Dentures in Tucson, AZ
Restore Your Full, Beautiful Set of Teeth
Whether you’re missing some, most, or all of your teeth, we have various options for dentures in Tucson that allow you to enjoy a complete, beautiful smile once more. Dr. Jay Lopez is a highly trained dentist who gets to know you, understanding your needs and smile goals. He takes pride in providing his patients with lifelike dentures that better their lives. Read on to learn more about dentures and the benefits they bring.
Why Choose Jay R. Lopez, DDS, PC for Dentures?
- Advanced Technology for Precise Treatments
- Experienced Dentist & Team
- Lifelike, Durable Restorations
Who's a Good Candidate for Dentures?
Virtually anyone can get dentures regardless of how many teeth they’ve lost. Of course, as with any kind of dental treatment, the only way to know for sure that you’re eligible for dentures is to speak with your dentist. Remember, even if you can’t currently receive dentures, you may be able to become a candidate after taking whatever steps are necessary to restore the overall health of your gum tissue and the underlying jawbone.
Effects of Missing Teeth
When considering your candidacy for dentures, it’s important to remember the consequences of missing teeth. There’s more at stake than just appearances; an incomplete smile can affect your health and quality of life in a variety of ways. For example, any remaining teeth will start to shift out of their proper position, which can change the alignment of your bite and make chewing more difficult. You may also have trouble pronouncing certain words.
Furthermore, without a full set of teeth, your self-esteem will likely suffer, and you may have a hard time smiling in front of others. In short, you don’t want to leave the space in your mouth empty for too long. Any missing teeth should be replaced as quickly as possible, and dentures can be a great way to do that.
What Qualifies You for Dentures?
You are likely a candidate for dentures if:
- You have experienced significant tooth loss.
- You have multiple badly decayed or damaged teeth that need to be removed.
- You have a healthy jawbone and gum tissue that can support dentures.
- You are able and willing to take care of your dentures in the long term.
Remember that there are multiple kinds of dentures that you can get depending on your situation, including full dentures, partial dentures, and implant dentures. We’ll determine which kind is right for you at your initial consultation.
Alternative Tooth-Replacement Options
If there’s anything that might make you a less-than-ideal candidate for dentures, there are still other tooth replacement options that you can consider:
- Dental Bridge: A bridge is made up of two crowns and a number of replacement teeth. It’s often an ideal choice for patients who have only lost one tooth or a few teeth in a row. However, to receive a bridge, you need healthy teeth adjacent to the gap in your smile.
- Dental Implants: Dental implants are versatile and can be used to support a wide variety of restorations, including dentures. In order to get dental implants, you need to have sufficient bone density in your jaw. Compared to traditional dentures, dental implants do carry a higher cost, but the tradeoff is that they can last for decades with the right care. And since dental implants stay firmly in your jaw at all times, you won’t have to worry about your new teeth slipping.
Types of Dentures
We offer 3 different types of dentures, which is why an initial consultation is so important. Our dentist in Tucson will carefully examine your mouth and review your past medical history before recommending the best solution for you. Here are our amazing options for dentures:
Partial Dentures
A partial denture is made up of a base that is attached to artificial teeth. We customize partial dentures to match the needs of our patients. It can be difficult to eat and speak with spaces throughout your mouth, however partial dentures can restore your missing teeth while leaving the rest of your natural smile intact.
Full Dentures
Full dentures are designed to replace an entire arch of teeth. They are typically made of acrylic, comprised of a gum-colored base attached to prosthetic teeth. They rest on top of the gums and remain stable with suction or denture adhesive. We custom fit dentures to ensure that they are comfortable to wear as well as natural looking.
Implant Dentures
If patients are looking for a more permanent, strong option, implant dentures are perfect. Dr. Lopez combines dental implants with dentures to provide ultimate stability, function, and confidence. Dental implants are rooted in the jaw, keeping the denture stable while providing a number of amazing health, lifestyle, and aesthetic benefits.
The Benefits of Dentures
We offer dentures because of their many advantages when it comes to replacing teeth, including:
- Our dentures are custom made for ultimate comfort and personalization.
- We create dentures to look beautiful and lifelike.
- Dentures allow you to eat a more nutritious and varying diet, which improves overall health.
- Dentures are a cost-effective and reliable tooth replacement solution.
- Full dentures are removable, making them easy to clean and maintain.
- Replacing your smile with dentures prevents your cheeks from looking hollow.
