You could qualify for dentures if you lose one or more permanent teeth due to injury, poor oral hygiene, or extractions. They’re an effective and affordable way to restore your smile and support your oral health. At Impressive Dental Care in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, Lea Planzos, DMD, MS, Penny Planzos, DMD, MS, and Thomas Planzos, DMD, use dentures to help people maintain their chewing and biting abilities. Call the office today or book online to make an appointment.
What are dentures?
A denture is a removable set of artificial teeth that replaces missing teeth and the surrounding tissues. Dentures are more affordable than dental implants. There’s no surgery involved, so you don’t have to take time off from work or school to recover.
Dentures aren’t as sturdy as your permanent teeth, but with good oral hygiene and routine checkups, they often last 7-10 years*.
What kinds of dentures are there?
Impressive Dental Care offers several kinds of dentures, including:
Partial dentures
Partial dentures have a pink, plastic base and one (or more) artificial teeth. Partials attach to small metal clasps that your Impressive Dental Care provider bonds to your existing teeth. Partial dentures restore your smile and prevent your surrounding teeth from moving out of position.
Complete dentures
Complete dentures replace an entire row of permanent teeth. They have a metal baseplate, plastic or acrylic gums, and an arch of artificial teeth. Complete dentures sit on top of your gums. You apply an adhesive to the bottom to keep them from moving around.
Are dentures covered by dental insurance?
Most dental insurance providers cover at least some of the cost of dentures. Still, every insurance company is different. If you have questions about your policy, contact your insurance company before scheduling an appointment at Impressive Dental Care to see what’s covered and at what percentage of the total cost.
What does getting dentures involve?
At Impressive Dental Care, getting dentures takes two visits.
First denture visit
Before recommending dentures, your Impressive Dental Care provider reviews your dental health history and asks about your goals. They do an oral exam and take X-rays to assess the health of your tooth roots, gums, and jaw.
If you’re missing several permanent teeth, you qualify for dentures. Your Impressive Dental Care provider uses a digital scanner to take impressions of your mouth. They send your scans to a dental lab that designs and manufactures your dentures.
Second denture visit
Several weeks later, once the lab finishes your dentures, you return to Impressive Dental Care. Your provider has you try on the dentures. They assess your bite and make adjustments to ensure a perfect fit. Then your provider explains how to clean and care for them.
Are dentures painful?
Dentures aren’t painful, but they take some getting used to. During the first few weeks, it’s normal to experience sore gums and excess saliva production. Be patient and follow your provider’s instructions. Your mouth should be back to normal within a month.
How do I care for my dentures?
It’s necessary to clean your dentures daily. Impressive Dental Care recommends taking your dentures out after meals and snacks and rinsing them in cool tap water. At night, take your dentures out and gently scrub them with a soft-bristle toothbrush. When you go to bed, soak them in an FDA-approved cleaning solution.
If you’re interested in learning more about dentures, make an appointment at Impressive Dental Care by calling the office or booking online today.