Dentures – Fitchburg, MA
Regain a Confident,
Functional Smile
Teeth may be relatively small, but missing even one can make day-to-day life more challenging. If you’re missing most or all of your pearly whites, then you already know that tooth loss can take a big bite out of your ability to chew, talk, and smile with ease! Thankfully, at Super Dental of Fitchburg, we can help you regain a confident, functional smile with custom-made full or partial dentures. These classic restorations are more comfortable and more lifelike than ever before, and they can replace your missing teeth in just a few appointments. Give us a call today to schedule your next appointment and learn more!
Why Choose Super Dental of Fitchburg For Dentures?
- #1 Team of Experienced & Compassionate Specialists
- #2 High-Quality Materials for Beautiful, Long-Lasting Results
- #3 Convenient Location & Flexible Hours
Are Dentures Right for Me?
Dentures are designed for those suffering from moderate to severe tooth loss. If you still have some healthy teeth left, we may recommend a partial denture, which will fit into the gaps like a puzzle piece. Indiscreet wires or clasps wrap around your remaining teeth to help hold this restoration in place. For patients who are missing all their teeth, we will typically recommend a full denture, which is a full set of replacement teeth set into a gum-colored acrylic base. The base will fit snugly on top of the gums to create a natural suction to hold it in place as you eat, talk, and smile.
Most patients interested in dentures are good candidates. However, it’s important that your mouth is healthy before replacing your teeth. Oral health conditions like tooth decay and gum disease can make wearing dentures uncomfortable and put your oral health at risk. If you’re not a good candidate right away, don’t worry! We’ll be happy to help you overcome these issues with preliminary treatments and get ready for a new smile.
How Dentures Are Made
After you’ve attended your consultation and our team has had the chance to examine your smile, assess the extent of your tooth loss, and determine which type of denture you might benefit from, it’s time to create your custom-made restoration! Dentures are designed exclusively for your smile, which means there’s a bit of work that goes into crafting them. Understanding how they’re made will only help you appreciate your new smile that much more. Here’s a closer look at this process.
What Are Dentures Made Of?
Dentures are comprised of two main parts: the base, which rests against your gums, and the artificial teeth. Here’s a closer look at each of these components:
- Denture base – This is the foundation of your restoration, and it’s what gives your artificial teeth support. It can be made from a variety of materials including acrylic, resin, or nylon, all of which can be made to match the surrounding gum tissue. Full dentures are often made from acrylic since the material looks very similar to natural gum tissue. Partial dentures normally incorporate metal clips into their acrylic bases.
- Artificial teeth – The replacement teeth are attached to the denture base and placed in precise locations, depending on the patient’s tooth loss. These teeth are usually made from resin or porcelain since they need to look and feel as natural as possible, not to mention, be durable enough to withstand daily tasks.
The Denture Creation Process
There’s a bit that goes into the process of making dentures; after all, they need to be highly personalized for your smile! Here’s a closer look at the main steps:
- Impressions are carefully taken of your gums to create a replica of your mouth’s interior. This is what separates our dentures from store-bought one-size-fits-all dentures; they’re made to match the precise contours of your oral anatomy.
- This mockup of your mouth is sent to a dental laboratory, where it’s used to create a wax model of your gumline. The replacement teeth are then attached.
- This model is placed in a flask that’s filled with plaster to maintain its shape. It’s then placed in hot water to boil away the wax portions, leaving a working model.
- Holes are drilled into the artificial teeth and acrylic is injected into the flask to replace the wax.
- The plaster is carefully removed, and any excess acrylic portions are shaved away.
- Finally, the denture is polished, trimmed, and adjusted as needed to ensure that once it’s delivered to you, it fits perfectly and looks great!
Adjusting To Your New Dentures
It’s very common for patients to experience some minor discomforts after they’ve received their new dentures, and you shouldn’t feel defeated if this happens to you; things will improve with time! During your adjustment period, you should stick to a diet of soft foods and liquids, slowly working your way up to harder foods as you grow more comfortable. Likewise, be sure you’re practicing speaking to get the hang of it and provide your facial muscles with exercise. Of course, you’ll also have to adjust to regularly cleaning your dentures – doing so will ensure they serve you correctly for years to come. If your discomfort continues to linger after the initial adjustment phase, don’t hesitate to give us a call so that we can help; it might be a sign that your denture isn’t fitting correctly.
The Benefits of Dentures
Whether you’re missing several teeth, one arch, or even both arches of your pearly whites, you probably know just how cumbersome daily tasks like eating, speaking, and even smiling can be. Dentures have assisted countless generations of patients with tooth loss, and today they remain one of the most popular solutions to the issue—and it’s pretty easy to see why! By choosing to restore your teeth with dentures, you’ll be able to show off a confident grin that doesn’t just look beautiful, but also functions optimally. Here are just a few of the several benefits that dentures in Fitchburg have to offer!
Psychological Benefits
Your teeth aren’t solely tools for biting and chewing—they’re a source of pride and confidence! Losing any number of pearly whites can have a major impact on your self-esteem, as well as your quality of life. Many who suffer tooth loss end up experiencing an increased risk of issues including social anxiety, sadness, depression, or even anti-social tendencies. By renewing your smile with dentures, you won’t have to worry about the way you talk, laugh, or grin, and you’ll be able to eat virtually anything with unparalleled confidence; dinner dates and parties will seem lively once more, and you won’t hesitate to grin any time someone pulls out a camera!
