Laughter and a smile are some of the best things in life, yet they do not cost a penny. However, you need your pearly whites intact to smile or laugh with confidence. Sadly, people with missing teeth cannot afford a confident smile, but complete dentures can restore a patient's smile and laughter. Notably, the cost of full dentures depends on various factors. This post explores critical factors that determine the cost of complete dentures.

Possible Tooth Extractions

Complete dentures are primarily suitable for patients with missing teeth on their entire lower or upper jaws. In such cases, a dentist makes a mould of a patient's gums and creates a complete denture. However, if a patient has a tooth or two still intact, a dentist must extract them to make way for a complete denture. Notably, a dentist cannot mould full dentures in patients with a standalone tooth. Since tooth extraction requires additional time and healing before dentures installation, the procedure costs more. However, complete denture installation that does not require tooth extraction costs less.

Type of Complete Dentures

Today, patients can choose from various complete dentures, including immediate/conventional dentures and implant-supported dentures. Immediate or conventional dentures are temporary and the least expensive because the installation procedure is straightforward. A denturist creates a mould of your gums and produces the dentures in a couple of days. In contrast, implant-supported complete dentures are anchored directly to the jawbone through a surgical procedure. Thus, it makes the installation of implant-supported dentures a complicated and costly procedure. In addition, implant-supported dentures are permanent, which adds to the cost. Therefore, it is advisable to understand the cost implication of each denture type before deciding on which one to install.

Follow-Up Appointments

Your gums' structure gradually changes as you age. In this regard, complete dentures might require occasional adjusting for optimal performance. However, it regards temporary dentures because they are prone to shifting. Consequently, you might have to incur additional expenses to adjust temporary dentures during follow-up appointments. Although permanent dentures might initially seem expensive, follow-up costs are significantly reduced. For instance, follow-up adjustments are unnecessary with permanent complete dentures. It is because the implants are fused to the jawbone, holding the dentures in place through the years. Besides, permanent dentures are low maintenance because they do not stain easily. Therefore, the initial high cost of permanent dentures is offset by longevity and low maintenance requirements.