Dentures Cost Guide

A simple and easy to understand guide on how much you will pay for your denture treatment (prosthodontic treatment).

Factors that Affect the Dentures Cost

A. Number of missing teeth.
5 missing teeth > 3 missing teeth > 1 missing tooth.

The cost is higher for a denture replacing 5 missing teeth than a denture for 3 missing teeth.

B. Location of the missing teeth.
Missing anterior teeth > Missing posterior teeth.

A denture for anterior missing teeth is generally more expensive than a denture for posterior missing teeth.

C. Type of Denture
Fixed Denture > Removable Denture

Fixed denture cost is higher than removable denture cost.

D. Type of Support
Implant supported denture > Tooth supported denture > Tooth-tissue supported > Soft tissue suported

Implant supported denture is expensive because it requires precise fabrication.

E. Dental Bridge Cost: Type of Bridge
All-Ceramic bridge > Porcelain fused to metal bridge > Acrylic bridge with metal substructure > Acrylic bridge

All ceramic bridge is generally the most expensive type of bridge based on the material and technology used in denture fabrication.

F. Removable Denture Cost: Type of Retention
Implant retained removable denture > Precision attachment retained removable denture > Clasp retained removable denture > Soft tissue retained removable denture (good examples are: all acrylic partial denture and complete dentures)

Implant retained removable denture is more expensive than a precision attachment removable denture if you add the cost of the dental implant procedure.

G. Rigidity of Denture Framework
Flexible dentures > Dentures with cast metal framework > All acrylic dentures

Flexible dentures are more expensive than dentures with cast metal framework.

H. Location of the Dental Office
US and European countries > Asian Countries

Prosthodontic treatment in US and European countries is more expensive than Prostho treatment offered in Asian countries.

City > Province

High standard of living equals high cost of dental services.

I. Specialty of the dentist
Prosthodontist > General dentist

The cost of denture treatment coming from a general dentist is much lower than the cost of prosthodontic treatment from a prosthodontist.

J. Number of treating Dentists
Multi-specialty dental team > 1 dentist

A team of composed of different specialties will ensure a succesful prosthodontic treatment though the cost is much higher than the cost of prosthodontic treatment given by a general dentist.

J. Dental laboratory
Specialty dental lab > General dental lab

Dentures that are fabricated by a specialty dental lab is expensive but the quality is assured.

Additional Costs

Pre-prosthetic surgery
Bone graft.
Soft tissue graft.
Frenectomy.
Surgical removal of torus palatinus and lingual torus.
Surgical removal of epulis fissuratum.
Surgical removal of flabby tissue.

Prosthetics
Reline
Rebase

Pre-prosthetic surgeries, relines and rebases will have a bearing on the cost of prosthodontic treatment.

Sample Case

A simple and easy to understand case demonstrating how these factors affect the denture cost.

Case 1: Missing Upper Central Incisors were replaced by implant anchored CAD-CAM milled individual dental crowns.

Affordable Dentures

An affordable alternative treatment for this case is “an all acrylic removable partial denture” costing 0.5 percent of the total cost of “implant retained individual crowns“.

References
Nagle R, Sears V: Denture Prosthetics, Complete Dentures, 2nd ed. The CV Mosby Company US 1962
McGivney G, Carr A: McCracken’s Removable Partial Prosthodontics, 10th ed. Mosby Inc 2000

Photo Credit
Dental Implants Cost Guide – http://www.dentalimplantscostguide.org/

Written by:
Jesus Lecitona+, DMD, MScD-Prosthodontics
If you have questions, don’t hesitate to email me at: jes[at]lecitona.com