Dentures – Covington, LA

Effects of Missing Teeth

Tooth loss often happens because of injuries, tooth decay, or gum disease, and it can lead to negative consequences such as difficulty eating, trouble speaking, facial sagging, and lower self-esteem. The teeth work together as a team, and the loss of one can cause the pressure of chewing to be unevenly distributed or the remaining teeth to slide out of alignment, making the patient more vulnerable to further dental injuries and infections. By replacing your teeth sooner, you can prevent these issues to preserve your oral and overall health.

What Qualifies You for Dentures?

Dentures can be a fantastic option for patients who have lost many teeth or whose teeth are overly sensitive or severely decayed as long as they have sufficiently healthy gum tissue and jawbones. A denture patient must also commit to a rigorous oral health routine to keep their mouth and dentures in great shape. The number of teeth you are missing will determine whether you need a full or partial denture, and you may want to consider implant dentures that are secured with high-quality dental implants. Dentures can also be quite affordable, making them great for patients on a budget.

Alternative Tooth-Replacement Options

If you aren’t a good candidate for dentures or if you’d like to explore other tooth replacement options, we offer several other treatments that can address missing teeth. These include:

Dental bridges: Consisting of one or several artificial teeth strung between two crowns or dental implants, dental bridges can be great for patients with one or a few missing teeth in sequence. If supported by dental crowns, they require the patient to have healthy teeth on either side of the gap. If supported by dental implants, the patient’s gums and jawbone must be sufficiently healthy.

Dental implants: Consisting of a titanium post surgically placed in the jawbone, a beautiful and lifelike artificial tooth attached above the gumline, and an abutment piece connecting the two together, dental implants comfortably look and function just like real teeth. The patient needs healthy gums and jawbones to receive them, and while they’re more expensive than traditional dentures, they are permanent.

Learn More About Dental Bridges

Learn More About Dental Implants

What are Dentures Made Of?

No matter the type, all dentures have two crucial parts: the base and the artificial teeth. These components comprise most (if not all) of any given denture. As for what they do, consider them in detail below:

• Denture Base – A denture’s base is the core structure supporting artificial teeth. In general, it can be made from materials like acrylic, nylon, porcelain, resin, or metal. Full and partial dentures tend to use acrylic bases, though partials can rely on nylon as a substitute.
• Artificial Teeth – Per their name, the artificial teeth are a denture’s tooth-replacing portions. These small objects are made from enamel-colored resin or porcelain, with porcelain being the more popular material.

The Denture Creation Process

Each denture is custom-made for a specific patient, so making one requires a multi-step process. The steps involved are:

• Step 1: To start, our dentists will take a dental impression of your mouth. They’ll use this impression to make a plaster model, which will match your future denture’s size and shape.
• Step 2: Our office will send the plaster model to a lab that uses it to create a wax gumline.
• Step 3: After making the wax gumline, lab workers will set artificial teeth in it. Doing so results in a prototype denture used to make the final one.
• Step 4: We’ll receive the prototype denture and see if it fits your mouth. Afterward, we’ll return it to the dental lab that crafts your restorations.
• Step 5: A worker will place the prototype in a flask after boiling it to remove its wax. As for the flask, this object will receive plaster and sit in hot water.
• Step 6: A separator will go into the plaster layer, keeping the acrylic from sticking. This material will be injected into the flask to replace the wax.
• Step 7: Lab workers will remove all plaster to reveal the final denture. Later, they’ll place the restoration in a bath to remove its residue.
• Step 8: Workers will cut off the denture’s excess acrylic, followed by briefly polishing it.
• Step 9: You will have your final denture fitted. At that time, the dentist will adjust it to work smoothly.

Adjusting to Your New Dentures

Your mouth may ache a bit when you first get dentures. That’s a normal reaction – you’ll need time to get used to your new teeth. After a few weeks, your dentures will feel more familiar and won’t cause discomfort; they’ll seem as natural as your other teeth.

Of course, you can take steps to speed up the adjustment. One method is to exercise your facial muscles, making them strong enough to handle your dentures. Other notable approaches are eating soft foods to avoid pain or using adhesives. Through these latter actions, you’d adjust to dentures even sooner.

Regardless of your actions, please call our office if your denture pain persists. Your new appliance(s) may need further alteration.

Psychological Benefits

If you’ve suffered tooth loss, you’re at a higher risk of experiencing feelings of sadness and depression as well as less social engagement. When you’re worried about whether others can understand you when you’re talking or whether you’ll be able to enjoy the food on the menu, you’re not likely to want to be out and about. Not only that but you might also feel anxious about your appearance and whether others are judging you.

Dentures restore your smile which can give you some well-deserved peace of mind. Once you’ve adjusted to wearing them, you’ll once again be able to eat and speak without issues. You’ll have lifelike artificial teeth where the gaps used to be so you can look and feel your best.

Clearer Enunciation

Your teeth play an essential role in your ability to talk because you form certain words and sounds by pressing your tongue to them in specific ways. When they go missing, you might develop a lisp or other challenges that make it hard to enunciate. It can be incredibly frustrating to feel like people can’t fully understand you no matter how hard you try.

Dentures take on the role of your natural teeth so that you can speak more clearly. Your tongue and facial muscles may take about a month to learn how to effectively work around them but then it’ll become second nature.

