Dentures – Greensboro, GA

Effects of Missing Teeth

According to the American College of Prosthodontists, the common causes of missing teeth include tooth decay, gum disease, and injury. When you are missing teeth, there are a variety of negative consequences you can experience, including facial sagging, difficulty speaking, trouble eating, and reduced self-confidence.

What Qualifies You for Dentures?

If you have experienced significant tooth loss, extreme tooth sensitivity, or have lots of decay, dentures may be a life-changing solution for you. To get dentures, it is important that you have sufficient healthy gum tissue and jawbone and are committed to properly caring for your new smile.

The number of teeth that you are missing will ultimately determine which type of denture is right for you. Dentures tend to be more affordable than other tooth replacement options, making them an ideal solution for patients who are unable to invest a lot of money into their smile.

Alternative Tooth-Replacement Options

If you don’t make a good candidate for dentures, maybe you’d make a good candidate for another tooth replacement option:

• Dental Bridges: Dental bridges are ideal for patients who are only missing one or a few teeth. They require healthy teeth surrounding the missing tooth to support the bridge.
• Dental Implants: Since a titanium post is inserted into the jawbone, patients must have a solid bone structure to get dental implants. This option is more costly than traditional dentures, but it’s permanent. 

Learn More About Dental Bridges

Learn More About Dental Implants

Partial Dentures

If you’re missing several teeth throughout your mouth, but still have some healthy pearly whites left, then a partial denture is ideal. This type of denture is designed to fit around and between your remaining teeth like a puzzle piece to fill in the gaps. A few small metal clasps or bands wrap around the healthy tooth structure discreetly to hold the partial denture in place.

Full Dentures

Full dentures are for patients who are missing all the teeth in one or both arches. A full set of custom-made replacement teeth are set into a u-shaped base. This base is precisely crafted to fit snugly but comfortably on top of the gums, which creates a strong natural suction to secure the denture.

Implant Dentures

Alternatively, partial or full dentures can be paired with dental implants for optimal results. An implant denture doesn’t rely on remaining teeth or suction to stay in place, and is instead anchored directly into the jawbone just like natural teeth. Anywhere between four and eight dental implants can support a full denture with unmatched stability, comfort, and longevity. During your consultation, we’ll review additional factors such as your health and jawbone density to see if you’re a candidate for implant dentures.

Psychological Benefits

Tooth loss is well-known for being a hard condition to accept and bear. That’s only natural – lacking a full smile can feel alien and unnerving. Given this fact, it often lowers your self-esteem and body image over time. From there, you might be tempted to retreat from social settings and develop anxiety or depression.

Thankfully, dentures can prevent these outcomes. They’d boost your confidence and body image by restoring your full (and beautiful) smile. The result is a better attitude toward your looks, speech, eating ability, and more.

Clearer Enunciation

Typically, people struggle to talk without teeth. Pearly whites help position your lips and tongue for speech. If you lack even a few, odds are some words will be hard to pronounce.

All that said, dentures solve things by acting as substitute teeth. They can easily support your tongue and lips. First, though, you’ll need to adjust to them. Speaking naturally with these teeth takes diligent practice and effort.

Improves Nutrition

Unfortunately, meals are tricky without all your teeth. Lacking the full set makes many foods nearly impossible to chew. As that happens, many find it easy to restrict their diets. They may exclude healthy items with harsh textures from their plates. That change, in turn, will cause malnutrition or indigestion.

Naturally, you can count on dentures as a solution. Their artificial teeth chew food almost as well as natural ones. As a result, the prosthetics expand your dietary options and ensure better nutrition.

Preserves Oral Health

Missing teeth don’t just lead to worse looks; they also reduce your oral health. You see, the smile gaps they cause are breeding grounds for harmful germs. The spaces also pull on your surrounding teeth, making the latter crooked. That process can even tilt the pearly whites until they fall out.

With the right timing, though, dentures can preserve your oral health. They’d “fill” your smile gaps and prevent their nasty effects. For example, the restorations would reduce the number of spots where germs can breed. They’d also stop your other chompers from tilting and falling out.

Expands Opportunities

If you don’t already know, a pretty smile is crucial to good first impressions. Beautiful teeth make you seem friendly, warm, and non-threatening. Consequently, they strengthen your relationships with friends, family, and peers.

It just so happens that dentures can give you a gorgeous grin. Their acrylic, artificial teeth look natural and blend seamlessly with their surroundings. As such, they’ll open up opportunities with those around you. You’d then see a rise in enjoyable circumstances like romances, promotions, etc. Who knows - your job could give you a raise that pays for your treatment.

Remove After Eating

After every meal, it's important to remove and rinse off your dentures. This simple act helps prevent the buildup of food debris and plaque. Use lukewarm or cool water to rinse them as hot water can warp the acrylic material, causing your dentures to fit improperly.

Clean Your Restoration

To clean your dentures effectively, you’ll need to do so at least twice per day, just like your natural teeth. Take them from your mouth first and use a soft-bristled toothbrush with a small amount of unscented hand soap, mild dish soap, or denture cleanser. Avoid using regular toothpaste, as it may be too abrasive for the materials in your prosthetic. If you don’t plan to wear your dentures immediately, placing them in a glass of cool water or denture solution is perfect. Just be sure to wash them off if you use denture cleaner. It’s not meant to be in your mouth!

