only missing one or a few teeth. They require healthy teeth surrounding the missing tooth to support the bridge.
- Dental Implants: A dental implant is a titanium, screw-like post that is surgically inserted into the jawbone. Patients must have a sufficient bone structure and be healthy enough to undergo a minor surgical procedure. This option is the most costly, but also permanent.
What Are The Types of Dentures?
Depending on each patient’s unique needs, our doctors may recommend full or partial dentures. Partial dentures are designed to recreate certain teeth along an arch of the mouth, while full dentures replace the entire arch. Both styles of dentures are designed to be removable in nature, which makes cleaning and storage more convenient.
There are additionally two different styles of full dentures: conventional and immediate. Conventional dentures are designed to be placed within the mouth after the patient’s remaining teeth have been removed and their oral tissue has healed successfully. This means that in the months between, the patient will be without teeth. Alternatively, immediate dentures are designed and crafted before the teeth are removed so that they can be placed directly after the procedure. Because the mouth will change shape as healing takes place, patients will need to schedule a follow-up visit at Dolan Dental so that we can refit their denture later on.
Last but not least, implant-retained dentures are an excellent option for patients who are looking for more permanence in their tooth replacement. By anchoring your new prosthetic securely in place within the mouth, the device feels and looks more natural than ever before!
What Should I Expect After Getting My New Dentures?
It is likely that you will need some time to adjust to the feel of your new full or partial denture. Many patients struggle to find the proper resting place for their tongue, or they may think the device is too bulky and loose. However, over time, you should become fully adjusted to eating and speaking properly with the denture in place.
It is also very important for patients to treat their denture just like it’s a set of natural teeth. This means that daily brushing to remove trapped food and bacteria is a necessity. After the denture is removed from the mouth, it’s important to place it into a glass that contains either denture cleaning solution or water at room temperature; avoid hot water, as it can warp the design of the denture!
If you’re struggling with dentures that simply don’t feel right even after weeks have passed since you received them, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Wethersfield, CT location. Our doctors will work with you to help determine the problem and provide the necessary adjustments.
Understanding the Cost of Dentures
When it comes to dental work, the exact price can vary greatly from patient to patient, and dentures are no exception. Dr. Brendan or Dr. Riley can go over the specific details that influence the cost of dentures in Wethersfield during your consultation. Our team can also discuss financing options and the various ways that we can help you enjoy a brand-new smile without breaking the bank.
Factors That Affect the Cost of Dentures
The amount you’ll be expected to pay for your dentures will depend on three main factors:
- The type of denture you’re receiving
- Any preliminary procedures you need to undergo (gum disease treatment, tooth extractions, bone grafting, etc.)
- The materials used to fabricate your denture, such as acrylic or porcelain
You might be tempted to choose a denture on the cheaper side just to save some money. However, cheaper is not always better, especially when it comes to your smile. Cheap dentures often fall apart easily and require more frequent replacements that end up costing you more in the long run. For something that you’re going to use every day to eat, speak, and smile, it’s worth investing in a quality solution from your denture dentist in Wethersfield.
Are Implant Dentures More Expensive?
Implant dentures require a surgical procedure and multiple dental implants, so yes, they are more expensive than traditional dentures. As most patients with implant dentures can tell you, though, they’re an investment worth making! Dental implants are embedded in the jaw, so they restore more of your chewing power and prevent your prosthetic from slipping. Implant dentures can also last upwards of 30 years, while conventional ones only last five to seven years at most.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Dentures?
With most dental insurance plans, you can expect some degree of coverage for dentures. They often consider dentures a major restorative treatment that is eligible for coverage at up to 50 percent, but this of course varies from one plan to the next.
Our team at Dolan Dental can help you navigate the details of your plan to make maximizing your benefits easier than ever. We’re even in-network with several popular PPO plans, including Delta Dental, BlueCross BlueShield, Cigna, and MetLife.
Other Options for Making Dentures Affordable
Do you not have dental insurance? Does your plan not provide as much coverage as you would like? Luckily, we have other options for making dentures in Wethersfield affordable. Dolan Dental has partnered with multiple reputable financing companies, such as GreenSky and CareCredit, that can help you fund your new smile. Many of these financiers let you break up your treatment costs into monthly payments with very little or even no interest rates!
Denture FAQs
Dentures are an excellent tooth replacement option for people who are missing several, most of, or all of their teeth. However, you may still have some unanswered questions about the restoration. Here are the answers to some of the most common inquiries we receive about dentures in Wethersfield. If you don’t see the information you’re looking for below, just give us a call. We’d be more than happy to answer any questions you have and schedule you for your initial consultation.
Should I Have All My Teeth Pulled to Get Dentures?
Repairing a tooth that’s damaged is always a favorable option compared to replacing it. Tooth extractions are only recommended if they are deemed absolutely necessary, like when a tooth is too damaged to save thanks to extensive decay, a severe infection, or trauma that has broken off a large portion of the protective enamel. If all of the teeth in an arch are decayed or infected with gum disease, replacing them with dentures may be a viable, cost-effective option. Ultimately, your dentist will always explore all of your options before recommending extractions for dentures.
Can I Sleep with My Dentures?
Dentists generally recommend that you take your dentures out at night as you go to bed. When you first get your dentures, you’ll typically be told to keep them in your mouth for 24 hours, including when you sleep, but after this, you should be taking them out every evening. This is because wearing dentures restricts the circulation in your gums, therefore leading to soft tissue irritation and potentially speeding up ridge resorption. Taking your dentures out gives them a chance to recover and get the nutrients they need during the night. The dark, moist space beneath the dentures is an ideal place for bacteria to thrive, so sleeping with dentures has been found to be associated with a higher risk of pneumonia. In the end, it’s a good idea to take them out before you catch some Z’s.
Will It Hurt to Get Dentures?
If you need to have teeth extracted before you’re able to get dentures, you are likely to experience some discomfort after the oral surgery. Take your prescribed pain medicine as directed to manage pain. When you first receive your new dentures, some minor irritation may occur as your mouth adjusts. If you switch to a new set of dentures, this adjustment process may take longer than before. If pain persists, give us a call so we can take a look and check for underlying issues.
Is It Hard to Talk with Dentures?
When you first get dentures, it’ll take time to get used to speaking with them since you’re so used to speaking with your natural teeth. The amount of time it takes to adjust to speaking with dentures varies from person to person, but with some practice, you’ll be talking as you normally do in no time. Try reading out loud to yourself and repeating difficult-to-pronounce words. Speak slowly, as fast speech may come out muffled at first.