Dentures

Dentures2023-02-10T13:44:36+00:00

What are dentures?

Dentures are custom-fit artificial teeth and gums that replace all or some missing teeth. Dentures can either be full or partial, meaning they can either replace all teeth on either the top or bottom gum line, or just a few that are missing.

Video showing a lower overdenture supported by 2 implants

Pricing

We feel that dental care should be accessible to everyone, regardless of whether they have insurance coverage or not. That’s why we offer lower price and extend the same pricing to all of our patients.

Immediate Denture (Single Arch), $599
An immediate denture is delivered on the same day as your remaining extractions – so you’ll never have to go without teeth!

Conventional Denture (Single Arch), $599
A conventional denture is made at least 6-8 weeks after your last extraction. This allows us to try it in before it’s processed so we can make sure the esthetics and bite are perfect.

Hard Reline, $250
When you have been missing teeth for a while, your jaw bone and gums will shrink back. This means your denture can start to feel loose. One way to fix that is to put a new lining inside. If you get us your denture in the morning, we’ll have it fitting like new by the afternoon.

Soft Reline, $100
If you are still in the process from healing from extractions, a soft reline is a great way to hold you over until you’re ready for your hard reline (usually around 6 months). The soft liner is designed to last 1-3 months.

Denture Repair, Starting at $50
Dropped your denture?  Broke off a tooth?  We got you covered!  We’re able to perform many of our denture repairs same day.

What are the different types of dentures?

  • Immediate
    An immediate denture is placed in the mouth on the same day that all of your extractions are completed. The benefit here is that you will never have to go without teeth. The one downside that patients experience is that the denture will begin to feel loose after a healing period. We can put new linings in the denture to help combat this issue or make a conventional denture down the line.

  • Conventional
    A conventional denture is not made until you have healed for at least 6-8 weeks after your extractions (though the longer you wait to begin the process, the better the denture will fit). You will go through all the steps of making the denture (about 4 appointments) and be able to see the denture in wax before it is processed.

  • Partial
    A partial denture is made when patients are able to keep some of their teeth. The partial will snap onto those teeth for a snug fit. Sometimes we recommend putting crowns on the remaining teeth to help as anchors. We offer both flexible all acrylic partials and partials with a metal framework underneath. A partial is a removable alternative to a bridge.

  • Overdenture
    An overdenture is a full denture with snaps on the underside that will line up with implants on your upper/lower jaws. Patients need a minimum of 2 implants for the lower jaw. The more implants, the less movement that will occur when eating.

Frequently Asked Questions

Requirements: Have existing teeth which are not salvageable

Pros:

  • You’ll never have to go without teeth – your smile will be transformed in a matter of minutes.
  • If you plan on getting a new denture or implant-supported denture in the future, the immediate denture is a great way to test drive your smile for a few months.  If you like it, we can keep the same set-up.  If you don’t, we can change what you don’t like in the next set

Cons:

  • There is some guesswork involved in placement of denture teeth when it is processed. Sometimes esthetics or bite can be a little off.
  • We cannot make adjustments for sore spots the same day as your extractions because you’ll be numb.
  • After a few weeks, the denture can start to feel loose as the swelling subsides. You can return to us for a soft lining inside that will hold you through to the 6-month mark when you will be ready for a permanent reline or a new denture.

Requirements: Edentulous (missing all teeth for at least 8 weeks)

Pros:

  • We can try in your denture in wax form before it is processed to make sure that the esthetics and bite are perfect.
  • For patients who have lost bone over time, the denture will add extra lip support – acting like an instant facelift.
  • It’s easy to clean a denture since you can remove it from your mouth.
  • Lower cost than any implant-retained prosthesis.

Cons:

  • There is a learning curve for relearning to speak and eat with your dentures. See our tips handout for tricks to try.
  • Sometimes, the denture can make the upper lip appear too full/bulky. We can trim it to be as thin as possible.
  • You will still get sore spots with your new denture, even if you’ve worn one before. Breaking in a denture is like breaking in a new pair of shoes.
  • Fixodent will be needed in 99% of cases for a lower denture. You may want to consider adding 2+ implants to help it feel more secure.
  • Dogs love to snack on dentures! Make sure they’re out of reach from your furry friends.

Requirements: Need 4+ stable teeth on upper jaw to hold, 2+ teeth on lower jaw

Pros:

  • These can be adjusted for a tighter fit or looser fit depending on your dexterity. If the clasps loosen over time, we can usually make them feel tighter.
  • If you lose a tooth in the future, it can many times be added to a partial denture with a metal framework.
  • If your gums change shape underneath the partial over time, we can usually put in a new lining to make it fit to your gums better.
  • Can easily replace many teeth
  • More budget-friendly than implants/bridges

Cons:

  • Metal clasps can sometimes be seen when speaking or smiling.
  • Patients will still catch food underneath their partial denture when chewing – it’s just the nature of something removable.

