Full & Partial Dentures – Lexington, KY

Effects of Missing Teeth

There are many reasons why tooth loss can occur in the first place, like tooth decay and gum disease. Some other causes include physical injury and accidents. Patients interested in dentures typically want to avoid the effects of tooth loss. Understandably, that’s because failing to replace missing teeth can lead to severe oral health problems.

For instance, it can make everyday tasks such as speaking and eating difficult. Not only that, but lacking teeth can cause your jawbone to erode. If that happens, you may suffer facial collapse, which can make you look older than you are.

What Qualifies You for Dentures?

Most patients with major tooth loss are eligible for dentures. However, there are other factors to consider such as sensitivity and decay. Before moving forward with the process, you must have sufficient healthy gum and jaw tissue. It’s also crucial that you’re committed to dental health and appliance care.

The number of missing teeth you have will determine which type of denture you receive. If you’re missing an entire arch of teeth, you could get a full denture. On the other hand, you could get a partial if you only lack a few pearly whites.

Alternative Tooth-Replacement Options

Even if you’re not a good candidate for dentures, there are other options you can explore. At Dental Wellness of Lexington, we offer additional tooth-replacement solutions like:

• Dental Bridges: These restorations can replace one or a few teeth. They’re typically made up of two (or more) crowns that are affixed to either side of an artificial tooth. Keep in mind that you require healthy teeth near the missing tooth to support themselves.
• Dental Implants: Thanks to the unique placement of these posts, you can enjoy unmatched stability and durability. Over time, the implants will naturally fuse with the jawbone. While this option is more costly, it’s a permanent solution.

Learn More About Dental Bridges

Learn More About Dental Implants

What Are Dentures Made Of?

Your dentures will consist of mainly two components: the artificial teeth and the base. Here’s a brief look at what each entails:

• Artificial Teeth: These lifelike pearly whites will usually be constructed out of resin or porcelain material—both of which can effectively mimic natural tooth enamel. That said, full dentures are usually made with porcelain due to their incredible durability.
• Denture Base: This foundational structure will provide the necessary support for your new artificial teeth. The base can be made out of different kinds of materials, ranging from nylon and resin to acrylic, metal, and porcelain. In most cases, the base for full dentures is often constructed from acrylic due to its ability to easily be tailored to the patient’s natural gum tissue.

The Denture Creation Process

The process of denture creation usually begins with taking impressions of your gums and using this to develop a plaster model of your mouth, that way your final dentures fit properly. We’ll also take measurements of your jaw for more accurate results. The model will then be sent to a dental lab where the technicians will create a wax version of your gumline. Using an articulator, the artificial teeth will be placed and attached to the wax, and the technicians will make the necessary adjustments so that the base matches your gums.

We’ll receive the wax dentures for a fitting and send them back for completion if approved. Back at the dental lab, the technicians will melt the wax portions off by placing the dentures in a flask, filling it with plaster to preserve the shape of the dentures, and then boiling them in hot water. Then, holes will be made in the teeth so that the material attaches to them. The plaster layer will have a liquid separator added to it to prevent acrylic from sticking to it. Acrylic will then be injected into the flask to replace the wax.

Special lab tools will be used to remove the plaster and reveal the denture. We’ll use an ultrasonic bath to help remove any residual plaster. The technicians will also cut away any excess acrylic before thoroughly polishing the final dentures. Once finished, you’ll come back to our office to have your brand-new prosthetics fitted. We’ll make any adjustments and verify that the results are satisfactory before sending you on your way.

Adjusting to Your New Dentures

It’s quite normal for dentures to feel mildly uncomfortable at first, especially since your gums (and any remaining natural teeth) need to grow accustomed to having them in your mouth. This is usually short-lived and should fade away after some time and practice with using them. The adjustment process can be sped up if you exercise your facial muscles, stick to softer foods, and try using a denture adhesive for temporary support. If you have any issues along the way, make sure to give our team a call for help.

