Dentures – Rochester, MN

Effects of Missing Teeth

Missing teeth caused by severe decay, damage, or age-related oral issues have a far greater effect on your mouth than you may realize. Here are some of the negative effects associated with gaps in your smile:

• Bite issues caused by your teeth shifting to fill in open space.
• Risk of digestive problems due to poorly chewed food.
• Facial sagging as your jawbone deteriorates and weakens support for facial muscles.
• Speech issues caused by your tongue’s inability to touch missing teeth.
• Lowered self-esteem and confidence due to decreased smile aesthetics.
• Increased risk of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain as remaining teeth pick up the slack for missing ones.

What Makes You a Good Candidate for Dentures?

To be a good candidate for dentures you simply need good oral health free from tooth decay, gum disease and other issues as well as sufficient jawbone density. As long as you meet these requirements, there’s nothing stopping you from seeking a dental prosthetic that caters to your needs!

There are several types of dentures available, but the prosthetic you decide on will ultimately depend on your case, Dr. Brong’s recommendations, and your budget. Dentures are also one of the most economical options for replacing missing teeth, so there’s bound to be one that fits into your finances and your smile.

Alternative Tooth-Replacement Options

If you aren’t a good candidate for dentures for any reason, there’s no need to despair. We offer another tooth replacement option that may meet your needs in different or better ways—dental implants.

For patients who don’t like the idea of relying on suction to keep their dentures in place, dental implants can provide something more stable. This option restores up to 70 percent of your bite force and eliminates the need for the more complex care traditional dentures require. However, patients will need a denser jawbone to support the implants required for the treatment, so not everyone will be a candidate.

If this is the case, and you’d prefer implant dentures, Dr. Brong will incorporate other treatments into your plan to pave the way for your ideal prosthetic.

Learn More About Dental Implants

What are Dentures Made Of?

No matter the type, a denture has two crucial parts: a base and artificial teeth. These components form most (if not all) of the device’s structure, so it’s worth looking at them in detail. Consider them below:

• Denture Base –  A denture’s base is the structure that supports its teeth. That being the case, the part is often made of durable acrylic, nylon, porcelain, or metal. Acrylic is the most common of these base materials, though the others (especially nylon) can be good substitutes.
• Artificial Teeth – Per their name, artificial teeth are the tooth-replacing parts of a denture. Dental labs make them from resin or porcelain that matches your smile’s overall color.

The Denture Creation Process

Since every denture is customized for its patient, making one always involves a multi-step process. The relevant steps are:

• Step 1: Dr. Brong will first take a dental impression, which lets us design a plaster model that matches your denture’s size and shape.
• Step 2: Our team will send the plaster model to a dental lab that uses it to make a wax gumline.
• Step 3: The workers will set artificial teeth in the wax gumline once it’s ready. They’ll then have made a prototype denture for the final one.
• Step 4: Our practice will receive the protype denture and see if it fits your mouth. Once we’ve confirmed its fit, we’ll send it back to the dental lab.
• Step 5:  A worker will place the prototype in a flask after boiling it to remove wax. The flask itself will receive plaster and sit in hot water.
• Step 6: A separator will go into the plaster layer and keep the acrylic from sticking. Next, this acrylic will be injected into the flask to replace the wax.
• Step 7: The dental lab will remove all plaster to reveal the final denture. Then, they’ll place the restoration in a bath to remove its residue.
• Step 8: The lab’s workers will remove your denture’s excess acrylic and polish its surface.
• Step 9: To ensure it works smoothly and easily, our office will fit your final denture for you.

Adjusting to Your New Dentures

Your mouth may feel sore as you adjust to your new dentures. If that happens, don’t worry – the ache is a normal symptom and should fade with time. The dentures will feel more familiar as you spend more time getting used to them.

All that said, you can take steps to speed up your adjustment.  One method would be to exercise your facial muscles, strengthening them to handle dentures. Others include only eating soft foods for a while or using adhesives for security. Really, these and similar strategies would help your dentures feel natural more quickly.

Lastly, please call our office if your initial denture pain persists. Your new prosthetic may need a few more alterations!

Psychological Benefits

Suffering from tooth loss doesn’t do wonders for one’s mental or social health. As you struggle with your now-missing teeth, you’ll likely face a blow to your body image. The resulting insecurity could lead you to retreat from social life and grow ever more sad. You’d then be at risk of a case of major depression.

Of course, our dentures would let you sidestep this decline in your mood. Wearing them fills your “smile gaps” and gives you confidence in your looks. To that extent, they’d help you feel at ease in social settings among friends and family.

Clearer Enunciation

It’s just not possible to speak clearly without all your teeth. Even if you only lose a few, your tongue won’t be able to adjust itself to enunciate words well. That means any efforts at a talk would lead to speech impediments like lisps and slurred words.

Luckily, dentures could bring back your clear speech. These devices switch out your mouth’s natural teeth for sturdy artificial ones. In doing so, they support your tongue in enunciating words clearly and crisply. You’ll just need to practice with these oral appliances first.