Requirements: Need 4+ stable teeth on upper jaw to hold, 2+ teeth on lower jaw

Pros:

  • Patients who have back teeth to help hold this type of partial denture usually find it quite comfortable because it is flexible.
  • This type of partial is less likely to break if dropped from the bathroom counter.
  • The clasps are less visible when you speak or smile (they will be pink or clear to blend in with the gums or teeth).
  • Can easily replace many teeth
  • More budget-friendly than implants or bridges

Cons:

  • If you lose a tooth in the future, it cannot be added to the flexible type of partial so we will need to make an entirely new one.
  • The clasps cannot be adjusted to make them tighter.
  • We cannot put a new lining on the underside of this type of partial. If your gums shrink, you will have a gap unless we make a new partial.

Requirements: 4+ Implants on upper jaw, 2+ Implants needed on lower jaw

Pros:

  • With implants to help stabilize your denture, it will feel much more secure when eating and speaking.
  • An overdenture will still supply extra lip support for those patients who have lost bone over time.
  • It remains easy to clean since you will remove it from your mouth at night.
  • Easy to replace in the future if it gets worn down or breaks.
  • On the upper jaw, we can trim a little bit of the palate (we can trim the full palate out with 6 implants) so you are less likely to gag and have better taste sensation.

Cons:

  • With only 2 implants on the lower jaw, there will still be some movement when you bite into a sandwich (a pivot effect), but it will not fall out of your mouth like a conventional lower denture would.
  • The denture can still rub and create sore spots when initially received. These are luckily easy to adjust.
  • Attachments inside the denture can wear down/loosen over time. Patients usually come in every 6 months – 1 year for replacement of these nylons (there will be a small “implant maintenance fee” at this appointment).
  • The dentures can wear down/chip over time and will need to be replaced every 5-10 years (or sooner depending on your chewing forces).

Absolutely.  We are here to help.  There are several ways to make a denture fit better: adjusting areas that are overextended, putting a new lining inside if your gums have shrunk back, or adding implants.  Visit us to find out which could be the right option for you!

Getting a new denture is much like getting a new pair of shoes – it takes time to “break it in.”  Come visit us for adjustments of sore spots until it fits just right!

An upper denture is designed to extend to a certain point on your palate in order to gain suction and stay up without glue.  Some patients cannot tolerate this so we can discuss adding implants to help stabilize it and trim some of the palatal coverage for you!

In addition to full upper and lower dentures, we also offer partial dentures to replace just some of your missing teeth if implants are not an option. 

As long as you take good care of your denture and do not drop it off your bathroom counter or let your dog eat it, you should have it in service for many years!  Patients come in to replace their denture anywhere from every 5-20 years.  Patients who grind more or use more force when chewing are more likely to need replacements sooner than 20 years.

Additional Questions?

If you have any questions that were not addressed, please reach out to us through our contact page.

Who should consider a denture?

Dentures are a lot more popular than most patients realize.  It’s not just grandmothers who come to us to get their teeth replaced with dentures.  We’ve made dentures for patients between the ages of 25 through 99!

Dentures changed the lives of our following patients:

  • Sally, age 99, who threw her old partial denture out in the trash by accident.  We made her a new one that fit perfectly so she could have back teeth to chew again without going through months of waiting for implants to heal and a larger expense.

  • Erik, age 54, had teeth that were full of cavities and would have been costly and time consuming to save (with no guarantees on how long the salvaged teeth would last).  Erik came to us for the extraction of his 12 upper teeth and the insertion of an immediate denture.  Because he had a good amount of bone and no active infection, we were also able to place 4 implants the same day as his extractions.  After he healed with the implants underneath the gums for 6 months, we uncovered his implants and connected them to snaps on the underside of his new denture.  He’s thrilled! 

  • Sarah, age 35, had just hit 5 years sober when she came to see us for a consult (we’re so proud!).  Sarah’s teeth were the last piece of the puzzle that she wanted to fix from her past.  She came to us for the removal of her remaining upper teeth (most that were broken off at the gumline) and the delivery of her brand new smile.  She, her husband, and I cried happy tears when we saw her transformation in the dental chair.

Read more about DICE and our services

Let’s get started

You’ve got nothing to lose!  Swing by our office for a complimentary consult and learn how we can help transform your smile, get you out of pain, or allow you to actually enjoy a solid meal again. We’d love to meet you and change your view of dentistry so you look forward to your future visits with us.

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