Snap-in dentures are a solution many patients look to as they become frustrated with traditional dentures, but that interest comes with questions about cost. How much do snap-in dentures cost, and how does that cost compare to other potential solutions to oral health issues, like dental implants?
Below, we’ll take an in-depth look at the cost of snap-in dentures, factors that can impact that cost, and how snap-in dentures compare to other dental products.
What Are Snap-In Dentures?
Snap-in dentures are a two-part dental device meant to completely replace a row of teeth. First, a permanent abutment is connected to the jawbone via titanium screws. This serves as an anchor point for the dentures, which can be “snapped” in and out. The removable teeth still need to be cleaned, like normal dentures, and also need to be replaced around every five years.
How Much Do Snap-In Dentures Usually Cost?
Snap-in dentures have an average upfront cost of $8,000 – $12,000 per row of teeth; and the dentures will need to be replaced every 5 years, which costs an average price of $2,500 – $5,000 per arch. Since the upfront and long-term costs of snap-in dentures are so high, we almost always recommend that patients get full-mouth dental implants.
What Contributes to the Cost of Snap-In Dentures?
While we provided a national average price, there are many factors that contribute to how high, or how low, the cost of snap-in dentures is. Patients shopping for snap-in dentures should be aware of what contributes to the cost of snap-in dentures, especially to avoid surprise pricing.
Snap-In Denture Materials
While material costs can vary the cost in other dental products, the materials used in snap-in dentures will generally be standard. This is because there’s really only one kind of material that will be used for snap-in dentures: acrylic. The fake teeth in snap-in dentures will always be acrylic.
Unfortunately, acrylic has significant disadvantages when compared to other materials (like the zirconia used in dental implants). The material is porous, which means odor-causing bacteria can grow in your dentures, which is why nightly soaking is required. Patients will face the same dietary restrictions with snap-in dentures as traditional dentures, too.
Type of Snap-In Dentures
You may see a lot of different terms for snap-in dentures, but regardless of the name, you can expect the same product. Common names for snap-in dentures include:
- Snap-on dentures
- Anchor supported dentures
- Implant-supported dentures
- Implant overdentures
- Permanent denture
- Implant-retained dentures
Regardless of the name, you can expect two key characteristics: a permanent abutment placed into the jawbone, and fake teeth that then snap onto the abutments; the dentures need to be snapped off nightly for cleaning.
Prerequisite Dental Work
A patient’s mouth needs to be prepared for the placement of snap-in dentures, and how extensive that work is will impact the overall pricing. For example, tooth extractions or jawbone grafts may be required, and both of these procedures often increase the price of getting snap-in dentures.
Always check with your oral surgeon about what prerequisite work will be needed and ask that they include that pricing in the overall cost.
Procedure Costs
Finally, patients need to consider the cost of the actual procedure, not just the cost of the snap-in dentures themselves. Parts of the procedure that are often not included in the advertised price of snap-in dentures include:
- X-rays and CT scans to insure proper placement of the permanent abutment
- IV anesthesia for the surgery
- Cost of the surgery
- Whether an oral surgeon performs the surgery (this will usually command a higher price, but is strongly recommended)
- Other costs
It’s common for these expenses to not be included in the advertised price of snap-in dentures, so patients should always make sure what specific costs are included in the entire procedure before moving forward with a dental office.
Can Insurance Cover Snap-In Dentures?
Some dental insurance plans may cover some of the cost of the actual denture, but insurance rarely, if ever, covers any other part of getting snap-in dentures. Patients should expect to pay for most or all of the cost of receiving snap-in dentures, even if you have dental insurance.
Cost of Snap-in Dentures vs Dental Implants
Snap-in dentures and dental implants are two popular solutions for patients that have broken, rotten, or missing teeth. Full-mouth dental implants (or dental implants that replace an entire row of teeth) have a national average price of $25,000 – $40,000 per arch, which often discourages patients from considering implants as a solution.
However, our offices are able to offer full-mouth dental implants at an all-inclusive price of $14,950 per row of teeth. Since there are no replacement costs with dental implants (your fake teeth are permanent and will not need to be replaced), our full-mouth dental implants are less expensive than snap-in dentures in the long run.
Are Snap-In Dentures Worth It?
When comparing snap-in dentures to other solutions, like our full-mouth dental implants, snap-in dentures are never worth it. The upfront costs of snap-in dentures are equal (and often higher) than our all-inclusive cost for full-mouth dental implants, and full-mouth dental implants don’t have long-term costs.
Snap-in dentures have significant drawbacks that should be considered by patients:
Snap-In Dentures Are Not Permanent
Remember, regardless of the pricing you find for snap-in dentures, you will always have long-term costs. The fake teeth will eventually break down and need to be replaced (which takes place around every 5 years). This will cost several thousand dollars for every replacement.
Snap-in Dentures Have Dietary Restrictions
Just like with traditional dentures, patients with snap-in dentures will have dietary restrictions. You need to avoid chewy foods (like caramel) as well as especially hard foods, or you may damage the dentures before it’s time to replace them.
