Dentures – Garland, TX

Effects of Missing Teeth

The most common causes of tooth loss are tooth decay, gum disease, and injuries such as those that can happen due to falling or when playing sports. In addition to detracting from your smile, the loss of teeth deprives the jawbone of the exercise it needs to stay healthy and strong. Without the stimulation teeth provide during the chewing process, the jaw will atrophy and recede, causing issues like facial sagging, speech difficulties, trouble eating, and diminished self-esteem. Dentures can be an excellent way to restore the youthful shape of your face along with your chewing ability and self-image.

What Qualifies You for Dentures?

Dentures can be excellent options for patients who have lost one or many teeth or deal with dental sensitivity as long as they have sufficiently healthy gum tissue and jawbones. Keeping a set in great shape requires patients to practice excellent oral hygiene. Dentures are also generally less costly than other tooth-replacement options, making them great for budget-conscious patients.

The type of denture that best suits you depends on the number of teeth you’re missing. Those who have lost only one or a few teeth will benefit most from partial dentures while those who have lost most or all of their teeth will be best served by full dentures. For those who want to maximize their new teeth’s chewing ability, implant dentures are probably the way to go since they are anchored by titanium posts surgically placed in the jaw.

Alternative Tooth-Replacement Options

While dentures can be great solutions for most people who have lost teeth, these appliances are not for everybody. Patients who aren’t good denture candidates can explore other tooth-replacement options such as:

• Dental bridges can replace one or several sequential missing teeth. They are supported either by crowns placed on the teeth on either side of the gap or by dental implants placed in the jawbone.
• Dental implants are a permanent, lifelike, and incredibly functional way to replace a missing tooth. Since these artificial teeth require titanium posts to be placed in the jawbone, the patient will need to have sturdy bone structure.

What Are Dentures Made Of?

Whether partial or full, all dentures consist of two main components: the base and the artificial teeth. Both are essential for effective treatment. Here's why:

• Denture Base – Simply put, the base of a denture provides support for its artificial teeth. It rests on the patient's gums and is colored pink to blend in naturally. Typically, dental labs craft bases from acrylic, nylon, porcelain, resin, or metal.
• Artificial Teeth – As the name suggests, artificial teeth replace missing natural teeth in a denture. Most dental labs create them from resin or porcelain, ensuring a realistic appearance. However, many patients prefer porcelain teeth for their resemblance to natural tooth enamel.

The Denture Creation Process

Creating a denture involves a detailed process tailored to each patient. Here's an overview:

• Step 1: Your dentist takes an impression of your gums, sending it to a lab for denture fabrication.
• Step 2: The lab creates wax dentures for fitting by the dentist or prosthodontist. Upon approval, the dentures are finalized at the lab.
• Step 3: Technicians remove wax from the dentures, placing them in a flask with plaster, which is then melted away.
• Step 4: Holes are made in the artificial teeth for attachment, and a liquid separator prevents acrylic from sticking. Acrylic is injected to replace wax.
• Step 5: Plaster is removed to unveil the dentures, then they're cleaned in an ultrasonic bath to remove excess plaster.
• Step 6: Excess acrylic is trimmed, and the dentures are polished.
• Step 7: The patient returns for fitting and final adjustments at the dental office.

Adjusting to Your New Dentures

As you begin wearing new dentures, it's common to experience some discomfort. Adjusting to these restorations can lead to soreness and difficulties with eating or speaking initially. Fortunately, these issues are temporary and typically diminish quickly. Soon enough, your dentures will feel natural!

If you'd like to expedite the adjustment process, adopting and practicing appropriate oral habits can help. For instance, consuming softer foods for a period can alleviate chewing-related discomfort. Additionally, strengthening facial muscles or using dental adhesives may be beneficial.

Regardless of your approach, it's important to proceed with caution. If denture discomfort persists, it may be necessary to consult your dentist for further adjustments. Your prosthetic might require fine-tuning in such cases.

Psychological Health & Wellness

Whether you’re missing a single, several, or all of your teeth, having any number of gaps in your smile can make a huge dent in your self-esteem and confidence. In fact, studies have shown that people who suffer from tooth loss often experience an increased risk of social anxiety and depression. By restoring your smile with dentures, you’ll be able to let your friends, partner, and family see the real you by letting your grin show.

Clearer Speech & Enunciation

Gaps in your smile can cause saliva, air, and your tongue to become stuck mid-speech, as well as create noise and whistling sounds as you talk, all of which can be embarrassing if you’re mid-conversation! Your full or partial dentures will keep this from happening, allowing you to speak uninterrupted and with greater confidence.

Improved Nutrition

Missing any number of teeth can make chewing foods, especially those like proteins and crusty breads, much more difficult. With a complete smile again, you’ll be able to re-introduce foods that you’ve missed from your diet, ensuring you receive all of the nutrients your body needs to thrive and remain healthy.

Preservation of Dental Health

Studies have shown that missing teeth can actually lead to further tooth loss. This is because the gaps in your smile can be the perfect hiding place for plaque and food debris, plus, due to the fact that people with missing teeth are at a higher risk of experiencing depression and sadness, oral hygiene routines can also become affected by declining psychological health.

Getting dentures can be excellent motivation to keep up with your gum health, as your gums are the foundation for your new prosthetic. Plus, due to their removability, they’re incredibly easy to clean and care for, allowing you to stay on top of your dental health.

Expanded Opportunities

Along with greater confidence, thanks to your complete smile, comes more opportunities in the world, whether that’s a better shot at a second date because you feel more free to be yourself, or nailing an important job interview that could set you up for a brighter future. Your smile has more power than you may think, and much of that comes from the confidence you exude when you feel comfortable enough to let it show.

