Dentures – Jacksonville, FL
Keep Smiles in Place for a Lifetime
One of our main goals is to keep teeth healthy and in the mouth for a lifetime. Unfortunately, many of our patients have already lost teeth or present with teeth that are not salvageable. In many of these situations, dentures are the best option for treatment.
We understand that many patients are extremely self-conscious about their smiles. Some have avoided the dentist for years due to self-conscious thoughts or embarrassment. If you or a loved one are in this situation, we want you to know that you are not alone. What has happened in the past is in the past and your future can be healthy when we are given a chance to change it. Continue reading or give us a call to learn how this method of tooth replacement can improve your quality of life!
Why Choose North Jacksonville Complete Dentistry for Full Dentures & Partial Dentures?
- Two highly experienced & dedicated dentists on staff
- Full customization for full and partial dentures – no “one size fits all”
- Implant dentures available for added permanence and stability
Who Is a Good Candidate for Dentures?
If you have missing teeth, you likely struggle with problems such as difficulty chewing, speech issues, and self-consciousness. For patients with healthy gums, dentures offer a great solution to restore their smiles. Even those with gum disease can typically use dentures later, after their condition improves through better oral hygiene or periodontal treatments. However, for patients who are not missing all the teeth in an arch, another tooth replacement option might be more suitable.
Types of Dentures
The first step toward achieving a complete and fully functional smile is scheduling a consultation. During your visit, we'll evaluate your specific needs and discuss your goals to determine if dentures are the right solution for you. Based on our assessment, we'll recommend one of the following types of dentures:
Partial Dentures
Partial dentures are indicated when there are enough healthy teeth in the mouth to help hold them in place. A partial denture can restore much-needed chewing function when teeth have been lost. A partial denture is held in place in part by clasps that are custom-made to fit around existing teeth. Similar to complete dentures, partial dentures can also restore the proper facial shape that has been lost when teeth are lost.
Full Dentures
A full denture is likely what you think of when someone mentions dentures. These are needed when all of the teeth in the upper or lower jaw have been lost or cannot be saved. Complete dentures can help bring a smile back to life and can be virtually indistinguishable from natural healthy teeth. Additionally, when teeth are lost the cheeks and sides of the face begin to sag inward. This gives the appearance that the person is older than they really are. Dentures help fill in these areas and help bring back the appearance of youth.
Implant Dentures
Many people do not have optimal bone support to keep dentures in place properly. Others simply want the most retentive denture that they can get. In these situations, dental implants can be utilized to help secure dentures. Implant dentures have special attachments on the underside to snap onto the titanium posts. The result is a denture that is much less likely to slip, slide, or pop out during speech.
Immediate Dentures
Many people are hesitant about getting dentures because they fear having no teeth for a period of time. Full dentures often require hopeless teeth to be removed and a period of healing before dentures can be fabricated. Immediate dentures can solve this problem. In certain circumstances, teeth can be extracted and dentures delivered the same day. Feel free to contact us to make an appointment to see if immediate dentures can work for you.
Hybrid Dentures
A hybrid can be the most retentive and secure denture that can be made. Hybrid dentures utilize several dental implants but unlike the overdentures, the hybrid is fixed in place. These dentures are essentially screwed into dental implants. They are removed periodically by the dentist for cleaning.
Many people like the hybrid denture for several reasons. First, they do not have to be removed nightly like traditional dentures. Hybrids also receive their support, stability, and retention directly from the implants themselves. This keeps them secure in place and also allows for much more effective and powerful chewing strokes.
How Dentures are Made
Before you fully commit to dentures, perhaps you want to know how they’re made. Fair enough – knowing what goes into your prosthetics will let you make an informed choice. With that said, North Jacksonville Complete Dentistry can help; we grasp the details of denture creation. Simply keep reading to learn how modern dentures are made, as well as how to adjust to them. Otherwise, you can always call us to hear more over the phone.
What are Dentures Made Of?
Every denture has a base and artificial teeth, regardless of its type. Those two parts form the “bulk” of the prosthetic and ensure it works as it should. As for their more specific elements, consider them further below:
- Denture Base – As the part that keeps the artificial teeth secure, a denture’s base is its core foundation. The component is often made of pink-colored acrylic or substitutes like nylon.
- Artificial Teeth – Per their name, the artificial teeth are the denture’s tooth-replacing parts. Labs will make them from resin, porcelain, or similar materials to match your smile’s color.
The Denture Creation Process
Because a denture is tailored to your mouth, labs follow a multi-step process to make one. The most notable of these steps are:
- Step 1: One of our dentists will use a dental impression to design a plaster model. Once the model is finished, it’ll match your final denture’s size and shape.
- Step 2: Our team will send the plaster model to a lab, which will use it to make a wax gumline.
- Step 3: To form a prototype denture, the lab will set artificial teeth in the wax gumline.
- Step 4: We’ll check the prototype against your mouth once we get it back. Once we’ve confirmed its fit, we’ll return it.
- Step 5: A worker will place the prototype in a flask after removing its wax. From there, they’ll apply plaster to the flask and have it sit in hot water.
- Step 6: To keep acrylic from sticking, a separator will go into the plaster layer. Workers will then inject the acrylic into the flask, having it replace the wax.
- Step 7: The 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: Once the residue is removed, lab workers will remove your denture’s excess acrylic and polish its surface.
- Step 9: We’ll fit your final denture for you, thus ensuring it works properly.
Adjusting to Your New Dentures
As you adjust to your dentures, your may ache for a time. You needn’t worry, though; this effect is temporary and only lasts a few days at most. Your dentures should feel familiar and pain-free to you once you’ve used them consistently.