Understanding the Cost of Dentures
Cost shouldn’t stand in the way between you and a healthy and functional smile, which is why our team at Jay R. Lopez, DDS does everything we can to help. Dentures in Tucson are a tried-and-true treatment that countless patients turn to in order to restore their smiles and eat and speak with ease again. During your initial consultation, Dr. Lopez will ask you some questions to better understand your desires and unique oral needs, and based on that, our team will outline a treatment plan for you so you know exactly what to expect throughout the process, including details on pricing.
Factors That Affect the Cost of Dentures
There are several different factors that can impact the cost of your restorations, including:
- Whether you choose to have them retained by dental implants
- Any preparatory work needed, like tooth extractions or gum disease therapy
- What types of materials you choose to have your dentures crafted from
- How many teeth you’re missing and whether you require full or partial dentures
We encourage all of our patients to keep an open mind during the consultation process as we walk you through all of your options, because it’s not always the case that the cheapest option will be the best one for you.
Are Implant Dentures More Expensive?
It’s true that implant dentures have a higher up-front price tag, but many patients will agree that they’re well worth the initial investment. Not only do they look and feel completely natural, as well as prevent jawbone deterioration, but they also have the ability to last for over 30 years, which is four times the average lifespan of traditional dentures. Because of this, implant dentures in Tucson are a better long-term investment in your self-esteem, oral health, and wallet.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Dentures?
In many cases, dental insurance policies do cover a portion of the cost of dentures in Tucson. However, it’s important to keep in mind that every plan differs, so in order to determine the details of your coverage, it’s best to contact them directly. That being said, some plans may cover up to 50% of the cost, while others may cover more or less. Dr. Jay Lopez is also an in-network provider with several major PPO plans, including BlueCross BlueShield, and Aetna—allowing you to save more if your plan is partnered with our practice.
Options to Make Dentures More Affordable
In addition to being an in-network provider for many dental insurance plans, we also offer an in-house membership plan and additional financing to help you pay for dentures. Through our membership plan, you can save up to 15% off of your treatment, and with financing through CareCredit, you can separate the cost of your treatment into six or 12 months at little to no interest. To learn more about the options we offer, please give our team a call!
Denture FAQs
Getting dentures in Tucson is quite a change, but you’ll have Dr. Lopez to help you through the initial process as well as the adjustment period. If at any point you find that you have questions, call us immediately; we’re always happy to help! Below are the answers to some common questions that people tend to ask when getting dentures for the first time. If there’s something specific that you want to ask that you don’t see covered here, reach out to us today.
Should I Have All My Teeth Pulled to Get Dentures?
Saving a tooth is always preferable to replacing it, even when the tooth in question is damaged. So if there are still healthy teeth in your mouth, we may recommend more conservative treatment options. However, we can extract your remaining teeth to place full dentures if we deem that doing so is necessary, which is usually the case for teeth that are too badly decayed, infected, or broken to be saved. Extractions may also be a viable option if all of the teeth in an arch have become decayed or infected due to gum disease. No matter the situation, though, we’ll consider every option before we recommend extractions for dentures.
What is the Average Age for Dentures?
Tooth loss is actually related to oral health, not age, so it’s completely possible to keep your natural teeth for the rest of your life. That being said, it’s a fact that tooth loss is more common among older patients; nearly two-thirds of adults between the ages of 40 and 64 are missing a tooth, while the same is true for only around a third of adults between ages 20 and 39. This means that patients over the age of 40 are more likely to need dentures. It’s worth noting, however, that people of all ages can potentially be candidates for dentures.
Will It Hurt to Get Dentures?
Some people need to have teeth extracted before they get dentures, which means they’ll have to experience the usual discomfort that occurs after oral surgery. As for the dentures themselves, they may irritate the inside of your mouth, but this is only temporary until your mouth adjusts. It sometimes takes months, but rest assured that the discomfort will fade if you continue to wear your dentures consistently.
What Can’t You Eat with Dentures?
When you’re learning how to eat with dentures, there are some foods you should stay away from or at least exercise caution around, such as:
- Sticky foods (peanut butter, gummy candies, etc.) that can pull your dentures out of place.
- Foods with small hard to chew pieces (popcorn kernels, shelled nuts, etc.) that could get stuck in your dentures or damage them.
- Certain hard foods (apples, corn on the cob, etc.) that could damage or dislodge your dentures.
- Tough meats (steak, pork chops, etc.) that require an excessive amount of chewing that could put excessive stress on dentures and gums.