Dentures – Carlisle, PA

Effects of Missing Teeth

You can lose your permanent teeth in several ways, but gum disease is the number one leading cause. Although this infection starts small, if it’s able to progress, it can result in receding gums. The roots are left without a firm foundation when the connective tissue pulls away from your teeth. In time, they can become loose or fall out entirely. It’s also possible to lose them to extensive tooth decay that has affected your jawbone or physical trauma that dislodges one (or more).

Whatever the cause, adult tooth loss can detract from your daily quality of life in several ways. You might develop challenges eating healthy foods or enunciating words. Plus, the gaps in your grin can make you feel so self-conscious about your current dental condition that you avoid spending time with others.

What Qualifies You for Dentures?

Although anyone who has lost permanent teeth can potentially benefit from dentures, they’re an ideal solution for patients who have:

• Sufficient jawbone density to support them.
• A dedication to oral hygiene to prevent oral issues.
• Significant tooth loss requiring replacement.
• Dental sensitivity.
• Healthy gum tissue.

Once our team examines your mouth, we can recommend an appropriate restoration. Whether you need full, partial, or implant dentures, we’ll provide a lifelike prosthetic to refurbish your grin and boost your confidence.

Alternative Tooth-Replacement Options

If we determine that you’re not a good candidate for dentures, don’t lose hope! In many instances, additional procedures (like gum disease therapy or a bone graft to strengthen your jaw) are necessary first.

Otherwise, you might benefit from a different method, such as:

• Dental bridges. These prosthetics are ideal for folks who have lost one or several teeth in a row. They’re usually made from durable porcelain and are customized to look like your natural pearly whites. They contain the correct number of pontics (artificial teeth) between two dental crowns that attach to healthy abutment teeth or dental implants on either side of the space in your smile.
• Dental implants. These restorations are the only ones directly embedded into your jawbone for added strength and stability. They tend to be more costly and take longer to recover, but have an increased longevity and usually require fewer repairs in the long run.

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Partial Dentures

Partial dentures, or simply “partials”, are made to treat patients who are missing some of the pearly whites. If you still have some of your natural teeth intact, then this may be the ideal solution for you. This dental appliance covers a series of metal frameworks under a gum-colored base, which is then clasped to your remaining healthy teeth. These natural-looking prosthetic teeth flawlessly fill the gaps in your smile, offering you a dazzling and strong grin.

Full Dentures

If you’re missing an entire arch of your teeth, then full dentures may be the better option to address your dental needs. These appliances also come with a gum-colored base, however, instead of clasping onto your other teeth, they rely on the suction with your gums. You can also hold your full dentures in place with adhesive, or a combination of the two. This will provide you with your entire arch again, allowing you to eat, talk, and smile comfortably again.

Implant Dentures

Implant dentures are one of the most effective solutions for addressing tooth loss. This treatment utilizes a combination of two tried-and-true restoration options: dentures and dental implants. Instead of relying on nearby teeth or gum suction, your new pearly whites will be directly anchored to your jawbone. This will provide you with a more secure foundation for your smile, as you won’t have to worry about unwanted movements, and your results can last several decades to a lifetime!

Psychological Benefits

As you may have guessed, tooth loss can be a real blow to mental health. Knowing your smile lacks teeth often causes self-esteem and body issues, as well as major depression in some cases. The good news is that dentures let you avoid such moods by filling your grin’s gaps. Since they rid you of awkward smile spaces, the devices should boost your confidence. The effect would be that you feel more self-assured about your looks, speech, etc.

Clearer Enunciation

You may not have known, but your tongue depends on your teeth to enunciate words. Losing just a few pearly whites can make it struggle, leading to lisps or slurred speech. That said, dentures solve this dilemma by replacing your natural teeth; they support your tongue in forming words. Just note that they won’t let you speak naturally right away. In general, it takes daily practice to talk with dentures well.

Improves Nutrition

Since you need strong teeth to chew most foods, prolonged tooth loss can lead to a poor diet. It’s to the point that some patients may give up on tough-but-healthy meals entirely. Fortunately, dentures would prevent that outcome by giving you new artificial teeth. Since these prosthetics are sturdy, they’d let you chew a wider range of foods than you could otherwise. The final result would be a boost to your overall nutritional health!

Preserves Oral Health

When tooth loss goes untreated, it greatly harms your oral health. The condition leads to smile gaps that tilt your remaining teeth, let harmful bacteria breed, and slowly erode your jaw. On the bright side, dentures keep these effects at bay by filling in your grin’s spaces. Their doing so slows down the tilting of other teeth, and it reduces the spread of bad microbes. Dentures can even reduce the rate at which your jaw erodes from missing teeth.

Expands Opportunities

Great first impressions depend on nice teeth, as a beautiful smile can inspire goodwill and trust. Such impressions can expand your opportunities with new friendships, dates, career success, etc. Luckily, dentures would give you a new and pretty grin ideal for socializing. Their looks are lifelike enough to prompt good impressions, regardless of who you mingle with. Using them would lead to many amazing opportunities for you and your life.

Factors That Affect the Cost of Dentures

There’s no one-size-fits-all denture, so there isn't a flat fee for a new set of teeth. Many things will influence your estimate, which may include:

• Preparatory Treatments: It’s not unusual to require preparatory treatments, like tooth extractions or gum disease therapy.
• Number of Teeth: The price may increase with the number of teeth or arches you’re replacing.
• Materials: There are many discounted materials, but they may not offer the same aesthetics, comfort, or durability.
• Type of Denture: You may have multiple options to choose from, like a traditional or implant-supported denture.

Your dentist will help you choose the best materials and dentures for your needs. We will review your estimate and explain the fees, so you’ll know exactly what you’ll have to pay before committing to anything.

Are Implant Dentures More Expensive?

Implant dentures may cost more initially, but they are the most affordable long-term. Unlike traditional partials and dentures, which need replacing every few years, implant dentures can last for 30 years or more. Not only will you not have to budget for replacements, but you’ll improve your oral health to reduce your overall dental expenses. As the next best thing to your natural teeth, you can’t put a price on the benefits you’ll gain with dental implants. Your denture dentist in Carlisle will determine if they are right for you.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Dentures?

Every dental insurance plan is unique, but many policies can be used to offset the cost of dentures. After meeting your annual deductible, your benefits can lower the amount you’ll pay for certain steps in your plan, like your consultation, preparatory procedures, and dentures. You can use your yearly allowance to keep your new smile affordable. A member of our team will work on your behalf with your dental insurance to maximize your benefits, so you have one less thing on your plate.

Other Options for Making Dentures Affordable

Besides using your dental insurance to pay for dentures in Carlisle, our office accepts many payment options, like:

• Traditional Payments: Our office accepts all traditional payment methods, including cash, checks, and credit cards.
• Monthly Payments: You can pay any remaining balance using a monthly payment plan with little or no interest through a third-party financing company, like CareCredit.

Your financial situation should never stand in the way of a complete, beautiful smile. If you have any questions about your payment options, or you are ready to schedule an appointment, contact our office today. We look forward to creating your best smile.