I didn’t want to hijack this, but I had a couple of related questions.
Until this thread I don’t recall ever hearing of permanent fixed dentures. What are they like? Do you ever take them out for cleaning or anything? Are they just like real teeth and you just brush and floss? What are they made of? Do they not have discoloration problems like real teeth? How are they affixed to the gum implants?
I have excellent dental insurance and no problems, but I understand most people in the US have fairly poor dental coverage. IIRC, Medicare has terrible coverage, even if you have one of the dental plans. How does an average family pay $40,000 for this? Dentists aren’t well known for payment plans, do you need all money up front?
I’m in the UK, so our wonderful NHS helps with medical bills.
I had acquired several tooth problems so my dentist offered me the choice of removable dentures or implants.
After discussing with friends I went for dentures - and they suit me really well!
I had a dental mould taken and that led to my dentures - which cover two groups of missing teeth (one 4; one two.)
They cost £700 (about $835), which I paid up-front.
The dentures:
are a mix of metal and plastic
are perfectly comfortable (and fit so well I don’t need adhesive)
are taken out at night and when I clean my original teeth
are cleaned with just water and a brush (supplied by my dentist)
look like real teeth (they haven’t discoloured after several months
My only concern is that I drop them - I can eat all my regular foods perfectly well.
I’ve had All-On-4 lower jaw for 1 year. You can do a search for All-On-4. The 4 refers to 4 implants (posts). There can also be 5 or 6 depending on the situation.
They are about as close to real teeth as you are likely to get as far as dentures go. They’re permanent. That is to say, they are fixed in your mouth. The denture is held in place screwed into titanium posts inserted into your jaw.
They are treated like real teeth. I brush them the same as my upper (real) teeth. I haven’t come across anything I can’t eat although it’s advised to avoid biting hard things such as almonds.
I revisit the prosthodontist annually. He has a special screwdriver to remove the denture for cleaning and measure for wear. Mine are ceramic and have a life expectancy of anywhere to about 7-15 years or so. Obviously this depends on the person, eating habits, grinding while sleeping etc. I was given a night guard to prevent grinding but don’t use it since I’m not a grinder. Dentures can also be made from porcelain, which is harder (may last longer) but is also heavier & more involved to repair should they chip or break.
I suppose they may discolor with coffee & so on. Same as real teeth. Why you get annual cleaning.
For flossing an oral irrigator works best. Waterpic is the big name but there’s loads of other brands. Search Amazon.
You don’t get food caught underneath as you do with a partial, removable denture. That alone is worth the cost. Most people with partials hate them.
There’s also a snap in & out version that’s cheaper.
I believe insurance would likely only cover regular old fashion dentures.
I would absolutely recommend. However it is somewhat of a journey to completion.
And yes, you get teeth the same day as extractions, as advertised. These are temporary dentures. Not the most comfortable but once you are able to eat other than soft food again (a week or so) they get you by until your gums have healed enough to accept your custom fitted final denture - typically 6 months. Expect to require fine adjustments to the final denture.
I also have 2 regular implants on the upper. Those are like real teeth and will likely never have to be removed, barring unexpected complications.
It’s not cheap. Some dentists arrange payment plans. I presume that would be not much different than car payments etc.
There’s some pain involved. Doctors like to say; “There could be some discomfort.”
I have two implants on top and two on the bottom that my dentures snap into. I take them out to clean, and often sleep in them although I should do that less often. Replacing all teeth with implants is expensive, time consuming, and painful. Bridges need more implants to hold but will be better for your gums, and I think can be snapped in and out also.
As a note for people new to dentures, it doesn’t always work out well at first, removing a lot of teeth leaves a mouth sensitive and causes it to change so getting a good fit for dentures initially is difficult. I’ve heard over and over an initial dentist getting the blame for uncomfortable dentures and then the next dentist praised for the new set he made or just a reline when the reality is that the patient’s mouth has healed and stopped changing shape so a close fitting comfortable denture can be made.
That’s about the cost for a tooth cleaning in the US. Just kidding. I think.
I think what you have we would call a partial or a bridge.
Thanks for all the info! Whenever I hear a doctor say discomfort, I always mentally prepare myself for a lot of pain.
I looked at some pics of the All On 4. Are the screws that the dentist uses to remove them visible? IOW, how does he access the screw?
First, welcome back! Noticed you’ve been missing.
Sounds like you are pretty happy with yours. No slippage problems with them popping out?
This is a bit like what happened to my dad 40+ years ago. His dentures were fine originally but after a couple of years he had some pain problems with his lower denture because of fit. Since we were dirt poor, no way was he getting a new set. If he hadn’t talked about the pain, I wouldn’t have known he had false teeth. I never once saw him without them.
It’s nice to know there are options other than old fashioned dentures that you put in a jar on your nightstand.
I lost all my left side teeth due to a car wreck.
As my jaw was severely fractured the replacement of teeth was not an easy procedure.
Now 10years later, they’ve been fine. I have them checked often and they do clean them.
I assume I’ll eventually have some sort of failure due to my jaw issues. Not looking forward to that.