Psychological Benefits

People often find tooth loss hard to bear. That’s only natural – it’s upsetting when you lack a full, pretty smile. As the condition persists, you may feel anxious or insecure. These feelings would then lead you to withdraw from others. From there, depression or other mood disorders could follow.

Luckily, dentures let you avoid this mood issue. They’ll quickly restore your smile and boost your confidence. Due to all your nice teeth, you won’t be self-conscious. Instead, you should feel self-assured regarding your looks, eating ability, and speech.

Clearer Enunciation

Without all your teeth, you won’t talk well. Your tongue depends on chompers to enunciate words. As such, a toothless grin can lead to speech impediments. These may include lisps, slurred words, and other mispronunciations.

Of course, dentures can clear up this problem. Their artificial teeth would help your tongue enunciate properly. Still, you’d have to undergo an initial adjustment period. It takes time and practice to speak clearly with dentures.

Improves Nutrition

Honestly, losing teeth usually leads to a poor diet. Fewer pearly whites mean you can’t chew tough foods well. To compensate, you might exclude healthy items from your meals. You’d then put yourself at risk of malnutrition and indigestion.

All that said, dentures resolve the nutrition dilemma. Their durability ensures you can chew various tough fare. In doing so, they’ll expand your food choices and boost your nutritional health.

Preserves Oral Health

Aside from harming your looks, tooth loss also damages your oral health. It leads to “smile gaps” that help harmful bacteria breed. As a result, lacking teeth makes tooth decay and gum disease more likely. Adding insult to injury, the gaps can also tilt your remaining teeth until they fall out.

With dentures, though, things change. They could fill your smile gaps and thus reduce the spread of harmful bacteria. Similarly, removing the nasty spaces keeps your other teeth from tilting or falling.

Expands Opportunities

As you may know, a pretty smile is crucial to a good first impression. Beautiful teeth inspire positive feelings from your peers. To that extent, they’ll expand your range of opportunities. They might help you make friends, romance a significant other, or even improve your career.

Ultimately, dentures could give you such teeth. Their high-grade materials would make your grin truly gorgeous. By showing the latter to others, you’d then see exciting changes among friends, family, and coworkers.

Factors That Affect the Cost of Dentures

At your initial consultation, our denture dentist in Lexington will take into account several cost-related factors, including:

• The need for any preliminary treatments, like tooth extractions or gum disease therapy
• The extent of your tooth loss
• The materials used to craft your dentures

Remember, cheaper isn’t always better, especially when it comes to something as important as your smile and bite. Using a cheaper material may save you some money, but it will also break easier and require a replacement sooner. That’s why it’s best to opt for quality dentures that are worth the investment.

Are Implant Dentures More Expensive?

Since implant dentures require the placement of several dental implants and oral surgery, they typically come with a higher price tag. Of course, the higher investment comes with multiple priceless benefits. To start, implant dentures can last for several decades, while traditional dentures usually last between five and seven years. Additionally, the implants stimulate the jawbone, preventing deterioration, preserving your youthful face shape, and strengthening your bite.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Dentures?

While the exact coverage will depend on your plan, many dental insurance providers cover up to 50% of the cost of dentures in Lexington. In fact, we are even in-network with Delta Dental Premier and Cigna PPO. Plus, we welcome out-of-network providers as well! In short, we can help you understand your benefits and the cost, so handling the financial aspects of your care isn’t stressful.

Other Options for Making Dentures Affordable

Don’t have dental insurance? Unhappy with your coverage? That’s okay – we offer two other ways to make dentures in Lexington more affordable:

• Flexible Financing – With third-party financiers, like CareCredit, you don’t have to pay for your dentures in one lump sum. Instead, you can choose a payment plan that best suits your budget. Even better, there are often options that have little-to-no interest attached!
• Special Offers – With our periodic specials, you can lower your out-of-pocket expenses even if you don’t have dental insurance! To learn about our latest offers, get in touch with our team!

Navigating the cost of dentures shouldn’t be stressful, and our team goes the extra mile to make sure it isn’t. If you have a question or are simply ready to schedule your initial consultation, then don’t hesitate to get in touch!