Dentures – Worcester, MA

Effects of Missing Teeth

Perhaps the biggest issue associated with missing teeth is the likelihood of additional teeth falling out. If you have gaps in your grin, the remaining natural teeth adjacent to these spaces can begin to lean toward them, eventually falling out. This can start an unfavorable chain reaction, leading to additional tooth loss without professional intervention.

Not to mention, tooth loss can also negatively affect your jawbone; it can begin to deteriorate prematurely due to the lack of stimulation that was initially being provided by your teeth. This will cause the bone tissue to weaken, further increasing the risk of tooth loss. You might also experience facial sagging, difficulty eating, and speech impediments that lead to reduced self-esteem.

What Qualifies You for Dentures?

The majority of patients who suffer from extensive tooth loss are candidates for dentures, but there are a few things that might need to be taken care of before the prosthetics can be delivered. When you visit us for a consultation, we’ll inspect your mouth and check for a few things: we’ll look at your gum health, assess your jawbone’s density, and determine if any remaining teeth might prevent the dentures from functioning properly. Using this information, we can determine which denture (partial, full, or implant-retained) is best for your needs. Regardless of the type you receive, you’ll need to commit to caring for them, so they remain clean, beautiful, and functional.

Alternative Tooth-Replacement Options

There are several ways to replace missing teeth these days thanks to numerous advancements in dental technology; while dentures remain tried-and-true, other options have also emerged as both viable and comfortable. Plus, these options also offer their own unique benefits. Here’s more about a couple of the other tooth replacement solutions we offer:

• Dental bridges – Bridges are excellent for patients missing one or a few teeth. They require healthy adjacent teeth surrounding the gap for support, but once anchored, they can last for several years with proper care. They’re durable, look natural, and are very easy to maintain!
• Dental implants – These restorations consist of titanium posts that are directly embedded into the jawbone. They require a patient to have adequate bone density and oral health, but offer incredible support and numerous unique oral health benefits, as well as being able to last for decades without needing specialized maintenance.

Learn More About Dental Bridges

Learn More About Dental Implants

Cost-Effective

As you know, there’s more than one way to restore a smile following tooth loss. Dental implants are one option that – although offer several unique benefits – require a higher upfront investment. Dentures, on the other hand, are more cost-effective. Plus, if you have dental insurance, your provider may cover a portion of the price as well, lowering your out-of-pocket expenses even further.

Note: Our team at Community Dentists of Worcester offers flexible financing as well. That means that dentures can fit into nearly every budget, even if you don’t have dental insurance.

Can Effectively Restore Your Bite

Patients who have lost one, a few, or an entire arch of teeth often have to resort to a diet filled with only soft foods, like scrambled eggs, soup, and yogurt. Not only can this get quite boring, but it can lead to complications like malnutrition. That’s where dentures come in. They can seamlessly fill the gaps in your smile or give you an entirely new set of teeth, restoring the strength of your bite in the process. Simply put, this tried-and-true tooth-replacement solution allows you to enjoy a varied, well-balanced diet again!

Fully Customized For Each Patient

One of the biggest perks of modern dentures is that they are crafted from durable and lifelike materials, ensuring they look and feel great. Another reason no unwanted attention will be drawn to your smile is because your restoration will be custom-made just for you. That means everything from the number of prosthetic teeth to their size, shape, and shade will be tailored to your unique dental needs and smile goals.

Completely Natural-Looking

We mentioned above that dentures are custom-made for each patient, which adds to their lifelike appearance. However, that’s not the only improvement that this restoration has undergone over the last few decades. Today, dentures have a gum-colored base that discreetly clasps in place, is held in place with natural suction, or is secured with dental implants. The prosthetic teeth are also crafted from materials that are indistinguishable from your natural teeth.

Easy to Clean

Another perk of dentures is that taking care of them doesn’t require a cumbersome oral hygiene regimen. In addition to brushing and flossing your natural teeth, you need to clean them with a soft-bristled toothbrush and some clean, cool water after each meal. We also recommend soaking them in a glass of water or denture cleaner overnight to prevent them from drying out and give your gums a break.