Keep Your Dentures Safe

While durable, your new prosthetic isn’t unbreakable. In fact, it can be snapped easily if dropped onto a hard surface. When cleaning your dentures, it's wise to place a towel underneath to cushion against accidental drops. Additionally, be sure to store your dentures out of the reach of small children and pets to prevent their curiosity from costing you your smile!

Remove When You Sleep

Keeping dentures in your mouth overnight can cause many irritating and harmful symptoms and conditions like increased plaque buildup, gum inflammation, and even pneumonia. To avoid infection or sickness, remove your dentures, clean them, and soak them in cold water overnight instead of wearing them to bed. This will keep your mouth happy and your dentures comfortable.

Notice Changes

Finally, it’s a good idea to regularly monitor your oral health and dentures for any changes. Look out for mouth sores, gum irritation, or signs of infection, and reach out to your dentist if you notice anything troubling or painful. If your dentures become damaged, please don’t try to do repairs yourself, as this could cause permanent damage to your dentures or hurt you. Your dentist here at Lake Oconee Dentistry is trained to reline, adjust, or commission new dentures on your behalf, so there’s no need to risk a DIY repair.

Factors That Affect the Cost of Dentures

Multiple considerations can influence the price of dentures in Greensboro, including:

• Any work needed beforehand like tooth extractions or periodontal therapy
• The number of teeth you’re missing
• The type of acrylic used for the base (part that is dyed to match color of gum tissue)
• The materials your denture will be made of (usually porcelain or acrylic)

Is cost a priority? If so, you may be tempted to opt for cheaper dentures. Even though the upfront cost is certainly lower, they tend to break easily and require replacement much sooner than you’d expect. That’s why quality should always be of utmost importance, regardless of the cost. 

Are Implant Dentures More Expensive?

Yes, implant dentures are generally more expensive than traditional ones. However, there’s a good explanation for that. They require oral surgery and the placement of multiple dental implants, making them more reliable for everyday use since they do not shift out of place. Many patients discover this method of tooth replacement is well worth the investment because of several tremendous benefits.

Not only do implants stimulate the jawbone, but they can last decades or even a lifetime with proper care and maintenance with help from your denture dentist in Greensboro. That means you won’t have to worry about replacing your dentures nearly as often!

Does Dental Insurance Cover Dentures?

Dentures are considered a major procedure which is why most dental insurance plans will cover approximately 50 percent of their cost. Certainly, every policy is unique, meaning the amount of coverage provided will vary from patient to patient. If you have any questions about your plan, contact your insurance provider or ask our dental team for assistance. We will gladly review the details of your policy and do everything possible to maximize your benefits and reduce out-of-pocket expenses.

Another Option for Making Dentures Affordable

We understand not everyone has dental insurance which is why we offer other ways to make your dental bills much easier to manage. With CareCredit Financing, you can split up the total cost of your treatment into smaller, budget-friendly monthly installments. Options even come with little-to-no interest!

Ready to begin down the path to a beautiful, complete smile? Contact us today to schedule a consultation so we can answer any questions you might have.

How Long Will You Have to Wait to Get Dentures After Your Teeth are Pulled?

Most patients have to wait between six to eight weeks before getting their dentures after having teeth extracted. This might seem like a long while to go without teeth, but it’s pretty necessary; if your gums aren’t able to properly heal post-extraction, they won’t be able to properly support your dentures. If you’re set to receive implant dentures, you will have to wait even longer to receive your permanent dentures—your implant posts can take anywhere from three to six months to fully fuse with your jawbone.

What Can’t You Eat with Dentures?

You’ll need to be mindful of your diet after receiving your dentures, as certain foods can dislodge or damage them and cause all sorts of problems. Sticky foods like peanut butter and gummy candies aren’t just tough to chew and capable of shifting your dentures, but they can also leave particles trapped underneath them, irritating your gums. Other items like popcorn kernels, shelled nuts, and even the seeds on certain breads pose a problem too, as these tough bits can become stuck in and around the dentures. Additionally, tough meats like steaks and pork chops can be tough to chew, which puts a lot of stress on your gums and dentures. Our team can provide you with a comprehensive list of foods that should be avoided with dentures.

Can I Sleep with My Dentures?

The short answer here is that while you can sleep with your dentures, it’s not very wise. We recommend that you take your dentures out before going to bed in order to give your gum tissue and jawbone a chance to rest; they might be a little sore from supporting your dentures all day long! Taking your dentures out at night also promotes healthy blood flow in your gums, which is vital for their wellness. Removing them before bed also gives you the opportunity to soak them in a denture cleaning solution or a glass of room-temperature water, which helps to keep them sanitary and prevents them from drying out and becoming warped.

Will It Hurt to Get Dentures?

If you need teeth extracted prior to getting your dentures, you’ll experience some minor soreness for a few days after your procedure; however, this can usually be managed with recommended over-the-counter painkillers and prescribed medication. Once you receive your dentures, it’s normal to go through an adjustment period during which your gums might feel sore and irritated. It can sometimes take a couple of months for this discomfort to fully diminish. If you suspect your dentures haven’t been fitted properly, or there’s an underlying oral health issue that’s resulting in pain, don’t hesitate to contact us for assistance.