Dentures - Greenbelt

Effects of Missing Teeth

Missing teeth affect millions of people each year. While gum disease is the most common culprit of tooth loss, facial trauma and dental decay can also lead to the same result. When teeth are no longer present, it makes it much harder for you to eat your favorite foods, speak coherently, and even smile with assured confidence.

As a result, your emotional, mental, and physical health can deteriorate if left untreated. Not only will you face the possibility of malnutrition because of the inability to eat nutrient-rich foods, but you might also suffer low self-esteem and lack of motivation to keep your oral and overall health in the best possible shape.

What Qualifies You for Dentures?

The good news is that most people who have missing teeth may be eligible to receive dentures. As a proven effective prosthetic that countless individuals have relied on, they make it easier to eat, speak, and smile, eliminating the fear and anxiety that tooth loss can cause.

When meeting with our team, we will survey your existing smile to determine how best to move forward. Do you need a partial denture or a full one? Are you interested in an implant denture? Do you need additional preliminary treatment to address existing decayed or damaged teeth? These are all questions that will be answered during your visit to our McCarl Dental Group office in Greenbelt.

Alternative Tooth-Replacement Options

You may find that dentures are not the most ideal solution for your incomplete smile. Fortunately, other options might be more suitable, such as:

• Dental Bridges – Using healthy abutment teeth as anchors for the dental bridge, the two crowns fit over these pearly whites while the remaining pontics (artificial teeth) rest on top of the gums to create a full smile.
• Dental Implants – Using titanium posts that are positioned and placed into the jawbone, dental implants are longer lasting and fuse with existing bone to support a custom denture that is secured on top.

What Are Dentures Made Of?

When meeting with a member of our McCarl Dental Group team, you’ll learn that there are two parts to every denture – the base and the artificial teeth.

• The Base – Many different materials can be used to craft the base of a denture, but most commonly, gum colored acrylic is used to create a natural appearance. Also, it’s highly durable and can be customized to look just like your gum tissue.
• Artificial Teeth – On top of the base are your artificial teeth. These can also be crafted from acrylic or porcelain. Depending on how many teeth you are missing, the technician will place and position each tooth in a specific area so that the finalized result looks completely natural.

The Denture Creation Process

There are multiple steps required to create a complete denture. While no two prosthetics are the same, the process used to create them might look something like the following:

1. Using digital scans or impressions of your smile, lab technicians will create a model of your mouth so that it can be used to build the shape and color of your new denture.
2. Lab technicians will then place the model in a device known as an articulator, which is a simulated jaw, so that artificial teeth can be attached.
3. Carving the wax is the next step, as this will help create the shape of your gums.
4. Your dentures are then placed into a flask so that plaster can be poured to create the shape of your dentures. It is then placed into hot water so that the wax melts off.
5. Acrylic is then injected into the mold to replace the wax before the plaster is removed. What is left is a set of acrylic dentures that are then placed in an ultrasonic bath. This removes any remaining plaster.
6. After trimming and polishing the dentures, they are officially ready and will be returned to our dental office for the final fitting.

Adjusting to Your New Dentures

It’s natural for you to undergo an adjustment phase once receiving your new dentures. This usually includes taking extra time to eat certain foods and learning to speak without slurring your words. It’s not uncommon to develop a slight lisp but with practice reading aloud and speaking in front of a mirror, you will sound normal in no time.

Also, while eating, you may need to cut up your food into smaller bites so that you can become accustomed to eating with your dentures in.

Psychological Benefits

Your smile is not the only thing that will benefit from receiving dentures. Your smile is the first thing people see when they look at you.  Your new teeth can help to make a good first impression, which serves to boost your confidence. When you enjoy the way your dentures look and feel, you’ll begin to notice an improvement in your mental and emotional health as well. Days spent feeling hopeless about your missing teeth will turn into joy and excitement, as you begin to look forward to the many activities you previously missed out on.

Clear Enunciation

Missing teeth are known to cause speech impediments. Because they are crucial in being able to form words and sounds, slurring can be a common occurrence when gaps exist. However, with dentures, your teeth can be restored, allowing your tongue to work together with your dentures to create familiar and clearer speech. As a result, you will feel less embarrassed and more confident as you speak to others and engage in conversation with family and friends.

Improves Nutrition

Teeth are used to bite and chew through food. When missing, it can be difficult to consume some of the most nutritious and delicious options available. This can lead to malnutrition, which can negatively affect your oral and overall health. With dentures, though, you can resume eating your favorite foods and begin to experience a positive change in how you feel. As you eat nutrient-rich meats, fruits, vegetables, and greens, your smile and body will reap the benefits.

