Dentures

What are dentures? Types, costs and alternatives

Dentures or false teeth are removable teeth that are often made from acrylic, plastic, metal or nylon.

Designed to fit nicely over your gums, they are a tried and tested, traditional way of replacing missing teeth.

It goes without saying that over the last few years the cosmetic denture procedure has advanced to be more effective.

However, many patients are now instead beginning to turn to implant dentistry for permanent tooth replacement options that promote a good oral foundation.

Take a look at your options below to find the best tooth replacement solution for your oral health condition today…

Best dentures on the market UK

There are different types of dentures; they can either be a full denture (used in circumstances where a patient is missing all of their teeth) and partial dentures (used when patients are only missing some teeth).

Here at The Perfect Smile, we craft our cosmetic dentures as carefully as we would create a new smile with veneers or implants.

Our technology has helped improve the look, feel and function of dentures. Read more about them here.

OR, why not try snap-on smiles?

There are two main types of denture material:

Acrylic (or plastic) dentures
Cobalt-Chromium (or metal-based) dentures are advised when at least some teeth are present

Advantages of Cobalt-Chromium Dentures

Better chewing (more stable; less movement of the denture)
Food more enjoyable (less coverage of the mouth)
Stronger (metal is very hard, plastic can fracture)
Lighter and thinner (plastic is bulkier)
More comfortable
More healthy (less gum coverage possible)

How do they work?

Once you have lost a tooth or have had it extracted, the tooth socket starts to fill with bone, then when the gum tissue heals, the shape changes.

Over a period of a few months, whilst we wait for the gums and bones to reach a nice stable shape, a conventional full denture will be able to be made.

This can take anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks once the teeth have been lost from the mouth.

However, patients are often provided with an immediate denture, which will not fit the gum tissue as closely as your final conventional denture.

See: Are implants better than dentures?

NHS dentures vs private practices

Whilst the NHS offers a great system for those unable to afford private options, it certainly does have its limitations.

Believe it or not, but making a denture takes a lot of time and money and as the NHS can often not pay dentists appropriately, this is where the problems in quality begin to arise.

The average clinical time for an NHS dentist to create a denture is 1hour and 15 mins, compared to a private dental practice that would typically spend around 7 hours on this.

NHS dentists who have limited time may then cut corners, which can affect the overall quality of the teeth, materials and bite impressions.

Dentures cost

At our private practice, you can expect to pay from £750 for a full set of new teeth.

See the full list of costs.

Dentures can reduce life expectancy by 10 years

Malnutrition is a major problem faced by elderly people whose bite force is reduced by 75% in the first 5 years of wearing dentures and a shocking 97% after 15 years – Newswire

Facts to know:

Dentures deplete jaw bone health
Loss of bone is often present in the jaw
Healthy teeth can bite down with 200 pounds per square inch, whereas denture wearers can only cope with 50 pounds
After 15 years of wearing dentures, your biting force is only six pounds
Patients have to adjust their diets

Alternative restorative treatments

Bridges: A bridge is a false tooth, often referred to as pontic, which is kept securely in place by two abutment teeth on either side of the gap. These pontics can be made from multiple materials such as gold, ceramic or porcelain is often the most favoured choice. With four main types of dental bridges designed to suit various missing tooth cases, you can expect to replace missing teeth easily and swiftly from £1,200. Learn more.
Dental implants: Implants are probably the most popular tooth replacement treatment, this is because it is long-lasting, durable and permanent. Because implants use only the best of materials and techniques like porcelain crowns and a titanium screw that works like a tooth root, implant dentistry will cost you £1,250 for the implant placement and from £1,200 for the post or crown. Learn more.

Read: Dentures vs dental implants.

Denture FAQ mini-guide:

Are dentures better than implants? It is in our cosmetic and restorative dentist’s professional opinions that implants are better than dentures, this is because they encourage a sufficient amount of jaw bone, which contributes to an overall good standard of oral health. Implants also last longer, provide patients with easier chewing and speech ability without restricting their diets.
Are dentures really that bad? Dentures can certainly be lived with, but as mentioned above they deteriorate the health of the jaw bone over time, which means restrictions on diet will be required for a patient’s comfort. For some patients, loose and uncomfortable dentures can be unbearable and embarrassing.
Will dentures affect the way a person looks, feels, eats, and speaks? Yes. Dentures will affect your diet and your speech. However, patients who have been wearing dentures for some time can get used to them.
How do you clean and care for your dentures? Remove your dentures daily, soak them and brush them with a nonabrasive denture cleaner and a soft brush. If you are using a dental adhesive, clean the grooves to remove any remaining.

Missing teeth: DO NOT IGNORE GAPS!

Regardless of the treatment, you opt for, finding the right solution to restore gaps in your mouth is crucial.

Missing teeth do not only cause a variety of problems such as low confidence, difficulty speaking and eating, but they hugely affect the aesthetics of your face as well as your oral condition.

Patients, who ignore gaps in their mouth for more than six months often experience further oral difficulties like gum disease, an insufficient amount of jaw bone, which can consequently lead to further tooth loss.

Book an appointment or speak to a dentist today!

Learn more about the denture process:

How long will the treatment take

The treatment involves understanding your functional and aesthetic needs and then we can provide you with potential options available to you. Depending on your requirements we can customise and tailor-make individual treatments plans to suit your needs and budgets.

Some of these appointments are involved Denture Stabilisation with the placement of dental implants and their healing if that is an additional option you have chosen. However, most of the appointments are involved in making sure that the dentures are aesthetically and functionally correct. This will involve taking records and careful assessment.

Stages in Denture Making

STEP 1 – The first impressions. Required to make moulds and a custom made special tray.

We will start the process with an assessment of your mouth and Initial impressions of your mouth using a specific two step technique.

STEP 2 –The second impression ( A very accurate impression is taken) and The bite stage.

Using this first impression to create a custom made tray. With this we take a very accurate secondary impression. This allows us to create well made and well fitting dentures. At this appointment we will also take records of how your teeth meet and bite. The complexity of your bite is recorded, and the colour and shape of the teeth chosen. The record involves choosing the correct shape, size and colour of your teeth to reflect your face. (It is helpful to bring along any old photographs you may have showing your teeth at this visit).

STEP 3 –The try-in stage.

The above allows us to provide you with a preview denture. This allows you to be certain that you are extremely happy with the denture in every way before the final version of your teeth are fabricated.

STEP 4 –The fitting stage.

The dentist will fit the denture after accurate and precise denture making process.

STEP 5 –The review stage.

To ensure total satisfaction we review the denture a few weeks later to make final refined adjustments aesthetically and functionally. Our aim is to provide you with dentures that give the confidence you are seeking.

Treatment

At our practices, the dentists have a consistently high standard of clinical work using modern denture-making techniques.

The variables in cost are:

The laboratory – A modern laboratory will have better equipment and materials.

The technician – A methodical, passionate, experienced technician may spend much longer to produce a more comfortable, better fitting, bespoke cosmetic dentures.

The materials used – Denture making technology has really come a long way.We carefully select the ideal set of teeth for your needs based on the shape of your face, your smile and shade requirements. The quality and strength of plastics, the use of cobalt chromium, the use of gold or tooth coloured clips and many other variables affect the total cost of denture treatment.

Our free no obligation Initial Consultation will be with our dentist and/or our Treatment Coordinators. The suitability of options discussed will ultimately be dependent upon your clinical assessment with a dentist at the practice.