Dentures – Raleigh, NC

Effects of Missing Teeth

There are several things that could potentially cause you to lose teeth. According to the American College of Prosthodontists, a few of the most common reasons include tooth decay, gum disease, and physical trauma/injury.

However, replacing missing teeth isn’t something you should hesitate to take care of. Failing to act can lead to a slew of oral health issues, including potential jawbone deterioration, possible gum recession, and a radically heightened chance of additional tooth loss. Some other effects include facial sagging, difficulty speaking, trouble eating, and lowered self-esteem.

What Qualifies You for Dentures

Generally, dentures tend to be a great option for almost all patients who’ve experienced significant tooth loss or have sensitive teeth or a sizable amount of decay. Of course, you still must have sufficiently healthy gum tissue and a strong jawbone to ensure successful treatment. The number of teeth you’re missing can also determine the type of dentures that you receive; there are several options, including full dentures, partial dentures, and implant dentures.

Alternative Tooth-Replacement Options

Patients who aren’t ideal candidates for dentures aren’t entirely out of luck when it comes to restoring their smiles—options like dental implants and dental bridges are also viable solutions! Here’s a little more about these two restorations:

• Dental bridges: Bridges are usually ideal for patients who are only missing one or a few teeth. They require healthy adjacent teeth surrounding the missing tooth/teeth to support the bridge.
• Dental implants: For a more stable and lasting solution, you can opt for dental implants. These consist of titanium posts surgically embedded into your jawbone, replacing the entire structure of missing teeth from the roots to the crown. That said, you must have adequate jawbone density to be eligible for this treatment option. While they’re more expensive than dentures, they’re life-changing and cost-effective in the long run!

Learn More About Dental Bridges

Learn More About Dental Implants

Psychological Benefits

If you’re missing several or all of your teeth, it’s common to feel insecure and want to hide your smile. This can even make some people unwilling to participate in social settings, which can hurt their emotional and psychological well-being. However, by renewing the appearance and function of your smile with dentures, you’ll be able to enjoy showing off your beautiful grin again. This can drastically boost your self-esteem as well as reduce anxiety about your look, chewing ability, speech, and more!

Clearer Enunciation

Having some of your teeth missing can make it difficult to speak clearly. To pronounce phrases and words, your tongue and lips have to be properly positioned. If you can’t touch your tongue to your teeth, some sounds can be challenging to make. Since dentures replace your missing pearly whites, they’ll help you enunciate your words more clearly when talking. Although you’ll have to undergo a short adjustment process and practice often, speaking should feel increasingly more natural over time.

Improves Nutrition

While many nutritious foods are soft, other vitamin-rich options can be tough to bite into. These can include lean proteins and even fruits and veggies. If you can’t chew all of your food properly or comfortably, it can cause you to experience things like malnutrition and indigestion. With dentures, you can regain your ability to chew effectively, which will allow you to expand your diet to include more nutrient-dense meals. This in turn will help you promote better overall health by consuming the essential nutrients your body needs!

Preserves Oral Health

Did you know that any remaining natural teeth can begin to shift to fill in gaps in your smile? Unfortunately, this can increase the risk of further tooth loss if left untreated. By receiving properly fitted dentures, you can help replace your missing teeth as well as keep your remaining ones in their positions. Your restorations will also help withstand the pressures of chewing, minimizing the chance of wearing down your natural teeth.

Expands Opportunities

One of the first things people notice about you is your smile. Whether you’re out on a first date or going into a job interview, you’ll want to look your absolute best for the occasion. By restoring your missing teeth with dentures, you can feel more confident about your appearance, which will show tremendously in the way you present yourself. With your full smile, you can improve your opportunities in both your personal and professional life.

What are Dentures Made Of?

In every full denture, there are two main parts: the “gum” base and the artificial teeth. The gum-colored base usually consists of acrylic or resin, which can be shaded to match the soft tissue. Typically, white porcelain or resin make up artificial teeth. Porcelain is generally preferred because of its extra durability and natural feel.

Sometimes for partial dentures, metal clasps are added to keep the prosthetic in place. During your consultation, we’ll consider all your needs and select the best materials for your individual prosthetic.

The Denture Creation Process

In order to achieve the perfect fit, we follow a multi-step process. First, if you require tooth extraction or any other treatment prior, Dr. Lisk will take care of this preliminary work. Then, we will take impressions of your upper and lower arches. From these impressions in a dental putty, we make a plaster mold of your mouth, which is sent to our dental lab.

There, technicians start to recreate your gumline in wax. The prosthetic teeth are attached with a machine called an articulator. This wax setup is shipped to our office, where you will return for a fitting.

Supposing everything feels and looks good, the lab technicians will then place the wax denture in a flask with plaster. Once the plaster is set, it is put in hot water to melt the wax. Finally, resin or acrylic is poured into the plaster to replace the wax. After being carefully removed from the plaster mold, the denture is cleaned and polished and made perfectly smooth. During this final fitting, minor adjustments can be made, if necessary, but you may leave with your new teeth and a more confident smile!

