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What Are Dentures?
Popular culture used to think of dentures simply as “false teeth” for people who are aging. But they aren’t and never have been for seniors alone.
In the United States, about 23 million people are edentulous (without teeth). Twelve million are edentulous in either their upper or lower dental arch (the curved structure connecting your teeth’s roots to your jawbone).
Missing teeth make for bad bites (malocclusions), which lead to speaking and chewing difficulties. The remaining natural teeth can shift. If they crowd together, they become harder to clean. If they move farther apart, they leave more space for food particles and bacteria to cause tooth decay and periodontal disease. Beyond oral health problems, missing teeth affect people’s smiles and self-esteem.
Dentures can benefit many people, regardless of age. Indeed, 90% of edentulous Americans have them, according to the American College of Prosthodontists.
Penn Dental Medicine (PDM) is a teaching clinic of a dental school clinic that produces dentures for patients in Philadelphia, its suburbs, and throughout the Delaware Valley.
- What Are Dentures?
- What Is the Difference Between Dentures and Implants?
- What Are the Benefits?
- What Can I Expect?
- How Do I Care for My Dentures?
- How Much Do Dentures Cost?
- How Do I Get Started?
Dentures are artificial teeth, usually made of acrylic resin. Some are made of porcelain.
Acrylic is stronger and easier to clean, weighs less, and tends to make for more affordable dentures. It does wear out faster than porcelain, and acrylic dentures need replacing every five to eight years. However, porcelain lasts only slightly longer—a decade at most. Your dentist or prosthodontist will tell you which type is your best option.
Full dentures completely replace teeth and gum tissue in one or both of the dental arches. Partial dentures replace fewer teeth.
PDM provides both types, using the highest quality materials and evidence-based techniques.
Dentures are removable replacement teeth, nonsurgically fitted to your mouth regardless of the amount of jawbone present. In contrast, dental implants are permanent replacement teeth surgically implanted into the bone.
To place dental implants, the dentist or prosthodontist first removes a damaged root. They then drill a hole in the bone for a titanium post. Once bone grows around the post, an abutment (extension) and crown (the artificial tooth) go on top of it.
Sometimes, implant-supported dentures—an appliance replacing many teeth at once and attached directly to the jawbone by implants—are appropriate. Only a dentist or prosthodontist can remove these.
Dentures can:
- Correct mild malocclusions, letting you speak clearly and eat normally.
- Close gaps between your teeth where food can lodge and bacteria can form.
- Restore your smile’s appearance, giving you greater comfort and confidence.
Your student doctor will:
- Extract any teeth that need removing.
- Make measurements and a mold (impression) of your remaining teeth.
- Order your dentures from the dental lab, where technicians will use the mold to create them.
- Fit them to your mouth, making adjustments once they are ready.
Care instructions can vary depending on whether your dentures are full or partial, and removable or implant-supported. Your student doctor will give you specific instructions.Basic care instructions for removable dentures include:
- Remove and rinse them after eating, handling them carefully.
- Clean your mouth after removing them.
- Brush them daily.
- Soak them overnight in water or a mild denture-soaking solution.
Basic care instructions for implant-supported dentures include:
- Brush them regularly.
- Remove all detachable elements and clean around attachments, artificial teeth, and gum areas.
- Remove them at night.
All patients need to schedule and keep regular dental appointments to catch and correct problems early, and to promote their optimal oral health.
Because PDM is a teaching clinic of a dental school that does dentures, you can expect to find affordable dentures. Our prices are 50%-70% less, on average, than private practices’ fees.
We accept direct payments from most dental insurance plans, including all Medicaid plans offered to Southeastern Pennsylvania residents. We also work with qualifying patients to arrange no- and low-interest, fixed-rate payment plans.
Schedule your appointment online now, or call us at 215-898-8965. At your initial consultation, we’ll discuss options with you and guide you through the next steps.
