Dentures – Forest, VA
Rebuild Your Smile to the Fullest
Severe tooth loss can affect your day-to-day in ways you may have never considered before. Thankfully, there are solutions available to you at Crossroads Family Dentistry. With custom-made dentures in Forest, you can take your smile back, make speaking and chewing your favorite foods easier, and protect your long-term oral health without breaking the bank along the way. To see if dentures are right for you, don’t wait to give our office a call and schedule a consultation!
Who’s a Good Candidate for Dentures?
Missing one, several, or all of your teeth can leave you with a wide range of consequences to both your oral health and overall quality of life. However, dentures are a lifelike and reliable solution for renewing your smile, and they can help you enjoy everyday tasks like talking and eating. To know if you’re a good candidate for these prosthetics, make sure to schedule a consultation with our team. We’ll go over your options and any preliminary procedures you might need to ensure successful results.
Effects of Missing Teeth
Some of the common causes of tooth loss include tooth decay, gum disease, physical injury, and poor oral hygiene. In some cases, genetics and certain medications can also play a role. Also, tooth loss does far more than simply affect your smile’s appearance. Basic tasks like chewing food (especially tougher options like meat and certain vegetables), speaking with friends and family, and preventing long-term dental problems all become increasingly more difficult. Since you don’t have tooth roots in the area, your jawbone will begin to shrink and weaken, which can increase the risk of further tooth loss.
What Qualifies You for Dentures?
If you’re struggling with mild to severe tooth loss, then you’re likely a good candidate for dentures. This treatment has been provided for decades, helping people experience greater confidence while eating, talking, and smiling. Whether you’re missing several teeth throughout one of your arches or all teeth in one or both arches, dentures can help you. However, if you have existing gum disease or tooth decay, it will need to be treated first. We’ll also need to ensure that your jawbone is strong enough to support your prosthetics, otherwise, you can encounter complications like ill-fitting dentures and gum sores.
The type of denture that you’ll get will also depend on the number of teeth that you are missing. Our team will typically recommend partial, full, or implant dentures based on your circumstances. This treatment is also much more affordable than other options, making it a viable solution for those working with a budget.
Alternative Tooth-Replacement Options
If traditional dentures aren’t a viable option for you, then you might explore other treatment options to replace your missing pearly whites. Here are some of our other effective treatment solutions to consider:
- Dental Bridges – Those who are missing one or several teeth in a row can use dental bridges to close the gap. This prosthetic involves bridging the space with pontics via dental crowns attached to adjacent natural teeth on either side.
- Dental Implants – By embedding titanium posts into your jawbone, we can anchor your new teeth to your facial structure for optimal stability and function. This treatment requires you to have sufficient jawbone density and healthy gums, and it involves minor surgery. However, the results can last decades with proper care.
Types of Dentures
Keep in mind there are multiple options to consider if you decide to pursue dentures to replace teeth. That’s why we recommend scheduling a consultation with one of our dentists. When you arrive, you can learn about the three most common types of dentures: partial, full, and implant-supported.
Partial Dentures
Having large gaps in between teeth can make dental bridges seemingly unfeasible. With partial dentures, your tooth replacement fits inside your mouth like a puzzle piece. The metal base consists of tooth-colored and gum-colored materials to ensure the best esthetics, while metal clips wrap around your existing teeth for support.
Full Dentures
A full denture is made entirely of mouth-colored materials and is designed to fit against your gums using natural suction. However, it is normal to rely on denture adhesive in the first few months of use. As you adjust, your dentures will become more comfortable and easier to use, whether you’re replacing the top, bottom, or both arches.
Implant Dentures
When you want a more permanent solution for your missing teeth, an implant denture may be the best solution. This may be especially ideal if you are currently unhappy with your existing denture and want a truly long-term solution for your tooth loss. Just keep in mind that you will need to complete dental implant surgery beforehand as well as have sufficient bone tissue for the implants to integrate properly.
How Dentures are Made
Quite a bit of care is put into the process of making dentures; after all, we want you to be able to get a prosthesis that is comfortable to wear and can be trusted to last for a long time. If you’re interested in learning more about the denture creation process, we’re here to satisfy your curiosity! Below you will find a quick look at the materials used to make dentures as well as the steps that will be followed in order to create your prosthesis.
What are Dentures Made Of?
The base of the dentures is designed to resemble your natural gum tissue. Most of the time, it is made out of acrylic, although other materials such as nylon can potentially be used as well. Note that partial dentures may have an acrylic base that comes with metal clasps.
When it comes to the artificial teeth of your dentures, the material of choice will typically either be resin or porcelain since both can be personalized to match the appearance of your natural teeth. Many dentists tend to favor porcelain due to the way it feels in the mouth as well as the durability that it offers.
The Denture Creation Process
So what steps are taken in order to create beautiful, high-quality dentures? The process typically looks like this:
- After confirming your commitment to getting dentures, our team will capture impressions of your gums. We will create a model of your mouth and send it to a trusted dental laboratory.
- The experts at the laboratory will make a wax replica of your gums using the model we sent them as a guide. Artificial teeth will be inserted into the appropriate areas in the wax.