Adjusting to Your New Dentures

At the beginning, new dentures may feel slightly uncomfortable as your soft tissues and jaw adjust to the prosthetic. However, any unpleasantness should be temporary. As you eat soft foods and exercise your mouth, it should get used to having dentures. In fact, they can eventually feel just like your natural teeth. If, however, your discomfort continues or gets worse, don’t hesitate to let us know!

Factors that Affect the Cost of Dentures

There are a few main factors that will contribute to the cost of dentures:

• The preparatory work that you need before you’re able to get your restoration will contribute to the overall cost. This includes gum disease treatment and tooth extractions.
• The materials to create your dentures, like acrylic and porcelain, will affect the cost.
• The number of teeth that you are needing to have replaced has a direct relationship to the cost. Usually, the larger the restoration, the more you can expect to pay.

Remember that cheaper dentures don’t mean better when it comes to dentures. By opting for budget dentures, you are much more likely to require frequent repairs and replacements. When you invest in a quality restoration, you will notice the difference.

Are Implant Dentures More Expensive?

Implant dentures cost more than traditional dentures, but there is a good reason for it. Instead of being supported by the shape and suction of the gum tissue, implant dentures are held into place by a series of dental implants that are placed into the jawbone via a surgical procedure. This allows for many additional benefits, like being more lifelike and having additional stability. You don’t need to replace them every 5 to 7 years either. Dental implants are made to last for several decades.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Dentures?

In most cases, you can expect some level of coverage for dentures. Many insurance plans cover up to 50% of your treatment, but this varies depending on the plan that you have. Our office is in-network with some of the most popular dental insurance providers in the country, including Delta Dental, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Careington. If you have any questions regarding your plan and what it covers, give us a call!

Other Options for Making Dentures Affordable

If you don’t have dental insurance, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you will be left completely on your own. With our Dental Savings Plan, you can save on all dental treatments completed in our office. We also work with CareCredit – a third-party financing company that can split the cost of your treatment into manageable monthly installments with little to no interest. Talk to one of our friendly team members to learn more.

To learn exactly how much your dentures will cost, schedule a consultation with us. We’re looking forward to restoring your smile!

Remove After Eating

After each of your meals, you should remove and rinse off your dentures. This will help to prevent buildups of food debris and plaque. When rinsing your dentures, be careful that the water you are using is not too hot. Hot water can warp the denture material, causing it to no longer fit properly.

Clean Your Restoration

Remove your dentures from your mouth to clean them. Using a soft-bristled toothbrush and a small amount of unscented hand soap, mild dish soap, or denture cleanser, carefully brush your dentures. You shouldn’t use regular toothpaste, as dentures are not made to stand up to abrasive products. If you aren’t going to be wearing your dentures again right away, you should place them in a container of water or denture-cleansing solution so that they don’t dry out and lose their shape. You should always rinse your dentures before putting them back in your mouth.

Keep Your Dentures Safe

When you are cleaning and handling your dentures, it’s a good idea to place a towel underneath. This way, if they accidentally slip out of your hands, they are less likely to become damaged. You should also keep your dentures in a place that isn’t accessible to small children or pets.

Remove When You Sleep

When you go to sleep, it is best to take your dentures out first. Wearing dentures restricts the circulation in your gums, ultimately leading to soft-tissue irritation. Sleeping with dentures has also been associated with higher levels of gum and tongue plaque. While you sleep, keep your dentures in a denture-soaking solution. This way, you don’t have to worry about them drying out and losing their shape.

Notice Changes

You should always be on the lookout for changes so you can address them with your dentist. This includes mouth sores, gum irritation, or signs of infection. If your dentures become damaged, you shouldn’t attempt to repair them on your own. You could accidentally damage them further. Instead, give us a call so we can help.

Should I Have All My Teeth Pulled to Get Dentures?

Repairing a damaged tooth whenever possible is always preferable to replacing it. Tooth extractions of any kind will only be recommended if deemed absolutely necessary, like when a tooth is too damaged to save thanks to extensive decay, severe infection, or trauma that’s broken off most of the enamel. If all of the teeth in an arch are decayed or infected with gum disease, replacing them with dentures may be a viable option, but your dentist will always explore all of your options before recommending extractions for dentures.

Can I Sleep with My Dentures?

Dentists generally recommend taking your dentures out at night when 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. After that, you should be taking them out every night. Wearing dentures restricts the circulation in your gums, leading to soft-tissue irritation and potentially speeding up ridged resorption. Taking dentures out at night gives the gums a chance to recover and get the nutrients they need while you sleep.

Will It Hurt to Get Dentures?

If you need to have teeth extracted before you get dentures, you’re likely to experience some discomfort after the oral surgery. This can be managed with recommended over-the-counter and prescribed pain relievers. Discomfort should improve 3 to 5 days after your procedure. When you first receive new dentures, some minor irritation may occur while your mouth adjusts to the new appliance. The amount of time that this will last varies from person to person. If discomfort persists, give us a call.

Will Dentures Change the Shape of My Face?

When you lose your teeth, your facial muscles will begin to sag, and this can give your face a sunken appearance. Getting dentures will mean providing support to the facial muscles that have collapsed, therefore improving your appearance. Ill-fitting dentures may not give your facial muscles the proper support they need, so it’s important that it fits perfectly in your mouth. If you realize that your denture is no longer fitting properly, you should have it refitted as soon as you can.