So, IMO, permanent dentures are a good thing. They work and look decent.
No, no one can see them.
They’re inserted on the back side of the teeth/gum. They’re also countersunk, to use a woodworking term. The screws go in, then there’s plugs that go over top of the screw to cover them. The plugs will be even with the gum portion of the denture so it’s flush - smooth to the tongue. The screws are quite tiny.
I had a plug start to come out so had to make a quick trip back to the dentist. He replaced it in 5 minutes. I don’t think that happens often.
When removing the denture the dentist—prosthodontist in my case—first removes the plugs with one of his little pick thingy’s, then unscrews.
Personally I’m glad I went this route. It’s a lengthy procedure and expensive though.
I asked about the cost to replace the denture when it became too worn or for whatever reason. At that time I was told in the neighbourhood of $3,000. Of course I expect it to be more by the time I need replacement. Or who knows what might be available by that time. As mentioned previous the denture is expected to last 7 to 15 years or so.
It’s guaranteed for 3 or 5 years (i forget which) for any adjustment or other problem.
That was the driving factor. I wanted as real as possible. Definitely not something I’d have to dick around taking in & out. I’d also seen people avoiding certain foods with regular dentures.
Have a friend who used to work with a guy who had dentures that never fit. Always falling out. Turned out they came from a cadaver—yep, dead guy. My friend swears it’s a true story.
Thanks, this was exactly what I wanted to know. I had a chipped molar back when I was a kid and I couldn’t stop my tongue from playing with it all the time until it was fixed. It was like it had a mind of it’s own. If I knew I had screws/plugs I’d probably sprain my tongue feeling for them.
That’s impressive, even if you don’t get the full 15. Do you mind saying what percentage your insurance paid?
I have a retainer that was form fitted to my teeth but the orthodontist made it before my mouth healed from having my braces off and my gums shrank so much that it never fit right and I had to have teeth removed because they were being pushed out
Agreed. But no, you don’t feel them. And even if a plug were to come out and it was several days or so before you could get it replaced it’s not a big deal. They just fill a gap to smooth things out. But your tongue would absolutely find it
Zero. I don’t have dental insurance. But if I did it would likely have only paid the cost of regular (cheap) dentures, or a portion of it. Plus related, such as extractions etc.
Insurance payout also varies, depending on the coverage one selects. Some may get 60% refunded while others get 80% and some covers more procedures than others but I doubt any will give you dentures that cost several thousand when a set costing a few hundred will get you by. Dental cost can vary depending on the dentist.
I had extensive work done. Lower All-On-4, 2 upper (molar) implants. Upper also involved a sinus lift (bone graft) & gum graft. I required a dentist/implant specialist, periodontist & prosthodontist and was fortunate to find a large practice that had all specialties under one roof and highly recommended. And they did check in with one another so as to all be on the same page re my treatment.
Note that there are no doubt dentists out there that try to fill all these roles. Specialists do the extra schooling for a reason!
They had x-ray equipment but I did go to another location for specialty CT Scans. This was used to plot precise implant locations—don’t want to be drilling a hole where there shouldn’t be a hole.
Good fun.
Another note. I did look into Mexico with thoughts of saving money. After some research I selected a place and emailed quite extensively. They were very good & helpful and I don’t question well trained & capable.
However; it wouldn’t have worked. Mainly because too many visits are involved. In fairness, they had no way of knowing the extent of what was required. But even had it just been All-On-4 there’s bound to be additional visits for adjustments or who knows what. The additional transportation & accommodation would have wound up costing more.
Sucks. Just like plumbers & mechanics; there’s good & not so good. Often it’s a crap shoot.
So about six months from start to finish, but you are never without some kind of teeth? That actually sounds like a BIG improvement from the old days.
Ouch. I think that a lot of people don’t have good dental insurance simply because of the extra cost. Even if you can afford it, the coverage is often spotty and anything they deem cosmetic is right out.
No. What I said was you wait about 6 months for gums to heal after extractions & implants. There’s initial consult, x-rays, CT scans, adjustments. Figure roughly 8 months I guess. Mine took longer due to extra work & the pandemic had just begun and businesses closed for a time. There’s also time between adjustments. The denture might not feel bad in the clinic but after a couple hours, or days, something may start to nag at you. And if you’ve had a large gap (teeth missing & bone loss) for a long time it will take time for your mouth to adjust to having something there. That could take up to a few months.
No, you’re never without teeth.
When you select a dental clinic, go over all you asked here again with them. Guess that goes without saying
If you will end up with dentures they’ll make them to go in your mouth right after extractions. A temporary denture can be made but a complete denture can be adjusted along the way and relined if a lot of changes are required. The best dentist can’t guarantee a completely painless procedure. Rate the dentist by the final results, and only if you’ve followed instructions for proper healing. I can’t really remember having to get used to denture, I got my first one, a partial upper when I was 15, but it was uncomfortable and odd to have. But I got used to it after a while.
- I can eat all my regular foods perfectly well.
If I knew I had screws/plugs I’d probably sprain my tongue feeling for them.