Improves Nutrition

Unless they get treated early, missing teeth tend to result in a poor diet. Losing each tooth makes it much harder to chew tough but healthy foods. Given enough time, this process could force you to give up tough but healthy meals. You’d then see a much higher risk of malnutrition and indigestion.

The bright side is that our quality dentures will help you avoid this dilemma. Since their teeth let you chew food nearly as well as natural ones, they expand your dietary choices and boost nutritional health.

Preserves Oral Health

Your smile’s health takes a serious hit when you lose teeth. With each one that goes missing, harmful bacteria have more places to breed in your mouth. This effect can then trigger cavities, gum disease, and worse ailments. Plus, the gaps would prompt your remaining teeth to tilt until they fall out.

Luckily, dentures defend against such oral damage. They fill your smile gaps and thus keep harmful bacteria from breeding too much. Similarly, their weight can at least slow the tilting rate of your other teeth.

Expands Opportunities

You’ve likely heard that a nice smile leads to a good first impression. That much is true – showing off pretty teeth can make others think well of you. Even so, you may not have known that this positive attitude can lead to great opportunities for you. As people see you in a better light, they’ll feel more willing to share friendships, dates, job promotions, and more.

Thankfully, dentures could beautify your smile to help with first impressions. They’d make your grin gorgeous enough to draw positive feelings. From there, you’d likely enjoy a richer life.

Factors That Affect the Cost of Dentures

There’s no one-size-fits-all denture because every mouth is as unique as fingerprints. Therefore, we don’t have a flat fee for a set of new teeth. Many factors affect the cost of replacing missing teeth, like:

• Consultation: Brong will examine your mouth and review X-rays to have a complete picture of your dental health.
• Preliminary Treatments: It’s not uncommon to require a little prep work, like tooth extractions, gum disease therapy, or bone grafting.
• Number of Lost Teeth: The number of teeth you're replacing will determine the type of denture you will need, as well as if you’re treating one or both arches.
• Materials: It’s better to invest in high-quality materials because they look and feel more natural. They are also durable, so you won’t have to pay for replacements as often.

Dr. Brong will create a personalized treatment plan and provide you with an estimate, so you’ll know exactly what you’ll have to pay before moving forward.

Are Implant Dentures More Expensive?

Implant dentures are more expensive initially, but they are the most affordable overall. Traditional dentures need replacing every 5 to 7 years. Implant dentures can last for decades with the correct care, like brushing and flossing. Not to mention, they are the only method of preserving your jawbone to avoid common issues caused by tooth loss. As a result, you’re less likely to need costly procedures to save more money down the road.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Dentures?

Dental insurance can be used for your consultation and may pay a portion of the cost of preliminary procedures after meeting your annual deductible. Dentures are a major service, so they are covered by 50% until meeting your yearly limit. A member of our office will work on your behalf with your dental insurance to maximize your coverage to lower the amount you’ll pay out-of-pocket. They’ll explain how your benefits are being used and your payment options for any remaining balance.

Other Options for Making Dentures Affordable

Your financial situation shouldn’t stand in your way of replacing lost teeth. Our office accepts various payment methods to keep dentures affordable, including:

• Traditional Payments: We accept all traditional payment methods, including cash, checks, and credit cards.
• Monthly Payments: You can pay any out-of-pocket expenses using monthly installments through a third-party financing company, like CareCredit. Based on your credit approval, you can benefit from little or no interest in financing.

Removeable Dentures

Remove After Eating

Every time you enjoy a snack or meal, bits of food debris are left on your dentures. To make sure your new teeth stay free of food and plaque, remember to take them out once you’re done eating so that you can rinse them off. Make sure that the water is lukewarm; using hot water can lead to warping, which can easily result in dentures that don’t fit properly.

Clean Your Restoration

In addition to post-meal rinsing, you also need to give your dentures a thorough cleaning at least once a day. Take them out of your mouth and brush them thoroughly with a denture cleanser or mild dish soap. (You should only use a soft-bristled toothbrush; hard bristles make it too easy to damage your dentures by mistake.)

If you aren’t immediately putting your dentures back in your mouth after cleaning them, you need to make sure they stay moist so that they can retain their shape. It’s highly recommended that you keep your restoration in a denture-cleansing solution when it’s not in use. When it’s time to put your denture back in, always remember to rinse it off first.  

Keep Your Dentures Safe

While dentures are made to be durable, they could break if you drop them by accident. Before taking your prosthetic teeth out, you should put a towel on your bathroom counter. That way, your dentures will have a soft place to land if you happen to drop them.

You also need to make sure your dentures are safe when they’re not being worn. Store them in a place where your children and pets can’t get to them.

Remove When You Sleep

Wearing your dentures 24/7 might seem convenient, but doing so can increase your risk of gum disease, pneumonia, and other health issues. Also, the pressure from dentures can reduce blood circulation in your gums, which can lead to sores if you don’t periodically give your soft tissues a break. In short, it’s better for your mouth if you take out your dentures before you go to bed.

Notice Changes

Does it seem like your dentures have been irritating your gums recently? Have you seen signs of an oral infection? Is your prosthetic damaged in some way? As soon as you notice any problems with your dentures, call our office to see what solutions are available.