Dentures – Federal Way, WA

Effects of Missing Teeth

It’s important to understand what causes missing teeth and what happens if you fail to replace them. According to the American College of Prosthodontists, the most common reasons why people have gaps in their smile is because of tooth decay, gum disease, and physical injury. It’s also worth noting that certain systemic conditions can result in tooth loss.

You should never delay replacing your missing teeth. If you do, you could experience several negative consequences like facial sagging, difficulty speaking, trouble eating, and even lower self-esteem. By choosing to get dentures, you can avoid these issues and enjoy a fully functioning smile once again.  

What Qualifies You for Dentures?

Have you experienced significant tooth loss? Do you have sensitive teeth? Are you dealing with a lot of decay? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you may want to consider getting dentures. Of course, you must have sufficient healthy gum tissue and jawbone before moving forward with the treatment process. In addition, you must be committed to your oral hygiene routine and be willing to properly care for your new and improved smile. Since dentures are more affordable than other tooth-replacement methods, they’re a great option for patients on a budget.

Alternative Tooth-Replacement Options

Not a good candidate for dentures? That’s okay! You can explore our other available options, such as:

• Dental Bridges: If you’re only missing one or more teeth, you may want to consider dental bridges. However, you must have healthy teeth surrounding the gaps in your smile to support the restoration.
• Dental Implants: Because implants are inserted directly into the jawbone, you must have a solid bone structure if you want to explore this solution. While it’s more costly than traditional dentures, it’s very durable and natural-looking.

Learn More About Dental Bridges

Learn More About Dental Implants

What Are Dentures Made Of?

Dentures are typically made up of two components: the base of the denture and the artificial teeth. Here’s a more in-depth look at each one:

• Denture Base: This is the foundation for your prosthetic teeth, offering much-needed structural support. Most of the time this base is made out of acrylic, resin, nylon, porcelain, or even metal. Most full dentures are made using acrylic due to their ability to be custom shaded to your natural gum tissue.
• Artificial Teeth: Usually, prosthetic teeth are made out of resin or porcelain because the two materials offer a more natural appearance. Porcelain is the more popular option since it can closely mimic the look and feel of normal teeth. In addition, it’s durable and can last many years with proper care.

The Denture Creation Process

Getting dentures in Federal Way is a multi-step process that takes several weeks to a few months to complete. The first step of your treatment will involve your dentist taking impressions of your smile, which will be used to create a mold of your mouth to base the size and shape of your final dentures.

We’ll send the mold to a trusted dental lab that will work on developing your dentures. Your prosthetic teeth will be made out of acrylic resin and positioned into a wax replica of your gum line. The technician will then use a special tool to sculpt the wax until it matches your gums perfectly. Once that’s done, they’ll send the wax dentures to our office for a fitting. After we approve the mock-up, they’ll be sent back to the lab for finalization.

A lab technician will get rid of the wax material by boiling the dentures. The restorations will be placed in a flask while plaster will be used to maintain their shape. Holes are created in the artificial teeth so the material can attach to them. Once the denture is trimmed, cut, and sculpted to perfection, the lab will send them back to us.

You’ll return to our office for a final fitting and we’ll make any necessary adjustments to ensure the appearance and function of your dentures are to your standards! After this, you’ll be ready to enjoy your brand-new grin for years to come.

Adjusting to Your New Dentures

Initially, it’ll take you time to get used to your new dentures. You may experience mild discomfort and soreness for a few days, causing you to have difficulty eating and speaking with them. Even so, your mouth will eventually adjust to your new teeth to the point where they’ll feel like your natural smile. Consider the following tips to speed up the adjustment process:

• Stick to a soft-food diet
• Exercise your facial muscles
• Use denture adhesives for stability

Psychological Benefits

While it’s true that your teeth are the absolute best tools at your disposal for biting and chewing, they also serve another important purpose—they contribute immensely to your overall happiness and sense of confidence! People with missing teeth often have a little trouble accepting their tooth loss, and this can leave a dent in their self-esteem and result in sadness and anxiety, as well as an unwillingness to address the issue! But patients who receive dentures immediately experienced increased confidence and can comfortably resume socializing with a big and bright smile on their face!

Clearer Enunciation

It goes without saying that teeth play an integral role in speech and pronunciation, too. Your lips and tongue rely greatly on your pearly whites and their positions to make certain sounds, so if you have gaps in your grin, your enunciation will suffer. But since dentures replace all of your missing teeth, you’ll be able to speak much more fluently once you adjust to the prosthetics.

Improves Nutrition

If you’re unable to chew your food thoroughly before swallowing it, you’ll have trouble digesting it; this can lead to indigestion and other uncomfortable, undesirable problems. Certain foods, such as hearty options like vegetables, fruits, and lean proteins, are also tougher in texture and sometimes more difficult to chew. However, since dentures greatly improve your ability to chew, you can optimize your diet and avoid nutritional issues!