- Our office will receive the wax dentures that were created during the previous step. We’ll get in touch with you and schedule an appointment for a fitting. If everything seems fine, the process can continue.
- Once the wax dentures get back to the laboratory, they will be placed in a flask. Some plaster will be added before the flask is placed in hot water. The plaster will help the dentures keep their shape while the wax portions melt away.
- Acrylic will be injected into the flask in order to act as the new base for your dentures.
- The plaster will be removed from the dentures, and the acrylic base will be trimmed as necessary. The new prosthesis will be polished before it is sent to our office.
- You will finally receive your new dentures during one last appointment. We’ll check the prosthesis carefully to make sure that it fits as intended.
Adjusting to Your New Dentures
It takes a little bit of time to get used to new dentures. Your mouth may be mildly sore at first, and you might initially have some trouble with chewing and speaking. There are several steps you can take to help the adjustment process go faster, such as only eating soft foods and practicing certain exercises for your facial muscles. Please let us know if your discomfort doesn’t go away after a certain amount of time.
Benefits of Dentures
Tooth loss can have a huge negative impact on one’s life. Tasks that were once easy, like chewing food thoroughly and speaking clearly, become challenging. Fortunately, dentures are a life-changing tooth replacement option for patients who are missing several, most of, or all of their teeth because of the restoration’s ability to improve quality of life. Here are some of the exciting benefits you can expect.
Psychological Benefits
People without teeth are less likely to engage in social activities and at higher risk of experiencing sadness and depression. By restoring the appearance and function of one’s smile with dentures, patients are likely to experience a significant increase in confidence and self-esteem. Dentures are able to reduce anxieties about appearance, speech articulation, chewing ability, and more!
Clearer Enunciation
It can be challenging to speak clearly when you’re missing any number of teeth. To pronounce and perform words, your lips and tongue need to be positioned properly. Without being able to touch your tongue to your teeth, some words are very difficult to say clearly. Because dentures act as your missing teeth, they allow you to enunciate more clearly once you get used to them. With a little bit of practice, you will be speaking just like you used to!
Improves Nutrition
Many nutritious foods are tough in texture. This includes vegetables, fruits, and healthy proteins. If you can’t chew very well due to tooth loss, you can experience issues like indigestion and malnutrition. With an improved ability to chew, dentures allow for a more expansive diet full of nutritious foods. Ultimately, dentures can help the body to receive the essential vitamins and minerals needed to thrive.
Preserves Oral Health
If you still have some remaining natural teeth, getting dentures can help prevent them from shifting to other areas of the mouth. Dentures also help to bear some of the weight of regular chewing. This helps your natural teeth by reducing their wear and tear over time.
Expands Opportunity
According to a study done in 2019, the probability of being employed was negatively associated with poor oral health. When it comes to job interviews, sales, and promotions, it’s crucial that you make an excellent first impression. Having a complete smile is nothing but an advantage. By replacing your missing teeth with dentures, you can improve your professional life.
Understanding the Cost of Dentures
When compared to other options, dentures are widely considered the more affordable method of tooth restoration. They can be made of a variety of materials and come in several different styles, all of which can affect everything from their longevity to their total cost. Thus, when it comes to pricing your new prosthetics, it’s important to consider these details when determining their value. For a more in-depth look at the factors that affect their price, keep reading.
Factors that Affect the Cost of Dentures
There are three major factors that are used to determine the final cost of your dentures, including:
- Any preparatory procedures needed to ensure your mouth is ready for your new dentures (bone grafts, gum disease treatment, whether teeth need to be extracted, etc.).
- The type of acrylic used for the denture base.
- The material used for the teeth (crowns) of your denture, which are typically made of either acrylic or porcelain.
While it may seem like a good idea to get a less expensive pair of dentures, be aware that when it comes to your smile, you get what you pay for. Frequently, so-called “affordable” dentures use inferior crown materials which can break easily, leaving you footing the bill for frequent repairs!
Are Implant Dentures More Expensive?
Yes. While implant dentures are more expensive than traditional dentures, this is for a very important reason. Unlike traditional dentures, implant dentures are a more permanent, durable tooth replacement option. They not only appear more lifelike, but because they stay securely in place in your mouth, they also allow you to enjoy a full diet without fear of your prosthetic slipping when you eat, or when you speak or smile.
Furthermore, while traditional dentures will need to be replaced every five-to-ten years, your new implant dentures can last for many, many years beyond that.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Dentures?
Yes. Because your dentures are considered a major procedure, your dental insurance will typically cover about 50 percent of their cost. If you would like to verify coverage, please speak to the team at Crossroads Family Dentistry and we can assist you in confirming your specific benefits prior to the start of your treatment.
Other Options for Making Dentures Affordable
In addition to accepting dental insurance, Crossroads Family Dentistry also offers several other options to make your new dentures more affordable. These include:
- Flexible financing through CareCredit, a low or no interest financing program that can be used to make smaller, budget-friendly payments towards dental treatments like dentures.
- Our office offers a valuable dental membership plan that provides discounted services for a low monthly fee. Please contact our office for more information.
