Modern Dentures: Types, Costs and Alternatives
Dentures or “false teeth” are prosthetics that are 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 denture procedure has advanced to be more effective and appealing.
However, an alternative many patients are beginning to turn to is implant dentistry, which offers fixed, permanent tooth replacement.
Whilst implants offer far more superior durability and support to your oral health foundation, many turn to dentures due to their affordability.
Take a look at your options below to find the best tooth replacement solution for your oral health condition today…
Discover the best dentures on the market
There are two different types of dentures:
- Full dentures (used in circumstances where a patient is missing all of their teeth)
- 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 it here. OR, why not try snap-on smiles?
How do dentures work?
- The empty 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.
Choosing between the 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
See: Are implants better than dentures?
Cheaper option
As mentioned above, dental implants are growing increasingly popular.
However, if you need to replace multiple missing teeth and want to explore alternative options to the all-on-four method, overdentures might be a good solution.
What are overdentures?
Overdentures are removable and fit over the top of support anchors like dental implants, which secure the dentures.
They are an affordable solution, which can upgrade the appearance of your teeth without having to worry about your dentures slipping or moving.
With overdentures, you will be able to enjoy your favourite foods again as normal – this is because they are strong and sturdy.
Also, if you’ve been struggling with a speech impediment due to missing teeth, you can expect overdentures to greatly improve this, with the chance of eliminating the problem completely.
What’s even more, is that patients with missing teeth often exhibit insufficient bone structure, but with this treatment, you won’t need a bone graft but still receive all the benefits of an implant.
Dentures cost
At our practice, you can expect to pay from £750 for a full set of new teeth.
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.
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 £1,200 for the post or crown. Learn more.
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.
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)
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 treatment 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.
STEP 1 – The first impressions
Required to make moulds and a custom made special tray.
STEP 2 – The second impression
(A very accurate impression is taken)
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-on 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 is fabricated.
STEP 4 – The fitting stage
The dentist will fit the denture after an 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 you the confidence you are seeking.
