FAQ
This is probably one of the most asked questions; however, it is not the easiest to answer. Just as each of our patients is unique, so are the options for their denture care. The only way for us to give you an accurate price is to have you come in for a No-Charge Consultation so that the denturist can do an evaluation and assess your specific needs. We will give you a written Treatment Plan with exact treatment and costs.
You should clean your dentures daily with a soft brush and a professional denture cleaner like Denture Brite™. Never use toothpaste! It is too abrasive for the acrylic part of the denture.
How to use Denture Brite™:
- Fill the denture bath about 3/4 full with warm water
- Add ¼ – ½ teaspoon Denture Brite™ – it will dissolve
- Soak denture for 10-20 minutes (or longer for stubborn stains)
- Rinse denture well before inserting into your mouth
- You do not need to change the solution every day. Changing it every 4-5 days is sufficient & the cleaner lasts longer.
- Important: Dentures with a soft inner liner and partial dentures should not be soaked for more than 20 minutes per soaking
- If you DO NOT wear your dentures at night, soak in plain water overnight
- Do not use Denture Brite™ on appliances containing gold
- We sell Denture Brite™ at both of our offices for $10 per bottle
We accept cash, check, cashier’s check, VISA, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, and Care Credit as forms of payment. Please call our office for more information on Care Credit and plans available through our office.
An ideal way to find out if your insurance covers a specific treatment is to bring in your insurance card and relevant information (i.e. employer, subscriber ID number, subscriber name, etc.) to our office so that we can submit a preauthorization to find out what your insurer will cover. The insurer is allowed up to 30 days to respond to that request. Once we hear from your insurer, we will call you with details.
We have six stages to create a new set of replacement full dentures:
- Preliminary impressions
- Final impressions
- Bite appointment or intra-occlusal tracing
- Wax try-in and possibly additional Retry appointments, as needed
- Finish
- Post insertion check
There are different steps for different types of dentures, and like our patients, not all treatments are the same.
BPS stands for Biofunctional Prosthetic System and is a product of Ivoclar. There are two main differences between Ivoclar Precision and BPS. With BPS, we use the finest quality teeth and a Gnathometer to measure the bite. This is an intra-occlusal tracing device used to establish the proper vertical dimension for your new dentures to be built on. The Facebow or Transferbow bite registration used in conjunction with the Gnathometer, registers and analyzes the correct height of the bite and reproduces the jaw movements. This data is then transferred to the Stratos 200 Articulator which replicates the movement of your jaw and creates your smile line. Premium Ivoclar and Candulor denture teeth are manufactured in a way that they reflect light through several layers that mimic natural teeth. These are superior teeth that are imported from Germany and resist wear, chipping and staining, and preserve the natural shape of the teeth so that proper cutting and chewing of desired food can be maintained.
We make precision dentures where we start from scratch and take impressions of your oral structures as they are now and create a new denture from those impressions. This allows us to restore your correct bite, fix poor aesthetics, and leave you with a high-quality, custom-made, well-fitting denture. The patient works one-on-one with the denturist who actually creates the denture, and we have quality control through our in-house lab. We offer unparalleled after-care service for our patients on dentures we construct: No-charge adjustments, office visits, and annual exams.
The main benefit from seeing a denturist instead of a dentist for dentures is that the denturist is the person making the denture. So as a patient, you get to work one-on-one directly with the person who is actually creating the denture as well as seeing you at each of your appointments. This personal touch allows you to get a more satisfactory result with the bite, aesthetics, and fit of the denture.
There are obvious reasons for denture replacement – dentures that are ill-fitting, worn, clicking, using paste to hold them in place, etc. However, other reasons aren’t quite as obvious or noticeable. When a set of dentures is old and worn, it results in “over-closure” – closing down too far with your bite. The appearance is very flat and the facial structures tend to lose their shape, resulting in a person’s face appearing shorter and more “crunched down.” After replacing old, worn dentures as mentioned above, the bite will be restored to the correct function and height, making the overall facial structure taller and more supportive – getting rid of the “crunched down” look.
An annual exam is important. At your complimentary visit, we check for changes in oral tissue, denture wear, TMJ syndrome, update medical history, and clean and polish the denture.
Dentures should be relined or refit every two to four years. When a patient has dentures that are ill-fitting or loose, we will see you for a No-Charge Consultation to determine the most appropriate course of action and then schedule a reline or other treatment based on that visit.
Dentures should be replaced every five to eight years or when they are ill-fitting, worn, clicking, or possibly if you are using paste to hold them in place. An ideal way to determine if you need new dentures is to schedule an appointment for a No-Charge Consultation, where the denturist can evaluate and assess your unique situation.
Bellingham Office: 360.647.0395
- Monday 8:30am – 4:30pm
- Tuesday 8:30am – 4:30pm
- Wednesday 8:30am – 4:30pm
- Thursday 8:30am – 4:30pm
- Friday 8:30am – 4:00pm
Lynden Office: 360.318.0880
- Tuesday 8:30am – 4:30pm
- Thursday 8:30am – 4:00pm
- Friday 8:30am – 4:00pm
Bellingham Clinic
1329 King Street
Bellingham, WA 98229
map & directions
Lynden Clinic
1610 Grover Street, Ste B9
Lynden, WA 98264
map & directions