If you are interested in learning more about dentures and how affordable these prosthetics can be, please schedule a consultation with us to discuss your options.
Dentures Aftercare
Dentures may not be your “real” teeth, but they still need care to work well. Neglecting these prosthetics will cause them to fail, leading you to spend time and money on replacements. That said, we at Crossroads Family Dentistry can help with the maintenance work. Below are some tricks on caring for dentures that’ll keep your restorations strong. Just keep reading to learn about them, or call our office for further details.
Removeable Dentures
Remove After Eating
All in all, it’s best to remove and rinse your dentures after meals. This habit removes plaque and debris that gathers on your prosthetics when you eat. Once those elements are gone, you’ll have a much lower risk of oral issues like gum disease.
You’ll also want to avoid hot water for those post-meal rinses. Hot temperatures warp denture material, so this effect would force you to buy a costly replacement device.
Clean Your Restoration
You’d also do well to give your dentures once-daily cleanings. After all, these sessions remove plaque and bacteria that rinses can often miss.
For each cleaning, simply brush your device (after removal) with a soft-bristled toothbrush. You shouldn’t include regular toothpaste; its abrasiveness can damage dentures. Instead, please use liquid soap and rinse your prosthetics thoroughly when you’re done.
Keep Your Dentures Safe
Though they’re pretty durable, modern dentures can break from accidents and rough handling. You should take steps to keep them safe.
Several measures would help you protect your dentures. For starters, remember to place a towel in your sink while cleaning them; the cloth will cushion your restorations from falls. You should also keep your dentures away from small children and pets.
Remove Dentures When You Sleep
As best you can, don’t sleep with your dentures in your mouth. The better approach is to remove your prosthetics before bed and soak them in a solution overnight.
Using dentures constantly isn’t good for a patient’s body. If the devices always stay in your mouth, they’ll restrict your gums’ circulation and irritate your mouth tissues. They’ll also increase your tongue’s plaque levels by trapping bad bacteria, putting you at risk of gum disease and pneumonia.
Notice Changes
For your dentures to work properly, you must monitor them (and your mouth) for changes. Issues that could affect your new teeth – sores, gum irritation, etc. – often require dental care.
If a change harms your prosthetics, please see your dentist for denture repairs. Attempting a DIY fix would just further damage your device and risk your oral health. On the other hand, our dentists avoid that risk by relining or replacing dentures as needed.
All-on-4 Dentures
All-on-4 dentures can’t be removed like other kinds. Given that fact, their aftercare methods include:
- Twice-Daily Brushing – If you brush the dentures twice daily, you’ll clean the areas between your restorations and gums.
- Once-Daily Flossing – Whether you use a traditional string, a threader, or a water flosser, please floss between your denture’s teeth once daily.
- Regular Mouth Rinses – Remember to rinse your dentures once daily to prevent tartar buildup.
Denture FAQs
What Should You Do if Your Dentures Break?
Although dentures are by no means flimsy, they also aren’t indestructible. That’s why we encourage our patients to do what they can to protect them – whether it’s cleaning them over a soft towel or putting them in a glass of water when they aren’t being worn. With all of that said, accidents sometimes happen. If your denture breaks, then call us ASAP. Once we know more about your situation, including how severe the damage is, we can determine if it’s safe to continue wearing them or if you need to come to our office ASAP to have them repaired or replaced.
Should I Have All My Teeth Pulled to Get Dentures?
If one or more of your teeth have decayed considerably, have a large crack down the center, or are severely damaged in some other way, then you should have them pulled prior to getting dentures. That said, we don’t recommend removing healthy teeth. If you still have a few left, then we will create a custom partial denture to fill the gaps in your smile, improving your self-esteem, the strength of your bite and your oral health in the process.
Am I Too Young to Get Dentures?
There’s a common misconception that dentures are only for seniors. That’s not the case. Quite the opposite, in fact: dentures are designed to help all patients who are struggling with tooth loss – even those who are in their early 20s. So, if you have gaps in your smile from advanced gum disease, a sports-related accident, or simply because your adult teeth never grew in, don’t hesitate to schedule a consultation with our denture dentist near you to discuss your treatment options!
Is It Hard to Talk with Dentures?
In the beginning, patients often experience a bit of a learning curve. So, if that happens to you, don’t worry – it’s completely normal (and temporary!). The key is to practice, practice, practice. What does that look like? Start by reading a magazine, book, or even the instructions on your shampoo out loud and, when you come across a word that’s more difficult to pronounce, repeat it a few times. It’s also helpful to converse with a trusted friend or family member. Do your best to be patient with yourself throughout the process. Before you know it, you’ll sound like your usual self again.
Why Do My Dentures Smell?
If they aren’t cared for properly, your dentures can harbor bacteria, plaque, food particles, and other debris. So, if you notice an unpleasant odor, it’s a good time to revisit your dental care regimen. Remember to use a soft-bristled toothbrush and non-abrasive toothpaste to clean your dentures after brushing, flossing, and rinsing with mouthwash. It’s also important that you drink plenty of water throughout the day to prevent dry mouth and soak your dentures each night in a glass of water or dentist-recommended cleaner.