Can Last For 10 Years With Proper Care

Finally, dentures can last for a decade or so with proper care. That starts with cleaning them regularly and extends to visiting us for a checkup twice a year and getting them adjusted as needed so they always fit properly. If you’re ever unsure how to care for your restoration, you can always give us a call!

Factors That Affect the Cost of Dentures

In order to create your treatment plan and determine the associated costs, we need to first determine:

• If you need gum disease treatment, tooth extractions, or any other preparatory work.
• How extensive your tooth loss is.
• Which materials will be used to craft your dentures, like porcelain or acrylic.

Regarding the last point, it’s important that we mention that investing in a higher quality material may be the best choice for your smile and wallet, even if the upfront price is more costly. After all, they will last significantly longer while also improving your overall quality of life.

Are Implant Dentures More Expensive?

Since implant dentures require oral surgery, the short answer is “yes.” Before that persuades you to opt for traditional dentures, it’s important to know that dental implants can last for several decades with proper care. As a result, there’s a good chance they are the better choice for your wallet in the long-term. Furthermore, dental implants are the only tooth-replacement solution that can stimulate your jawbone, and they provide an unparalleled level of stability.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Dentures?

It’s very common for dental insurance plans to cover medically necessary treatments. So, there’s a good chance that your provider will cover upwards of 50% of the total cost! As always, it’s worth reading through the fine print on your plan or reaching out to your provider to double-check beforehand.

Our team at Community Dentists of Worcester is also here to help! We are proud to work with many popular dental insurance companies, including Guardian, Humana, Mass Health, and several others.

Other Options for Making Dentures Affordable

One of the easiest ways to reduce your out-of-pocket expenses is by checking what our latest special offers are. However, that isn’t the only way to make your treatment more affordable with us! Our team happily accepts payment plans with CareCredit, which is a third-party financier that’s helped millions of patients over the years. Not only is there a wide range of plans to choose from, but several have little-to-no-interest attached. If you have any questions about this financial solution or need help signing up, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.

Removeable Dentures

Remove After Eating

After a meal or a snack, remove your dentures from your mouth and rinse away any lingering food debris that might be attached to them, using room-temperature water. This is important for preventing dental issues; harmful bacteria thrive when they’re allowed to sit undisturbed on your restoration’s surface. Plus, by keeping these bacteria from building up over time, you can also keep your dentures looking and smelling their best.

Clean Your Restoration

Whether you have full or partial dentures, you’ll need to clean them regularly in order to prevent bacteria from accumulating and leading to dental problems like gum disease or further tooth loss. You can do this with a soft-bristled or special denture-cleaning toothbrush. Be sure to never use hot water or regular dental hygiene products to clean your dentures, as it could potentially warp and/or damage them.

Keep Your Dentures Safe

Your dentures are an investment, and you should take impeccable care of them when they aren’t being worn. If you have full dentures, be sure to store them in a glass of room-temperature water when you aren’t wearing them. If you’re cleaning them, place a towel underneath them in your sink, so that if they do fall, they aren’t as likely to break. Of course, you should also keep them out of the reach of pets and children.

Remove When You Sleep

Even if your dentures fit incredibly well, you should still remove them when you go to bed. For full-denture wearers, this gives your gums and facial muscles a chance to rest; failure to do so may result in uncomfortably oral sores, as well as an increase in bacteria that can cause oral health issues like gum disease. Not to mention, removing your dentures before bed is the perfect opportunity to clean them!

Notice Changes

Keep in mind that the average lifespan of traditional dentures is about seven or so years, granted you’re taking excellent care of them. That said, if you’ve had yours for a while and they’re starting to fit differently than they did when you first got them, it’s likely time for an adjustment or replacement; the issue will not improve on its own. Our team can carefully inspect your mouth and dentures and ultimately ensure that your new (or existing) restoration fits comfortably and functions optionally.