Dentures West Palm Beach

Effects of Missing Teeth

Would you be surprised to learn that periodontitis, or advanced gum disease, is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults? However, you might also experience tooth loss due to severe decay or physical trauma that can damage or dislodge one or more teeth.

Regardless of the cause, spaces in your smile can make once-basic tasks, like biting and chewing or enunciating different words, much more challenging. Not only that, but your remaining teeth are prone to shifting out of alignment, which can wear down your enamel unevenly or contribute to TMJ (temporomandibular joint) pain or stiffness. You might also feel so self-conscious about the changes to your appearance that you avoid spending time with others, which can detract from your daily quality of life.

What Qualifies You for Dentures?

There are different types of dentures, and each has slightly different qualifications. For instance, if you’ve suffered more severe tooth loss, have tender or sensitive gums, and have a sufficiently strong jawbone, you might do well with a full set intended to rebuild your entire arch.

Meanwhile, those who have lost a few teeth sporadically and have healthy enamel may be ideal candidates for partial dentures, which contain metallic clips that anchor to healthy teeth in your mouth. But we might recommend implant dentures for patients who are seeking a more reliable solution, have a strong jawbone, and are healthy enough to undergo oral surgery.

Alternative Tooth-Replacement Options

If we determine that dentures aren’t right for you, don’t lose hope! You might still benefit from one of the following options:

• Dental bridges. These oral appliances contain the required number of teeth between dental crowns on each side. These are cemented over healthy teeth or dental implants at either end of the space in your smile.
• Dental implants. This is the only treatment that involves surgically placing four to eight support poles into your jaw, which eventually fuse with the bone to anchor a more permanent set of replacement teeth.

Learn More About Dental Bridges

Learn More About Dental Implants

Psychological Benefits

Tooth loss can be a difficult reality to accept. Many people who have lost most of or all of their teeth experience negative effects on their self-esteem, resulting in a higher level of sadness and depression. By restoring your smile with dentures, you can improve how you feel about your appearance. This will reduce anxieties about your appearance, speech, chewing ability, and more.

Clearer Enunciation

Producing certain sounds and saying some words can be challenging when you have gaps in your smile. To enunciate clearly, your lips and tongue need to be positioned in the right way. When you are missing teeth, your tongue isn’t in the ideal position, making it difficult to say certain words. Because dentures act as the missing teeth, they allow you to speak more clearly.

Improves Nutrition

Many nutrient-dense foods are tough in texture, like protein, fruits, and veggies. If you aren’t able to chew your food correctly, your eating habits may be negatively affected. Dentures make things easier to bite and chew, allowing you to enjoy a nutritious diet again, promoting your overall health.

Preserves Oral Health

If you still have healthy natural teeth, dentures can help to keep them in ideal condition. By filling in these gaps with a partial denture, you can keep your teeth securely in place. Dentures also help to support the weight of routine chewing, reducing wear and tear of the natural teeth over time.

Expands Opportunities

When you attend interviews, negotiate sales, and attend social events, making an excellent first impression is key. Your smile is one of the first things that people notice about you, so having one that appears healthy only helps! Studies have shown that worse oral health is associated with a lower likelihood of being employed.

Factors That Affect the Cost of Dentures

Before delivering a cost estimate to you during your consultation, we will consider the following factors when examining your smile:

• The number of teeth you are missing
• The type of denture you will need (i.e., full, partial, or implant)
• The materials used to craft your denture
• Whether additional treatment is required to address existing oral health issues, such as gum disease treatment, bone grafting, etc.

Are Implant Dentures More Expensive?

Implant dentures are more expensive than traditional dentures, but if you consider the advantages of permanent prosthetics, you’ll quickly realize they are a more cost-effective option. Using titanium implant posts to anchor a custom denture requires oral surgery, but these root replacements are designed to last for decades. This is one of their greatest benefits because traditional dentures need to be replaced every 7-10 years.

By investing in implant dentures, you will avoid the additional cost of replacements, adjustments, denture adhesives, and other specialty products that you’ll need to maintain your artificial smile.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Dentures?

Most dental insurance companies do provide partial coverage for dentures. These prosthetics are designed to rebuild smiles and improve long-term oral health, so most plans offer 50% coverage to help lower patients' out-of-pocket costs. It’s important to review your policy, as not all plans are the same. If you need help understanding the details of your dental insurance, our team is happy to assist.

Other Options for Making Dentures Affordable

At Premier Dentistry of the Palm Beaches, we are pleased to provide additional payment options for patients who need help covering the cost of care. We offer:

• Dental Membership Plan: You can pay one low fee each year and receive preventive care from our dental team and valuable discounts on additional services provided in our West Palm Beach office.
• CareCredit Financing: You can split up the cost of your treatment into manageable monthly payments when choosing a plan that has little or no interest attached.
• Healthcare Finance Direct (HFD): You can finance your treatment with flexible monthly payment options and plans that help you stay within your budget.