Dentures: Benefits, Types And Costs (2024)

Contemporary dentures (commonly known as fake teeth) are custom built in a prosthodontics lab to fit an individual’s mouth. They come in full and partial forms that replace all or some missing teeth. Typically, the base or framework of the complete or partial dentures is made from a material such as acrylic resin, nylon, porcelain, resin or metal while false teeth are usually crafted from acrylic resin or porcelain. Partial dentures rest on remaining teeth and gums while full or complete dentures rest directly on the gums.

Another option you can opt for is implant-supported denture, which are anchored to abutments (metal connectors) atop two to six implant posts that are screwed into the jaws. Implant-retained dentures can be removable—the snap-in type—or permanent, whereas conventional full dentures always need to be taken out at night.

Partial dentures, which only replace a few missing teeth, also come in implant-supported and removable forms.

Dentures have an array of benefits for those who need them, and for the 36 million Americans missing teeth, those benefits include^[1]American College of Prosthodontists. Fact and Figures. Accessed 09/08/2021. :

• Making speech easier and clearer
• Improving nutrition by facilitating the ability to chew and swallow a variety of foods
• Replacing decayed teeth
• Preventing facial collapse—the sagging of facial skin that occurs as the jawbones and muscles deteriorate because of missing teeth
• Maintaining proper biomechanics of the head and neck

While dentures can be helpful for those who need them, they do not come without challenges and some can be significant. It pays, physically and financially, to keep natural teeth healthy for as long as possible.

“Even with good dentures, chewing efficiency is only 16% to 30% of what you can achieve with an intact natural dentition,” says American Dental Association (ADA) spokeswoman Judith A. Jones, D.D.S.

In terms of facial collapse, some jawbone resorption is inevitable, however, even with dentures. “You keep losing more and more bone under conventional dentures,” says John Minichetti, D.M.D., president of the American Board of Oral Implantology.

Dentures come in a variety of forms intended to address different dental problems, ranging from a few missing teeth to an entire mouthful. Options include:

• Immediate dentures are full dentures used as a stopgap while the mouth heals from tooth extractions. These dentures are manufactured and fitted to the patient. As the mouth heals and changes, patients will work with their prosthodontist to monitor fit and comfort while soft re-liners are used as a cushion to improve comfort, promote faster healing and gum conditioning. Some immediate dentures can be re-fitted and relined with soft than harder materials for long-term wear.
• Full dentures (or complete) dentures replace all the teeth in the mouth and are hard, often acrylic, plates with false teeth attached to them. These dentures fit over the gums and on the upper jaw, the acrylic base can also cover the palate. Full dentures must be removed and cleaned carefully at night.
• Snap-in dentures are removable dentures that attach to implant posts in the jaw. These are considered implant-retained dentures and are more stable and comfortable than conventional dentures. This technique also helps maintain bone health in the jaws and makes implant-retained dentures more stable and comfortable than conventional dentures. In the upper jaw, snap-in dentures don’t cover the palate, an advantage for both speech and taste.
• Fixed dentures rely on implants to hold them in place. One type of fixed denture is the trademarked All-on-4, which typically uses four implant posts and abutments to permanently anchor a full-arch bridge (that’s eight implants total for upper and lower dentures).
• A partial removable denture, or a removable bridge, attaches to neighboring teeth with metal hardware that you can unclip yourself. These are typically used for patients who have some missing teeth, but do not need full dentures.
• A partial fixed denture, also known as a fixed bridge, is anchored to the remaining healthy teeth for support and can fill a gap left by two or three missing teeth. It differs from a partial removable denture because it can only be removed by cutting it off with burs by a dentist.

It can be difficult to get a clear cut answer on how much dentures cost.

“Dentures vary greatly in quality,” says Roger Levin, D.D.S., CEO of the Levin Group, Inc., a dental-management consultancy based in Owing Mills, Maryland. “Higher fees usually reflect a better quality [fabrication] lab and better materials. The old adage that ‘you get what you pay for’ applies here.”

Additionally, the pre-denture procedures each person requires will vary—some people may need multiple teeth extracted or even bone grafts done (for implant-retained false teeth) before dentures are made. “It usually takes four or five visits to get dentures,” says Dr. Jones, who is also a professor at the University of Detroit Mercy in Detroit, Michigan. “And you’ll need one or two follow-ups. It’s a six-month process.” Most dentists or implantologists will do the job from start to finish, although some may send patients to an oral surgeon for extractions.

Average costs nationwide for various denture types vary widely, but recent industry figures indicate that they can range from just under $2,000 for partial dentures, to all the way up to $55,000 for upper and lower All-on-4 dentures.

Intraoral digital scanning, which substitutes regular tray impressions (molds), and 3D printing technology that’s applied to the fabrication of dentures have been studied, developed and applied more and more. These new technologies and fabrication processes can potentially reduce treatment time and cost.

Basic Medicare (Parts A and B) supplied by the federal government, does not pay for dental care. However, add-on Medicare Advantage plans (Part C) frequently pay for all or part of full dentures, so look carefully when deciding about supplemental Medicare options.

You can use funds from health reimbursem*nt accounts (HRAs), health savings accounts (HSAs) and flexible spending accounts (FSAs) for reimbursem*nt of dentures and implants, but keep good records in case of audits.

If you have private dental insurance, many plans pay half the total cost of dentures. Some plans still deem implants as non-covered “cosmetic” treatments, but that is increasingly changing.

Because every plan is different, make sure you check with your insurance provider or administrator before you begin the procedures to understand exactly what costs you will be responsible for. Discuss all anticipated costs with your dentist beforehand to understand the total amount you will be billed.