Preserves Oral Health

Living with dentures can mean enjoying better oral health. When natural teeth are lost, gaps can pose significant problems when it comes to the appearance of your smile. By installing a partial denture, natural teeth can remain in place, preventing a shift that requires orthodontic treatment. With full dentures, the ability to eat and use your teeth helps to keep your facial features from collapsing while also making it easier for you to keep your new smile clean and healthy.

Expands Opportunity

Replacing missing teeth can be a great way to expand your opportunities. Whether you’re a young person who is interviewing for a job, a busy professional who is seeking advancement, or a retiree who is ready to meet someone new, the confidence you can expect to find with these prosthetics will help you to make a stellar first impression every time.

Removable Dentures

When living with removable dentures, you will need to make sure that you take proper care of them. Doing so will extend their lifespan and minimize the potential for damage and decay to form, which can potentially hinder the function of your new teeth and require replacement or a reline much sooner.

Remove After Eating

After enjoying a meal, make sure to remove your dentures so that you can give them a proper cleaning. This will also help make sure that you clean any areas of your gums or existing teeth so that food particles do not remain in place.

Clean Your Restoration

Cleaning your dentures throughout the day is essential. This ensures that they remain free of any bad bacteria that can easily be transferred onto your teeth and gums. You’ll want to make sure that you use a soft-bristled toothbrush and/or an instrument that is designed specifically for cleaning artificial teeth. Make sure that you don’t use traditional toothpaste, as it can be too abrasive, resulting in scratches to your prosthetic. Instead, you can ask our team for recommendations on which products are more beneficial for dentures.

Keep Your Dentures Safe

Keeping your dentures out of reach of pets and young children cannot be stressed enough. Too often, little hands can accidentally damage or lose these teeth, resulting in panic. Also, should your dog or another four-legged friend get a hold of them, you’ll likely find yourself requesting a new denture because of the damage caused to your artificial teeth. There is also the potential of accidentally dropping your dentures in the sink while cleaning them. This can cause a chip or crack to form. To avoid this, place a towel in the basin of your sink for added protection.

Remove Dentures When You Sleep

It may seem odd to remove your dentures before going to bed, especially in the early stages, as you’ll still be adjusting to your new teeth. However, this step is necessary if you want to not only protect your oral and overall health but also thoroughly cleanse your dentures.

Removing your dentures at bedtime allows your gums and bone (the two main areas of your mouth that sustain the most pressure from your denture) to regain much needed rest. Also, taking out your artificial teeth before bed reduces the potential for pneumonia, as moisture that pools in dark environments (underneath the denture) can be a haven for bacteria, which can cause pneumonia to form over time.

Notice Changes

It’s natural to experience changes while wearing dentures, as your jawbone will likely begin to shrink over time. This is an aspect of treatment that you can expect us to go over with you during your consultation. As this happens, you may notice that your dentures no longer fit as comfortably or properly as before. Don’t dismiss these changes; instead, call our office to schedule an appointment so that we can perform a reline if necessary. It’s also possible that we may need to replace your denture altogether.

Factors That Affect the Cost of Dentures

When it comes to determining how much your dentures will cost, you can expect that our team will consider these factors when formulating an estimate:

• How many teeth are you missing?
• Will you require partial or full dentures?
• Do you need an upper or lower denture or both?
• Do you require preliminary treatments to treat existing tooth decay or gum disease?
• What is the status of your jawbone health?
• What kind of materials will be used to craft your custom dentures?

Naturally, many patients inquire about cheaper materials and solutions to save on cost; however, it’s important to remember that less expensive options are not always better. What you can find is that these often break easily and require replacement much sooner than high-quality dentures.

Are Implant Dentures More Expensive?

Yes, implant dentures are more expensive but for good reason. Unlike traditional dentures that sit on the gums and need replacement every decade or so, those held in place with dental implants are placed within the jawbone, fusing with surrounding tissues, and can last for 30 years or more. This largely depends on how well you take care of your new teeth, but if you want a more permanent solution that looks, functions, and feels like natural teeth, you cannot go wrong with choosing implant dentures. 

Does Dental Insurance Cover Dentures?

Using your dental insurance to cover the cost of dentures is a good idea, especially since most companies will agree to cover anywhere from 50-80% of the total cost. Of course, you must first meet your deductible before they will pay more, but this is unlikely to be a problem, as most deductibles tend to be quite minimal. A member of our dental team will be happy to work with you to determine how much your out-of-pocket costs will be once your dental insurance decides how much they will pay.

Other Options for Making Dentures Affordable

If private dental insurance is not something you have, there is no need to worry. McCarl Dental Group also offers flexible financing through CareCredit to keep expenses low. By enrolling in a low or no-interest payment plan, you can better manage your budget as you pay off your new smile over time. CareCredit also does not have any surprise fees, so you can be confident about the amount you will be responsible for paying.