Factors that Affect the Cost of Dentures

There are three main factors that will influence the cost of your dentures:

• Any preliminary treatments that you require before getting your dentures will influence the cost. This includes any needed extractions as well as gum disease therapy.
• The materials used for the base and replacement teeth will play a role. The base is typically made out of acrylic while the replacement teeth are made from acrylic or porcelain.
• The number of teeth that you are replacing is an important factor. The more teeth you are missing, the higher the cost usually is.

Are Implant Dentures More Expensive?

Yes, 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 gums, implant dentures are held in place by a series of dental implants that are placed in the jawbone via a surgical procedure. This allows for many additional benefits, like being more lifelike and having additional stability. Also, you won’t need to have your dentures replaced every 5 to 7 years either. Implants are made to last for several decades before needing to be replaced.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Dentures?

You can expect some level of coverage with most dental insurance plans. Many provide up to 50% coverage, but this will vary depending on your plan. At Dentistry by Brand, we are proud to be in-network with numerous dental insurance providers. We are happy to welcome out-of-network plans as well.

Other Options for Making Dentures Affordable

If you don’t have dental insurance, this doesn’t mean that you will be left completely in the dust. With our in-house dental savings plan, you can save 20% on recommended dental treatments. We also work with Care-Credit – a third-party financing company that can split the cost of your treatment into manageable monthly installments with little to no interest. For more information on your financial options, don’t hesitate to talk to one of our friendly team members.

The best way to learn how much your dentures will cost is by scheduling a consultation with us. We’re eager to help you get your smile back!

Removable Dentures

Remove After Eating

After you finish eating, remove your dentures and rinse them to wash away food debris and plaque that can lead to oral infections. Just remember not to use hot water or harsh cleaning agents, as these can cause the materials in your dentures to warp and lose their fit.

Clean Your Restoration

Your dentures need a daily hygiene regimen to stay in good shape. Begin by removing your dentures and gently cleaning them with a soft-bristled brush and a small amount of mild dish soap, unscented hand soap, or denture cleanser. Remember not to use regular toothpaste, as it can be abrasive enough to leave scratches that diminish the appearance of your appliance. If you are not putting your dentures back in immediately, place them in a container with water or a denture-cleansing solution so they do not dry out and warp. Always remember to rinse your dentures before wearing them again, as denture-cleaning materials are not meant to be swallowed.

Keep Your Dentures Safe

When you clean your dentures, place folded towels over your countertop and fill the sink with lukewarm water to create a cushion in case you drop them. It’s also a great idea to keep your dentures away from pets and small children.

Remove Your Dentures When You Sleep

Wearing dentures restricts blood flow to the gums, so wearing them for too long can lead to irritation, excessive gum and tongue plaque, oral infections, and pneumonia. Remove your dentures before bed to give your mouth time to rest and clean itself and store your appliance in a container with denture-soaking solution. Allowing your appliance to dry out can cause it to irreversibly lose its shape.

Notice Changes

Pay attention to your dentures so you can notice changes such as oral sores, gum irritation, and signs of infection so you can point them out to your dentist. You should also look for mechanical issues with your appliance such as shifting, clicking, or other signs of not fitting properly. Do not try to repair broken dentures on your own, as you may just damage them further. Instead, give our office in Garland a call if you have any oral health concerns or if your dentures need to be relined or replaced.

Will Dentures Change the Shape of My Face?

When they work correctly, dentures do change the shape of your face. Fortunately, this change is a positive one!

You see, facial muscles start sagging when you lose teeth. This process — a result of jawbone erosion — can make your face look sunken if left untreated. As a result, your looks would start to age drastically.

Fortunately, dentures prevent and even reverse this sagging. Once placed, they’ll support your once-collapsed facial muscles and boost your appearance. Remember, though, that this effect may not apply if the dentures are ill-fitting. It’s thus crucial to have them refitted or replaced if they don’t fit properly.

Can I Have My Dentures Relined if They Don’t Fit Properly?

Put simply, yes — dentists can reline your dentures. They often do so when your appliance changes shape over time. In particular, our team could perform a soft or hard reline.

Dentists perform a soft reline when your gums become sensitive to dentures’ weight. The option can add additional cushion to the prosthetic, ensuring it doesn’t irritate your mouth tissues.

A hard reline, in contrast, is done for more extensive changes. As such, your dentist will send the dentures to a separate lab. Still, this extra effort pays off — a hard reline’s results can last for years.

What Can’t You Eat with Dentures?

Dentures can (and do) improve your eating ability, but they still struggle to handle a few things. Some of these include:

• Sticky Stuff – Products like peanut butter and gummy candies can pull dentures out of place. Should that happen, you’d have a hard time chewing. Worse yet, food particles might wedge beneath your prosthetics.
• Hard Foods – Popcorn, apples, carrot sticks, and other hard things can damage or dislodge dentures. While okay to eat on occasion, such foods should be avoided for the most part.
• Items with Small Pieces – Whether popcorn kernels, shelled nuts, or sesame seeds, some foods have small pieces that dentures can’t chew easily. These tough bits might get stuck in and around the dentures and even damage them.

Do Upper Dentures Always Cover the Palate?

To be honest, upper dentures don’t always cover the palate. Dentists actually design some to be palateless. That way, they won’t interfere with your ability to taste foods and drinks properly.

Lacking a plate covering, these so-called “palateless dentures” often have the same horseshoe shape as those for lower arches. They’re thus not too hard to find. That said, talk to your dentist about the different denture types and their options for the upper arch.