What Kind of Dentures Are for You?

Answer 1

There are more choices today when it comes to dentures than ever before. Below there is a general idea of what is involved in each alternative. Of course, a dentist can give a more detailed idea of the price and procedures.

Dental implants are fast becoming an alternative to dentures. Posts are implanted into the jawbone surgically and then are covered with crowns. This is the most expensive alternative. $25,000 is the starting price and can go up to $100,000 for a full set of teeth. Individual teeth start at $1000 apiece.

A set of removable upper teeth and lower teeth are what most people think of when they hear the term dentures. The first steps toward dentures are of course taking molds of the mouth for the dentures. The dentist may extract a few teeth over several visits depending on his and the patients preferences. The dentist will have suggestions as to color and size of teeth and will ask for the patients input into these decisions. The dentist may have CAD/CAM technology available that will allow him to give the patient some idea what the dentures might look like. CAD stands for computer aided design and CAM stands for computer aided manufacturing. The dentures are then manufactured in a dental lab. There is usually a final set of extractions done and the dentures are placed in the mouth. Several return visits are sometimes necessary to get the perfect fit. The cost for this type of dentures can range from $3500 to $8000 depending on the materials used and the visits required along with any other procedures that may need to be done.

Bridges and partials are another alternative to full dentures. These are often more expensive than full dentures because of the precision involved in fitting the prosthesis against the remaining teeth. These vary in cost of course depending on the number of teeth involved, dental visits required, and materials used.

Immediate dentures are dentures that are manufactured onsite the same day the teeth are extracted. Usually these dental labs are advertised on billboards alongside the interstate highways. The prices are quite low starting at $800. Since there is little choice in materials and few choices in shape and size, fit and color will usually not be as natural as traditional dentures.