The Actual Cost of Dentures

How much do dentures cost?  It depends on what part of the country you live in and the material from which they are made.  An upper or lower plate usually ranges anywhere from $300 to $500 while a set of upper and lower plates usually range from $600-$1000.  However, when looking at the cost of dentures, it is also important to consider the associated costs, especially the non-monetary cost!

Because dentures replace only the crowns of the teeth (and not the roots), the jawbones do not sustain the “healthy stress” that they receive when roots are in place (be they original tooth roots or artificial tooth roots.)  On the contrary, the jawbones receive the unhealthy stress of external pressure as it is applied through the gum tissue.  This causes the bones to melt away over time, which decreases the skeletal support of facial muscles and skin, leading to a prematurely “aged” appearance.  And of course, a jaw that has half the normal amount of bone is weaker and at higher risk for fracture.

Therefore, some of the most significant costs of wearing dentures are the accelerated loss of jawbone and the resulting premature aging of the face.  Of course there is also the compromise in food selection that becomes unavoidable with dentures, and the effect that this has on overall health.

As for monetary costs:  dentures do not provide a permanent replacement for missing teeth and over time may become chipped, cracked or simply wear out.  For this reason, they should be checked periodically and may need to be replaced multiple times over the span of a patient’s life. This can become costly both due to the cost of dental visits as well as the cost of replacing the dentures.

For dentures to adhere to a patient’s jaw, denture cream must be applied.  A 2.4- ounce tube of a leading brand of denture adhesive cream costs $5.29.  If you buy a tube a month, your annual cost would be over $63.00.  Over a 20-year period, your cost would be over $1,200.

Dentures also require regular cleaning.  A box of a leading brand of denture cleaner costs $6.79.  If you buy one box per month, your annual cost would be over $81.00.  Over a 20-year period, your cost would be over $1,600.

While the initial cost of dental implants are more than the initial cost of dentures, dental implants do provide a permanent solution to missing teeth and can easily last for the rest of a patient’s life.  In addition, dental implants require the same care as natural teeth and do not have associated costs such as dental adhesive creams and denture cleansers.

When making the important decision about whether to replace missing teeth with dentures or dental implants, it is also important to consider the costs associated with your overall health and nutrition.  Patients with dentures are often unable to properly chew and digest fiber-rich, nutrient dense foods.  As a result, they replace them with high carbohydrate foods that are easier to chew.  The result is a diet that is not balanced.  This can lead to obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

One of the most important things to consider when choosing a tooth replacement option is the affect on your overall quality of life.  Dental implants are a permanent tooth replacement system that enables patients to eat, chew, laugh, smile and speak with confidence.  This revolutionary breakthrough has dramatically increased the quality of life for many patients all over the world.  If you are missing teeth, talk to an Oral Surgeon today to decide which tooth replacement option is best for you.

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