Beautiful, well-fitted dentures are possible when art and science come together at San Diego Dentist Association member offices. A skilled dentist who has experience with dentures and an artist’s eye can create dental prosthetics for you that look better than your natural teeth ever did. The process begins with a facial analysis and an assessment of your overall oral health to understand your needs. The results are not just beautiful but will allow you to eat and speak without impairment.
SDDA dentists are experts in dentures who deal with teeth replacement issues every day. When you visit the caring team at one of these dental offices, you’ll get excellent results and never have to worry about that “denture look” that so many people get from inexperienced or unartistic dental practices.
What Are My Options For Dentures?
Depending on whether you need a full arch of teeth restored or only part of an arch, you may need a complete denture or a partial denture. You could require one solution for the top and the other for the bottom. A complete denture takes the place of all teeth on an arch while a partial is the right solution if some healthy teeth remain on an arch. Partials allow you to keep the teeth surrounding missing or damaged teeth – and it’s usually considered better to have healthy natural teeth than replacements, if possible.
For complete dentures, there is an additional way to divide them into subsets: immediate or conventional. Immediate dentures are made in advance of having remaining teeth extracted so that they can be placed in your mouth during your extraction appointment, meaning you never have to go without teeth. Frequent checkups during the healing process are necessary. Conventional dentures, on the other hand, aren’t made until after your gums heal from extractions and are placed 4 to 6 weeks following extractions. That means you will not have teeth for that time.
Are There Viable Denture Alternatives?
If you’re opposed to dentures or have them now and don’t like them, there are other options. You might choose dental implants, which can support permanent bridges. Getting implants is a complex and lengthy process, but many patients who are good candidates find them well worth it. You can also select the most modern option, a permanent fixed denture supported by implants. The most common and appealing version of implant-supported dentures is called All-on-Four and is available at SDDA dentists. This option is more expensive than traditional dentures, however.
Dental implants combined with fixed bridges can also give you the feel and look of natural teeth and are a popular choice of those who don’t care for dentures or don’t want to go down that path. Your dentist can tell you if you’re a good candidate for implants, which can be expensive.
At this point, patients often ask: Are dentures covered by insurance? The good news is that dental insurance usually covers all or a portion of denture costs, although it may not cover some other types of missing teeth restorations. When you speak with the dental office of your choice, the team there can help you determine exactly what’s covered by your dental insurance plan.
What Does Getting Dentures Involve?
No matter the type of dentures, you need to visit a dentist first to see if you’re a good candidate for dentures. During treatment, you will need to visit the dental office several times over 6 weeks or so. The process involves any needed extractions plus impressions, wax models in some cases and perhaps temporary dentures. Your dentist can help you select the color, fit and tooth shape that’s right for you. After getting your permanent dentures, follow-up appointments will be necessary to make sure they are fitting well.
In all cases, patient comfort and satisfaction is the top priority. If you believe dentures may be the right choice for you, reach out to an SDDA dentist now for a consultation and information on other choices you may not have considered. You always have choices, and you can depend on these dentists to help you make the right ones.