What is the Cost of Dentures?

We often have people asking us, “What is the cost of dentures in the area X?” – the question is indeed very hard to answer with an exact number, and what we will try to do here is we will try to explain why such a question can have only but an ambiguous answer.

The thing is, the cost of removable prostheses varies dramatically depending on certain factors, and you may see tangible deviations in your local dental office from whatever figures we will list below. However, let’s at least try to understand what amount of money one should expect to pay for the dentures, and what factors influence the prices of these removable dental prostheses.

How Much Do Dentures Cost?

Right, so how much do dentures cost? As it has been said, the cost of these prostheses varies greatly as it depends on many factors. There are dentures that cost only several hundred dollars, and there are dentures that cost ten thousand dollars and above, so it is very hard to talk about any exact figures here.

In general, the higher quality a denture is, the more expensive it is, so the tendency is as follows:

• 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 good quality dentures is: 800 – 1500 dollars for removable dentures, and 1000-2000 dollars for full dentures.
• 3)The highest-end dentures, full or 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!

The Cost of Dentures without Insurance

The figures that were listed above represented the dentures cost without insurance. Not all insurance companies will cover dentures (although the situation is not as bleak as with dental implants or braces where getting financial aid is extremely hard), but those that do are well worth your time.

The Cost of Dentures with Insurance

There are a lot of types of insurance plans out there, and the first people you should talk to for more information are, of course, your dentist and your employer.

Your employer, obviously, is the person who knows exactly what kind of insurance he provides for the people who work for hm, and as for the dentists, they usually know a lot about this subject mainly because their patients often ask them. If you do manage to find an insurance company that will agree to cover the cost of your denture, expect anything between 15% to 50% reimbursement of the full cost of the prosthesis.

There are many other ways to get dentures for cheap which do not involve groveling help from an insurance company and suchlike. The first alternative to consider, for example, is dental discount plans. These plans should not be confused with traditional insurance coverage – the purpose of discount plans is not to reimburse damage or loss but to only provide a capped amount of budget for a person to spend on his dental needs.

Average Cost of Dentures of Different Types

Depending on which type the denture is of, the prices will be different. Here are the average numbers for different types of partials and non-partials.

• 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

Other Factors that Influence the Dentures Cost

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 region 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 very important factor is how good the dentist is, and how highly he values his time and skills. Just how a cosmetic dentist would quote higher cosmetic dentistry prices, a prosthodontist will also demand more money from patients who want dentures from him. (This is also one of the reasons why some dentures are offered for ridiculously high prices – dentists think that lower prices are not rewarding enough for the time it requires to model a denture.)

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.