My mom has broken her dentures. She is on both medicare and...

1 answer | Last updated: Jun 17, 2010
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dara asked...
My mom has broken her dentures. She is on both Medicare and Medicaid, but neither will cover the cost of replacing them for her. I am a single mother who is laid off so I can't afford them for her. What can we do?
 

Caring.com User - David Blende, DDS
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Dr. David Blende, DDS, has more than 20 years' experience providing comprehensive dental care. His practice, the Blende Dental Group, serves the phobic...
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The least expensive option for a set of broken dentures is a denture repair. The type of repair depends on the extent of the damage: fractured denture teeth can be See also:
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replaced and additional teeth may be added after a recent extraction of a natural tooth. A repair for dentures broken in several places may not be a viable or long-term solution; therefore fabrication of a new set of dentures is necessary. In July 2009, Medicaid redefined the benefits for patients requiring dentures making some patients ineligible. Dental schools fabricate dentures usually at a lower cost, but due to the overwhelming demand many patients wait on a waitlist for several months or more.

The second option is to seek the skills of a denturist if they are licensed to practice in your state. A denturist is not a licensed dentist. However he/she is licensed to make impressions, perform repairs, and fabricate dentures often at a lesser cost. Finally, if these options are exhausted, one must set a priority of the cost of making new dentures over other “necessities.” It is important to make health a greater priority for example over a new tattoo or a new dog or cat. The ability to enjoy his/her favorite foods in accordance with a balanced diet not only improves the health of the patient, but also their quality of life.

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