Smiling may be one of the things you frequently do each day. Sometimes, you smile when you’re content or engaging in social activities like meeting new people. However, how confident are you about your smile? Can you smile without any worries at all? If not, that’s probably because of some teeth missing.
Teeth loss is often a result of dental extraction due to some issues, such as diseases, trauma, and infections. In some cases, aging is the reason people eventually lose their teeth. Nonetheless, you need a perfect solution to replace your missing teeth—a denture.
A denture is one of the solutions your dentist will recommend to fill in the gaps caused by missing teeth. It’s a removable prosthetic dental device developed to replace lost teeth so you can chew food easily and smile confidently.
If you’re in need of expert denture care and solutions, look no further than DentureRescue.com for valuable resources and assistance.
If you think you need one right now, check out the dentures from Dentex Dental or your local dental clinics. Also, check the prices and plans they offer and see if it fits your budget since dentures aren’t cheap—they usually cost more than USD$1,000.
Besides, you’ll need to prepare yourself, especially when getting dentures for the first time. Below is a guide that may help you, so read on to learn more.
What Should You Do To Prepare For Your First Set Of Dentures?
The things you need to do before getting dentures are as follows:
- Find The Right Dentist
Do you feel anxious when visiting your dentist? If so, you’ll probably avoid going to your dentist. However, regular dental checkups are necessary to maintain healthy teeth and prevent dental problems, such as gum disease and other health risks.
In that case, you’ll need to look for a dentist you can trust and be comfortable with. But how? Follow the tips below to find the right dentist for you.
- Ask For Referrals: Ask your family and friends if they know a dentist you can trust. Also, don’t forget to ask about their experience with that dentist so you can decide properly.
- Take A Look At Their Credentials: If you have someone in mind but aren’t sure about them, check their credentials to see if they’re a good choice.
- Read Reviews: Take a look at some reviews from their previous patients. This will help you understand if you can trust your oral health to them.
Do these tips, and you’ll find the right dentist that can produce the dentures you need.
- Identify If You Need Complete Or Partial Dentures
There are two types of dentures you need to know before getting one: complete and partial. This step is important because it can affect your decision later on, especially when it comes to financial aspects.
Complete dentures are highly recommended for people who have lost most of their teeth—upper arch, lower arch, or both arches. Partial dentures, on the other hand, will only be prescribed if there are still natural teeth left behind—hence the name.
When it comes to cost, complete dentures are more expensive than partial ones. This is because they replace all your missing teeth, requiring more materials than partial dentures. On average, full dentures can cost around USD$1,000-8,000, while partial dentures can cost USD$650-$2,500.
- Check Your Insurance Coverage
As you know, dentures don’t come at cheap prices. It can be very expensive depending on your needs. If you don’t have enough funds to pay for your dentures, there’s one thing you might need to check—your dental insurance policy.
If you have applied for dental insurance, ask your provider if your policy covers dentures. You may be entitled to receive 50-100% of the total cost because dentures are considered one of the major dental operations.
- Prepare A Healthy Mouth
Before receiving your first set of dentures, your mouth should be as healthy as possible. This will promote the healing process of your gums and sensitive tissues due to teeth removal.
Here are some tips to follow to ensure a healthy mouth:
- Avoid smoking as it leaves chemical residues in your mouth that can prevent the healing process. Also, it’s bad for your overall health.
- Eat healthy foods for nutrients that speed up the healing process, such as a wide range of vitamins and minerals.
- Eat soft foods to avoid having sore and painful spots on your gums. Such foods can also accelerate the healing process.
If your gums and tissues aren’t fully healed yet, the dentures you fit may not actually fit later on once they heal. That’s why most dentists recommend a healing process that takes around six to eight weeks after all teeth have been removed.
- Check Your Mental Health
Getting a denture can cause significant changes in your life. Such changes may affect your mental and emotional health, so make sure you’re mentally healthy before receiving yours.
Here are some tips to help you prepare yourself mentally:
- Be Patient: The healing process takes time, so you have no choice but to be patient until all your gums and tissues are healed. Ask your dentist about the things you can do while waiting for your gums to recover, and make sure to follow them.
- Learn How To Adjust: Ask your dentist for strategies to help you adjust. These may include singing while taking a bath and reading books aloud. This will help build confidence as you receive and wear your new dentures.
- Check Your Social Well-Being
People will surely make a compliment about your new look, but are you prepared to receive them? Here are some tips to help you become socially positive:
- Learn To Smile: This will help you accept all the positive things people will throw at you once they notice the revival of your beautiful smile. Also, did you know that those who smile are often perceived as intelligent individuals?
- Learn How To Be Grateful: When you receive good things from others, learn how to respond with gratitude. Always say thank you and give them compliments in return.
Follow these two simple tips to accept compliments nicely and generate a positive and healthy conversation.
Final Words
Getting a denture is life-changing. That’s why it’s important to be prepared when you receive them. Be sure to find the right dentist, learn the types of dentures suitable for you, check your finances, stay as healthy as possible, and check your mental and social well-being. Also, don’t forget to follow the tips in each section to prepare you completely.
When you’re ready to get your dentures, check out this dentist who offers services such as partial and full dentures, braces, and Invisalign in Williamsburg.