The cost of dentures varies significantly depending on many factors, and you may see tangible deviations in your local dental office.
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First, What is a Denture?
A denture is a removable dental prosthesis, which is designed for replacing natural teeth. It is usually made of acrylic and plastics, although there are models that utilize metals (metal-cast dentures) and other materials.
The earlier versions of these prostheses were made of ivory, bronze, teeth of deceased animals and sometimes the teeth of human beings. They are still used today despite the existence of such alternatives as dental bridges and dental implants.
But Why Dentures?
One aspect that makes these prostheses so attractive is their low cost. Indeed, the relatively low cost of dentures is the only reason why they are sometimes referred to other types of false teeth (implants and bridges). In other words, dentures are an excellent alternative for people who are financially limited and can’t afford the more expensive treatments.
Do consult with your dentist (preferably, a cosmetic dentist with good artistic vision, if you do care about the looks of your fake teeth) to learn if dentures are an appropriate solution for your dental problems or not.
How Much Do Dentures Cost?
Right, so how much do dentures cost? As we’ve said, the cost of these prostheses varies as it depends on many factors. Some dentures cost only several hundred dollars, and some dentures cost up to ten thousand dollars and above, so you can’t say the exact numbers here.
Let’s say that we want to categorize the cost of dentures according to their quality:
- 1)Expect to pay 200-400 dollars for the lowest-quality dentures (these offers are actually pretty rare, but now you know that there are dentures that cheap). This applies for both removable and full dentures. A denture like that (most probably dental flippers) usually does not last very long or look very good, but it can act as a temporary replacement for your teeth.
- 2)The average cost of right quality dentures is 800 – 1500 dollars for removable dentures, and 1000-2000 dollars for full dentures.
- 3)The highest-end dentures, both full and partial, will cost 2000 dollars or above. These provide the best retention, durability, and aesthetic qualities. Do note that some dentists will even charge a five-figure sum for their dentures!
We recommend that you take your time to find an excellent cosmetic dentist, or a prosthodontist, who does not overcharge for his services as getting dentures from a lousy dentist will ensure unnecessary problems later on. By the way, do note that we list the cost of dentures without insurance. Also, such procedures like anesthesia and extraction of teeth are not included in the prices, so keep that in mind, too.
The Determining Factors of the Dentures’ Costs
One factor that influences the cost of dentures is the type and the design of the dentures.
You can categorize dentures not only by whether they are complete or partial but also by the materials that they are made of – acrylic based dentures, dental flippers, flexible framework dentures, cast metal dentures, etc..
Depending on which type the denture is offered, the prices will be different. The numbers that you see below were taken not from any specific dental office in the US (well, American dentists never disclose their prices openly, anyway), but from a comparison list between the cost in Mexican dental office and in the US dental offices.
- Immediate Acrylic Full Denture – $820
- Immediate Acrylic Partial Denture – $820
- A Dental Flipper – $635
- Metal Frame Partial Denture – $1580
- A Partial Denture, Flexible Framework – $1790
- A High-Quality Full Denture per one arch – $1995
Again, this short price list does not represent the prices in any particular state, but more like the average cost of dentures across the country.
Another factor is the location of your dentist, as in, which city you are getting treated at – the difference between the dentistry prices in one region of the USA and the prices in another area can be very tangible. For example, expect much higher prices in Beverly Hills and Manhattan than in Houston or Austin. In general, the NE region of the US is generally more expensive than any other region.
Another significant factor is how good the dentist is and how highly he values his time and skills. How a cosmetic dentist would charge higher cosmetic dentistry prices, a prosthodontist will also demand more money from patients who want his dentures. (This is also one of the reasons why some dentures are offered for ridiculously high prices.)
That, however, doesn’t mean that you should avoid expensive specialists – on the contrary, it is better to pay a bit more for a better quality denture than a bit less for a poor quality device that will need to be replaced very soon, anyway.