Improves Nutrition

It’s natural to avoid certain foods that are difficult to eat if you don’t have enough teeth to properly chew them. Unfortunately, many healthier options like fruits, veggies, and meat can be hard to chew without a full set of pearly whites. You might develop gastrointestinal issues because you’re unable to mash your food into easily digestible pieces. Some people even experience malnutrition because they’re unable to get all the nutrients their body needs.

With dentures, you’ll be able to bite and crush food effectively so that you can safely enjoy more wholesome meals.

Preserves Oral Health

If you still have natural teeth remaining, they’re in danger without dentures. They’ll naturally shift to try to fill the wide spaces left behind by ones that have gone missing. This can lead to improper alignment that creates uneven wear and tear. Plus, frequent pressure in the wrong places can crack or break them.

Your restoration prevents this kind of movement from happening which prevents potential problems down the road.

Expands Opportunities

Everyone knows that to be successful, it’s important to make a positive first impression. One of the first things others notice about you is the state of your smile and if yours is incomplete, they’re sure to notice. It might unintentionally communicate false information about you like that you don’t know how to take care of yourself, for example.

Dentures enhance your appearance which also boosts your self-confidence so that you can draw more positive attention to yourself. With them in place, you’ll be sure to impress at your next dinner date or job interview.

Factors that Affect the Cost of Dentures

There are three major factors that affect the cost of your dentures:

• Necessary Preparatory Treatments: Some patients will need specific procedures to prepare their mouth for dentures. These could include gum disease treatment, extractions, or restorative dentistry.
• The Type of Base: Most dentures use an acrylic base that is dyed to match your gums, however, there are other material options available.
• The Replacement Teeth: Moreau and Dr. Doyle usually prefer to use porcelain for your replacement teeth, but there are cheaper alternatives.

It’s good to weigh your options when considering dentures, but it’s equally important to consider long-term benefits against the total cost. Sometimes the cheapest option might end up costing you more over time!

Are Implant Dentures More Expensive?

Implanted dentures are far more expensive than their traditional counterparts, but they are ultimately a better value when you consider their longevity and other benefits. Implant dentures are like traditional prosthetics, but instead of relying on suction, they are anchored to several strategically placed dental implants.

This keeps them very stable, restoring up to 70 percent of your biting force. In addition, the implants stimulate your jawbone just like natural teeth, keeping it strong and preventing facial collapse. Implant dentures also last much longer on average than traditional dentures, so even if they cost more up-front, you’ll save money on replacements and other maintenance costs.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Dentures?

Many insurance plans may cover a portion of the costs associated with your dentures, but it varies by provider and individual coverage. If your insurance does list dentures as a major procedure they cover, it’s usually at a rate of 50 percent once you’ve met your deductible. If you’re unsure about your coverage, or if you’d like our team to help you comb your policy, we’ll be more than happy to do so. We’ll also file necessary claims on your behalf, so you don’t have to stress!

Other Options for Making Dentures Affordable

We understand that not every patient is fortunate enough to have personal dental insurance, and we still want to help. This is why we offer financing through CareCredit. Patients who qualify can use the service to finance their dental work and pay it off with low-to-no-interest payments.

Don’t let financial constraints stop you from enjoying the quality of life that dentures can bring. Call us today and schedule a consultation. Together, we can find a way forward that will help you smile again without stress.

Removeable Dentures

Remove After Eating

For starters, you ought to remove and rinse your dentures after every meal. Doing so rids your new teeth of the built-up debris and bacteria that cling to them. To that extent, the habit lowers your odds of suffering gum disease and similar issues.

All that said, please don’t use hot water for the rinses. High temperatures can quickly warp a denture’s material and distort your appliance’s fit. From there, you’d likely have to get a replacement that costs you time and money.

Clean Your Restoration

Aside from doing rinses, another good idea is to clean your dentures once daily. This act removes the bacteria and plaque that you may have missed before.

Daily denture cleanings tend to be pretty simple, all things considered. You only need to remove your oral device and brush it with a soft-bristled toothbrush. If possible, you should also include hand soap as the brush’s cleanser; regular toothpaste is too abrasive for dentures. You could even wrap up by soaking the dentures if you have time. In that case, just rinse them before putting them back in your mouth.

Keep Your Dentures Safe

Though today’s dentures use durable materials, they can sometimes break. All it takes is an accident or some rough handling for them to get damaged. Given that fact, please keep them as safe as possible.

Several good ways exist to protect your dentures. For example, you could place a towel in your sink while cleaning them. This cloth would cushion the restorations in case they fall. Alternatively, consider storing the dentures securely; little kids or pets wouldn’t be able to reach them.

Remove Dentures When You Sleep

Rather than go to bed with them, you should remove your dentures just before you sleep. It’d be even better if you soaked them in a solution overnight.

You see, wearing dentures constantly isn’t good for your health. The habit quickly restricts your gums’ circulation and irritate your mouth’s tissues. At the same time, it increases the plaque on your tongue and elevates your odds of gum disease. Sleeping with dentures can even lead to severe pneumonia in some cases.

Notice Changes

To keep yourself safe, keep an eye out for changes in your dentures and mouth. Sudden shifts in their state may require care from a dentist. In particular, watch for mouth sores, gum irritation, and signs of infection.

If you notice your dentures get damaged, please visit our office for repairs. Attempting a DIY fix could further harm your restorations and your oral health. In contrast, our dentists have the training and skills to handle broken dentures. They can either reline the devices or have them replaced.