Of course, you can take steps to speed up your adjustment. One method might be to eat soft foods that don’t irritate your gums. Similarly, you could apply adhesives (for extra security) or exercise your facial muscles. These approaches would help your new teeth feel familiar more quickly.
If pain from your adjustment persists, don’t hesitate to call us. Your dentures may need further alterations in that scenario.
The Benefits of Dentures
It’s only natural for life to get tricky when you lose your teeth. Once that happens, even habits you take for granted – eating, speaking, smiling, etc. – will become much harder. North Jacksonville Family Dentistry grasps these truths and wants to help with our life-changing dentures. By wearing the devices, you’ll quickly see a large improvement in your quality of life. For more details on the benefits of dentures, please keep reading or call our office soon.
Psychological Benefits
Tooth loss often leads to mental health issues, especially problems like low self-esteem and major depression. After all, who wouldn't feel awkward or downcast when their smile lacks teeth? The good news is that our office's dentures would prevent those low moods. By filling in your grin's gaps, the restorations should give you a big confidence boost. You'd then feel self-assured in your looks, speech, and so on.
Clearer Enunciation
Everyone needs teeth to enunciate words, so losing them makes talking tough. Even missing a couple can result in slurred speech, severe lisps, and more. However, quality dentures smoothly address that problem once they’re placed. Since they support your tongue enough to form words, they’ll allow you to speak quite clearly. Just remember that you’ll have to practice with them first; learning to talk with dentures takes time.
Improves Nutrition
Because you need strong teeth to chew most foods, lacking them tends to restrict your meal choices. That limit on your eating habits can then result in malnutrition and indigestion. Thankfully, you can count on dentures to “restore” your diet along with your smile. Worn consistently, they’ll help you chew a wider range of foods than you could before; this effect will improve your nutritional health.
Preserves Oral Health
The longer a case of tooth loss goes untreated, the more damage it does to your oral health. Its smile gaps will have more time to tilt your remaining teeth, house harmful bacteria, and erode your jaw. With that said, our dentists let you avoid those effects by filling the spaces. They’d thus slow down the tilting of teeth, reduce the spread of bad microbes, etc. In fact, dentures could even keep your jaw from eroding as much as before.
Expands Opportunities
Honestly, tooth loss deprives you of something crucial to first impressions: a nice smile. That means a gapped grin can deprive you of social opportunities – friendships, romances, etc. Still, today’s dentures would change all that for you; they’d restore your smile and help you make great impressions. Because their teeth look lifelike and natural, they’d enhance your good looks. The long-term result would be that you enjoy many fine opportunities in life.
Understanding the Cost of Dentures
If you’re considering dentures to replace teeth, you may not have realized that there are multiple options to consider when you visit North Jacksonville Complete Dentistry. Our office is happy to provide several solutions based on your specific needs. However, the cost of dentures in North Jacksonville can largely vary depending on a variety of factors. Below, you can learn about the general cost of each type of denture and what can influence their price tag the most.
Factors that Affect the Cost of Dentures
The cost of getting dentures varies from patient-to-patient based on our examination of your mouth. Here are some of the contributions that affect the price of your restorations:
- How many dentures you need
- The materials used
- What type of denture you require (full or partial)
- Whether you require preparatory procedures, like a tooth extraction
- The timeline of your treatment
Rest assured that we’ll keep you informed about the cost of your dentures and will happily address any questions or concerns you may have.
Are Implant Dentures More Expensive?
Yes, you can expect implant dentures to cost more than traditional dentures. This is because, as the name suggests, dental implants are used to keep the denture in place. Dental implants are made from high-quality materials like titanium, and though this drives up the price, an implant denture typically lasts longer and is more stable. For example, you may have to replace your traditional dentures every 5 to 7 years, but an implant denture could last for decades!
Does Dental Insurance Cover Dentures?
It depends on the fine print of your policy. While many dental insurance plans cover about 50% of the costs for dentures, this isn’t true for every policy. Be sure to double-check your dental insurance benefits or give us a call. We’re familiar with a variety of plans and can help you navigate the legalese if you’re not sure what is and isn’t covered.
Other Options for Making Dentures Affordable
We understand that not everyone has access to dental insurance, and we don’t want treatment costs to come between you and your oral health. That’s why we proudly partner with CareCredit to offer patients an alternative financing option. CareCredit has several different payment plans available, including little-to-no interest programs that will help keep your expenses low over time.
The main advantage of these plans, though, is that they break down your total costs into smaller, more manageable monthly chunks. So, if it’s better for you to pay for your dentures as you get your paychecks, you can do so with CareCredit financing.
Denture FAQs
How often will I need to replace my dentures?
Dentures aren't built to last forever. The average lifespan of this restoration is between five and eight years with the proper maintenance. The reason for this is because your facial structure and jaw will change shape over the years, causing your dentures to fit your mouth differently. As a result of this, you'll need to either have them adjusted or replaced so they continue to function as they were meant to.
Do I need to keep visiting my dentist twice a year if I have dentures?
Some patients believe that because their dentures can't get cavities, they don't need to visit their dentist in Jacksonville every six months anymore. However, that's far from the case. Even if you have dentures, it's important to make sure that they're functioning properly and your gums remain healthy enough to continue supporting them. That's why our team conducts thorough examinations and cleanings for our patients who have restorations.
Can I sleep with my dentures in my mouth?
It's not recommended that you sleep in your dentures for a number of reason. First off, it's a good idea to give your gums a break after supporting your restorations all day. Secondly, you need to soak your dentures every night so they can maintain their shape and stay clean. You should never wear your dentures for 24 hours straight without cleaning them, because this could result in harmful oral bacteria accumulation that affects the health of your gums.