Preserves Oral Health

One of the biggest problems with missing teeth is that it can cause any remaining nearby teeth to fall out too! When you have gaps in your smile, the remaining adjacent teeth will gradually lean towards the open space and eventually fall out themselves. Jawbone resorption can also occur if you’re without teeth for too long. But by getting dentures, you can enjoy a complete and functional smile without the worry of bone resorption or other issues like wear and tear on remaining natural teeth.

Expands Opportunities

Your smile is arguably the first feature that strangers will notice about you, meaning that it’s instrumental in making good first impressions in the professional world and during social outings! In fact, studies show that the probability of being employed notably increases when you have a healthy and bright smile—plus, people will have an easier time approaching you if your smile attracts their attention. For this reason, dentures can quite literally boost your career and give you an edge during your next interview, meeting, or even date!

Removable Dentures

When wearing removable dentures, there are steps you must take to ensure that they remain free of harmful bacteria and do not suffer from cracks or chips. Some of the most effective ways to maintain your new smile include:

Remove After Eating

Dentures can accumulate bad bacteria, plaque, and dried saliva throughout the day. To avoid problems forming inside your mouth, you need to take them out after eating. It’s far too easy for food to become stuck even in a prosthetic, so you’ll want to make sure that you not only clean your dentures thoroughly after eating but that you also brush and care for your existing teeth and gums after every meal.

Clean Your Restoration

Cleaning your dentures is essential if you want them to last as long as possible. Using denture-specific brushes, non-abrasive toothpaste, and water irrigators can help to remove food particles, harmful debris, and bad oral bacteria. The key is consistency, as you’ll need to make sure that you clean your dentures after eating as well as in the morning and before going to bed.

Keep Your Dentures Safe

The materials used to create dentures are highly durable, but they can break if too much pressure is applied. This is why it is recommended that you place a towel in the basin of your sink when preparing to clean your teeth. This protects them from cracks or breaks should you accidentally drop them. You’ll also want to keep them out of reach of pets and young children to avoid losing your teeth or finding them broken.

Remove Dentures When You Sleep

Giving your dentures a chance to soak is critical to their longevity. Brittle and dried-out dentures can break easily, so you need to make sure that they are given time to thoroughly soak. There’s no better time for this than while you are asleep. Apart from the benefits your dentures will receive, your gums and bone will experience a reprieve from supporting your new teeth. This slows bone shrinkage and allows for vital nutrients to return to your gum tissues.

Notice Changes

It’s not unusual for your dentures to become ill-fitting over time. As the jawbone shrinks, your teeth will likely no longer fit properly. The moment you notice any pain or soreness, or you have difficulty keeping your teeth in your mouth, make sure to call our office right away. Our team will help to either adjust or replace your dentures so that you can resume life as usual without significant interruption.

All-On-4 Dentures

When wearing All-On-4 dentures, it’s important that you adopt a solid routine when it comes to cleaning your mouth. Not only will you need to brush your teeth with a manual or electric toothbrush, but you’ll want to rinse using an antibacterial mouthwash. This helps to keep plaque and tartar at bay, while flossing, whether it is with traditional floss or a water irrigator, will help to reduce the potential for gum disease.

Factors That Affect the Cost of Dentures

When meeting with Dr. Beaty to discuss the possibility of dentures, he will consider three important factors that are commonly used to determine the cost of treatment:

• The materials used to create the base of your denture. Acrylic is most common, but the time it takes to create it must also be factored in.
• The materials used to create your artificial teeth, which are typically acrylic or porcelain.
• If you require preliminary treatments such as periodontal therapy or tooth extraction, as these will add to the total amount on your bill.

While it is true other dental professionals may offer dentures for cheaper, you must be careful when choosing your denture dentist in Federal Way. Why? Because less expensive doesn’t always mean better quality. When working with Dr. Beaty, you can trust that he will always use high-quality materials to create long-lasting prosthetics that offer a better quality of life.

Are Implant Dentures More Expensive?

Yes, it is true that implant dentures are more expensive up front; however, when you consider their longevity, stability, and optimal functionality, they are actually more cost-effective in the long run. These permanent prosthetics are surgically placed into your jawbone instead of sitting on top of your gums and requiring a dental adhesive to help hold them in place. Creating a solid foundation for your new smile, you will find they are much easier to clean and maintain, making for a much more enjoyable experience that can ultimately save you money.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Dentures?

Most dental insurance plans do provide some level of coverage for dentures. Because they are considered a necessity, your insurance carrier will likely agree to pay about 50% of the total cost. Of course, your annual maximum will be considered. If you’ve already used some of your yearly maximum this year, it’s unlikely your insurance company will pay a full 50%. No matter how your insurer plans to handle your treatment costs, you can count on our team to help you navigate the process and get the most out of your benefits while saving the most money.

Other Options for Making Dentures Affordable

To help make your dentures in Federal Way more affordable, Dr. Beaty and our team are pleased to provide two alternative ways to pay for treatment:

• Flexible Financing Through CareCredit: If you are eligible, you can apply for low or zero interest payment plans.
• Dental Savings Plan: Paying one low annual fee, you gain access to basic dental care and receive discounts on other available services without the unnecessary deductible, annual maximums, and waiting periods. This is a great option if you are uninsured.