Clearer Enunciation
It’s easy for us to take our ability to speak for granted—and our teeth play a pivotal role in dictation and enunciation. Your lips and tongue interact with your teeth to make certain sounds and control the amount of airflow within your mouth. If you have missing teeth, there’s a good chance that you might encounter varying levels of difficulty when it comes to conversing with others. However, upon receiving dentures, once you’ve made it through the initial adjustment period, you’ll be able to speak, whisper, or shout with clarity and ease!
Improves Nutrition
Tooth loss poses numerous problems when it comes to one’s diet and ability to eat; simply put, you cannot bite, tear, shred, and grind food sufficiently without all your teeth! This can lead to issues that directly affect your nutrition, such as malnutrition or indigestion. By returning your smile to a complete state with dentures, you’ll regain your ability to eat and absorb the nutrients that your body needs to remain well. You’ll be able to eat all of those hearty, healthy fruits and vegetables that keep you in tip-top shape!
Preserves Oral Health
When you’re missing teeth, your livelihood isn’t all that’s at stake—your entire oral wellness could become compromised! If you have gaps in your grin, the remaining teeth can slowly begin shifting out of place and leaning towards the gaps, to the point where they eventually fall out themselves. Without your natural teeth providing stimulation to your jawbone, bone resorption is a very real possibility. But with dentures, you can enjoy a complete smile that isn’t threatened by these issues.
Expands Opportunities
Your smile is often the most crucial component of any first impression, since it’s usually the very first thing that strangers will notice when they see you. This means that during job interviews, social gatherings, first dates, or any other time you’re in public, your smile is a priceless asset. For this reason, dentures can quite literally expand your career opportunities, enhance your personal relationships and open up doors you never even knew existed!
Understanding the Cost of Dentures
Are you interested in learning about the cost of dentures in Fitchburg? For a specific price, the best thing to do is schedule a consultation with our team. After all, each restoration is 100% personalized to each patient’s unique dental needs and smile goals. Until your appointment, however, you can learn more general information about the price right here.
Factors That Affect the Cost of Dentures
As previously mentioned, dentures aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Our denture dentists in Fitchburg, will first need to learn more about your dental needs and smile goals. That includes assessing the severity of your tooth loss, determining if any preliminary treatments are needed, and finding out which material is best for your restoration.
Are Implant Dentures More Expensive?
Typically, yes. That’s because implant dentures require oral surgery to place the roots of the implant directly into your jawbone. Before you let the higher cost deter you, it’s important to consider all of the benefits this innovative tooth-replacement solution offers. For example, while traditional dentures can last for around a decade, implant dentures can last for 20+ years with proper care. Plus, dental implants preserve your jawbone and provide added stability. So, make sure to talk to your dentist about each of your options in-depth.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Dentures?
It’s possible! However, we won’t know until we take a look at your benefits. It’s possible that your dental insurance provider will cover a portion of any preliminary treatments, the dentures themselves, or both. Don’t worry – our team has extensive experience working with dental insurance companies. So, we can help you understand the cost and your benefits in an easy, straightforward way.
Other Options for Making Dentures Affordable
Uninsured? Don’t let that stop you from getting dentures in Fitchburg. Our team has another financial solution: CareCredit. This third-party financier offers several payment options so you don’t have to pay for your treatment in one lump sum. Instead, you can determine your monthly budget and pick a payment plan that suits your finances best! If you want to learn more about this financial solution, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team.
Denture FAQs
Can I Use Regular Toothpaste to Clean My Dentures?
Regular toothpaste isn’t recommended because it contains abrasive ingredients that can leave behind scratches. Although microscopic, they can make your restoration look more brittle and dull over time, which is why it’s best to use a mild hand soap or dishwashing liquid instead. You can also buy specialized denture cleaners – just make sure to talk to your dentist about which one they recommend.
Why Do My Dentures Smell?
If your dentures are starting to smell, your oral hygiene regimen may be to blame. In addition to brushing and flossing daily, you should be cleaning your restoration after each meal (or every morning and evening, if that’s not possible). It’s also a good idea to take a look at your diet. If you eat lots of garlic, fish, and onions, then try opting for less pungent foods for a bit and see if that helps. If it feels like you’ve tried everything and you cannot pinpoint what the root of the problem is, then reach out to our Fitchburg dental team to schedule an appointment.
Should I Have All My Teeth Pulled to Get Dentures?
We do not recommend having healthy teeth pulled for the sake of your dentures. We do, however, recommend having your teeth removed if they are damaged to the point where saving them is no longer an option. If you’re unsure whether or not having one or more of your teeth extracted is necessary, don’t worry – we will conduct a comprehensive oral exam at your consultation to determine the answer.
Is It Hard to Talk with Dentures?
In the beginning, you can expect a bit of a learning curve. After all, your tongue needs some time to adjust to the presence of your dentures! Fortunately, you can speed up the adjustment period with plenty of practice. So, read out loud when you can, talk to a trusted friend in person or over the phone, and repeat any difficult words you come across. Remember to be patient with yourself in the process. It may take some time and dedication, but you’ll be adjusted to life with dentures in no time.
What Can’t You Eat with Dentures?
One of the biggest perks of dentures is that they can restore some of your bite strength. That said, you can’t eat anything and everything. Gummy candies are a great example of a food you should avoid because their sticky consistency can tug on your restoration, and they lack nutritional value. We also recommend steering clear of extremely crunchy foods, like raw nuts and hard pretzels, since they require extensive chewing power.
Can I Sleep with My Dentures?
Sleeping with your dentures is not recommended. After all, your gums need time to rest, and wearing them 24/7 can result in soft tissue irritation. Plus, the evenings are the perfect time to soak your restoration in a dentist-recommended cleaner. That way, they are fresh and clean come morning!