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Cosmetic Dentures or False Teeth
Cosmetic dentures is a fact, which all of us may have to face in the future.
Loss of teeth is inevitable and the choice of good dental dentures is paramount.
Cosmetic dentures are not cheap. Prosthodontist can charge anything between $500-$2500.
You should research for good cosmetic dentists and prosthodontists. Equally, a choice of a solid dental insurance is also important.
In Australia, much of the cost is often covered. But there is always some cost which you pay out of your pocket.
Dental Dentures Types
There are two types of dental dentures:
- Removable partial dental dentures
- Complete dental dentures
The removable partial dentures are for patients who are missing some of their teeth.
The complete cosmetic dentures are for patients who lost all of their teeth.
For those who like history, the oldest useful complete denture was found in Japan. It was made from wood in 16th century.
The first porcelain complete cosmetic denture appeared in 1770. Today the material can be anything between acrylic resin and plastics.
Cosmetic Dentures - The Principle
Dental dentures are prosthetic devices which replace the missing teeth. They are supported by soft and hard tissue of oral cavity. Conventional cosmetic dentures are removable - thus these are often called "false teeth". The most expensive and useful are attached to dental implants The dental implants which support dental dentures are also known as dentures implants. Dentures implants can be costly ($3500-$8000) but they offer a comfort of real teeth. Cosmetic dentures are made for mandibular arch (lower teeth) or the maxillary arch (upper teeth). For complete dentures the patient needs both arches.
Denture Repairs
Denture repairs can be costly. In most cases you should consult your dentist before getting your dental denture repaired. Denture repairs services generally deal with following issues:
- Broken dental dentures
- Cracked dental dentures
- Cosmetic denture holes
- Worn denture teeth
For broken cosmetic dentures, all pieces must fit like a puzzle.
Here, the denture repair involves a special glue to attach pieces together.
Cracked dental dentures do not have separate pieces. In most cases cracked dentures are repaired the same way as broken ones.
Denture holes may be caused by changing shape of the oral cavity.
In this case denture holes must not be corrected until patients consult their dentist.
Similarly, worn dentures teeth require a visit to the dentist. In this case, teeth become worn because of the physical changes to oral cavity.
Only dentist should advice on how the denture should be fixed. Yes, it is a double cost but it is worth it.
Dentures Costs
Cosmetic dentures are not cheap.
Cosmetic dentist can charge anything between $300-$1200 per arch.
Prosthodontist fees are even higher: $500-$2500.
However, much of the dentures costs is covered by medical insurance. The rest is taken out of your pocket.
For denture repairs you do require a dentist consultation.
It is not a simple fix, but may require a partial or complete redesign of the dental denture.
Dentures implants are the most expensive.
Dental implants and their costs are discussed in other sections.
False Teeth or False Tooth
The term - false teeth - really refers to the removable dentures. Surprisingly, the word "false teeth" is widely accepted even by the dental literature.
The false tooth refers to a denture, which accommodates a single tooth. This type of denture is not common but available.
With the dentures implants, the term false teeth is misleading. This time dentures are permanently attached, looking and feeling like real teeth.
Dentures implants also remove the nasty stereotype of older people. The jokes about false teeth, which refer to aged population will soon become part of history.