Dentures – Hillsboro, OR

Effects of Missing Teeth

Did you know that when a tooth is lost the other teeth tend to shift into the gap to be more evenly spaced? Unfortunately, this changes your bite, can negatively impact your ability to eat efficiently, and can even lead to more tooth loss in the future.

Losing just one tooth can alter your oral function, but if you have multiple missing teeth, the effect is even more amplified. Without teeth to bite and grind up your food, your options become more limited to softer, more processed foods.

In addition, you may feel more self-conscious about your smile, discouraging you from sharing it with those around you or even talking with others for fear that they’ll notice.

The good news is that dentures help you overcome these effects of tooth loss. They keep any natural teeth properly aligned, allow you to eat and chew, and give you confidence again!

What Qualifies You for Dentures?

To receive a full or partial denture, you only need to meet one requirement: your mouth must be healthy and infection free. In other words, you can’t have gum disease or cavities in any of your remaining teeth; if you do, we’ll have to treat the problem first. Also, if you have weak, broken, or decayed teeth, we may need to extract them. When your mouth passes this basic requirement, we can get started on creating your custom dentures.

Alternative Tooth-Replacement Options

While you’re still planning your tooth replacement, it’s a great time to consider all your options. In most cases, dentures can be secured to dental implants, which are titanium posts embedded in the jawbone. This stability provides significantly more biting strength and longevity for your dentures, which is why we encourage every patient to at least think about implants.

If you have multiple missing teeth in a row, a bridge (especially one retained by dental implants) may be more appropriate than a partial denture. In other situations, Dr. Kalluri may determine that extraction and a full denture are necessary. If you are ever unclear about what options are available to you, don’t hesitate to ask, and we can go through them in greater detail.

How Do Immediate Dentures Work?

Once you’ve had your tooth (or teeth) extracted, it’s important to follow your dentist’s orders. To start, your gums and bone will start to recede, but follow-up appointments will allow us to monitor your healing patterns and catch problems before they become serious. A temporary lining or tissue conditioner can help us create an optimized fit, but these will likely need adjustments or replacements multiple times as you heal. Eventually, a permanent denture reline will be needed to ensure comfortability and accurate fit once your mouth has fully healed.

• Dr. Kalluri and professionals at Infinity Dental Care will recommend a procedure that best fits your needs.
• If you choose a temporary denture liner, tissue conditioner, or reline, separate fees may apply as they are considered to be additional services.
• If you have any questions about your benefits, we highly encourage you to consult with our dental office. Give us a call today to schedule your next denture consultation at our Hillsboro dental office.

Improve Your Mental Health

Studies have linked mental health concerns such as depression, sadness and anxiety to tooth loss. For many people, their smiles feel like the first characteristic that others notice about them, so to not feel comfortable letting it show can lead to a host of psychological consequences. With full, partial, or implant dentures, you’ll be able to enjoy a smile that is healthy and whole, allowing you to let your grin show with pride.

Enunciate Words More Clearly

Having gaps in your smile can make speaking much more difficult, leading to slurring, lisps, and tripping over words that were once much easier to pronounce. Your dentures will restore your complete arch, and while it may take a little bit of time to adjust to speaking with them in your mouth, you’ll find it much easier to enunciate your words.

Bring Variety to Your Diet

Food can bring you joy as well as sustenance, which is why maintaining a varied and balanced diet is so important to many people! Without all of your teeth, foods that were once easy to eat, like grilled chicken and bread, may now be virtually impossible to chew. With a complete set of teeth, you’ll be able to expand your diet greatly, incorporating more proteins and carbohydrates, two very important members of the food pyramid, into your diet again!

Boost Your Oral Health

Tooth loss has been connected to secondary oral health concerns, such as additional tooth loss, gum disease, and cavities. It can result in orthodontic issues like bite misalignment and gapped teeth. By closing the gaps in your smile, you can not only maintain its alignment but also preserve your remaining natural teeth, helping you keep your grin happy and healthy as well as minimize your dental costs.

Feel More Confident

It’s no surprise that an incomplete smile can make you feel self-conscious and insecure. Decreased confidence can impact both your professional and personal life, making you feel less excited about connecting with and meeting others. With a full smile that you feel more excited to show, you can go into any job interview or first date in much higher spirits.

Factors That Affect the Cost of Dentures

When meeting with Dr. Kalluri, she will start by examining your oral cavity and facial structure. It is during this scheduled consultation that she will look at certain factors that will ultimately dictate how much you can expect to pay for your new teeth, some of which include:

• The potential for preliminary treatments (i.e., tooth extractions, periodontal therapy), as these will add additional time and money to your overall treatment plan.
• The materials used to create your customized prosthetics. Dentures are typically made using acrylic to create the base but go through a process that takes time to ensure they match the gum-colored look of your natural soft oral tissues.
• The type of artificial teeth that will be added to your prosthetic. Depending on the materials used, you can expect the price to be more or less. Remember, the sturdier and more natural the teeth appear, the higher the price, which is usually well worth the investment.

How Much Do Immediate Dentures Cost?

Our team will provide you with a cost estimate during your consultation. In most cases, immediate dentures cost more than conventional dentures simply because they require more dental appointments. However, many patients believe that the benefits of never having to go without teeth make immediate dentures a worthwhile investment.

Are Implant Dentures More Expensive?

If you know much about dental implants, you understand that they are typically more expensive than traditional tooth replacement solutions. However, because they are surgically implanted into your jawbone and fuse with your surrounding tissues, they are capable of remaining firmly in place for a lifetime. As a result, you can spend less over time because it will unlikely that you will need to have your implant posts removed and replaced over time. While you will need to have your customized implant denture replaced, the posts never have to be touched as long as you maintain good oral hygiene.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Dentures?

You’ll be pleased to know that dentures in Hillsboro are often covered when using your dental insurance. Most companies will agree to cover up to 50% of the total cost; however, this is largely dependent upon your deductible and annual maximum. You will need to discuss with a representative from your insurance company how much they will agree to cover and what your out-of-pocket expenses will be. Once you have this information, you will be able to better determine other ways to pay the remaining balance.

Other Options for Making Dentures Affordable

Even if your dental insurance company does agree to pay for a portion of the cost, you may be left wondering how you’ll cover the leftover balance. Not to worry! As a denture dentist in Hillsboro, Dr. Kalluri is pleased to provide alternative options for patients who need assistance paying for their restorative treatment.

With CareCredit, you can apply for flexible financing through a company that offers low and no interest payment plans. By enrolling, you can easily break up the cost of your treatment and stay well within your budget.

At Infinity Dental Care, our team is ready to help you take the next step to enjoy life with a full, complete smile. No matter if you prefer immediate dentures or implant dentures, we can deliver the results you need that will last well into the future. If you’re ready to say hello to a new and improved smile, contact our office today to schedule an appointment.