Snap-in Dentures Need Daily Cleaning
Acrylic is a porous material, which is ideal for odor-causing bacteria to hide inside. Patients must soak their dentures nightly to attempt to keep their dentures from smelling. However, smells can become persistent, especially towards the dentures’ end-of-life
Snap-in Dentures Are Bulky
The abutment that snap-in dentures connect to is large and bulky, which will interfere with normal speech. Patients looking for a solution that allows for clear, normal speech should avoid snap-in dentures and, instead, consider an option like dental implants.
In summary there are no real benefits that snap-in dentures have over full-mouth dental implants, especially at our special pricing.
Are Snap-In Dentures The Same As Snap-On Dentures?
The terms “snap-in” and “snap-on” dentures are interchangeable. Other common terms include implant-supported dentures and implant overdentures. If an office uses terminology that’s confusing, you can tell if certain dental products are snap-in dentures by asking if the fake teeth are removable and made of acrylic.
Alternatives to Snap-In Dentures
Snap-in dentures aren’t the only solution to missing or failing teeth. Here are two more alternatives to snap-in dentures:
Traditional Dentures
Traditional dentures are one of the most common solutions to missing teeth and stick to your gums through an adhesive or glue. They are removed nightly for cleaning, since the acrylic material they are often made from can harbor bacteria that create terrible smells.
Traditional dentures are usually the least expensive option, but they have tremendous drawbacks. There are significant dietary restrictions with traditional dentures, both because they won’t be secure enough for tough to eat foods, and because the acrylic teeth can be easily damaged.
Traditional and snap-in dentures share so many of the same drawbacks, while traditional dentures are a fraction of the price. This actually makes traditional dentures a better option than snap-in dentures, though both pale in comparison to the benefits that dental implants provide.
Dental Implants
Dental implants are the best choice to replace missing or unhealthy teeth. Unlike snap-in dentures, full-mouth dental implants:
- Are permanent, with no long-term maintenance costs
- Carry no dietary restrictions (patients can eat whatever they want)
- Look and feel like real teeth
- Allow for natural speech
- Only need normal oral hygiene and typical dental cleanings
While dental implants have a higher national average price, the cost of full-mouth dental implants from our office is less expensive than snap-in dentures in the long run (and sometimes they’re less expensive upfront, too). You can click here to see a price comparison between full-mouth dental implants and anchored dentures.
Questions to Ask When Shopping for Snap-In Dentures
Asking the right questions is the best way for patients to make sure that they understand the true pricing of snap-in dentures and whether a specific dental office is a good fit for their needs. The following questions are ideal questions for patients to ask when inquiring about snap-in dentures:
Who is performing the surgery?
One of the first questions you should ask is who is performing the surgery. This is because, ideally, an oral surgeon will be performing the surgery, as opposed to a general dentist. An oral surgeon will have additional qualifications and will have completed a surgery residency, which will help the procedure go more smoothly, reduce heal time, and minimize the risk of mistakes.
What’s included in the price?
It’s important for patients to confirm what is, and is not, included in the advertised price for snap-in dentures. It’s possible that the price seems low and attractive, but it’s because the office hasn’t included scans, follow-up appointments, or required preparations (like tooth extractions) in the price.
A reputable office will be able to provide a full list of what the price includes, and what will be added on top of that cost, before you make a commitment to proceed.
What prerequisite procedures will I need before I can receive snap-in dentures?
You may want snap-in dentures, but your mouth may not be ready for placement. You may need teeth pulled so the permanent abutment can be placed, or you may need bone grafts if you don’t have enough bone density to support snap-in dentures.
Sometimes, prerequisite procedures are included in the pricing. For example, when we place full-mouth dental implants for patients, our cost is all-inclusive, and includes tooth extraction. Regardless of the price, it’s good to know what your oral surgeon will need to do to prepare your mouth for successful snap-in denture placement.
Do you offer IV anesthesia or sedation?
For both snap-in dentures and dental implants, the most comfortable experience is when IV anesthesia or sedation is used. With IV sedation, you will be asleep, which allows you to avoid the discomfort of the procedure while mitigating the risks of mistakes due to patient movement.
However, not all dental offices offer this kind of sedation. You’ll need to have an oral surgeon on staff that is certified to administer this kind of anesthesia. We include IV sedation in every dental implant and snap-in denture we place, and we encourage patients to pursue this benefit, regardless of which office they choose.
What materials do you use in the snap-in dentures?
Most snap-in dentures will still use acrylic for the teeth. Acrylic will break down over time, which is why snap-in dentures need to be replaced every five years, and they will still come with dietary restrictions. This is the only material that is used for the fake teeth in dentures.
Other materials patients may want to consider are the implant posts used to anchor the dentures. Posts that are too short or too thin will be less expensive, but they’ll also very likely to fail, which means the abutment will need to be removed, and the entire procedure will need to be redone.
How much experience do you have with placing snap-in dentures?
Even if the pricing is great, you’ll want to be wary of a dental office that has little to no experience placing snap-in dentures. This can increase the likelihood of complications, so choosing an experienced office is always a better option, if possible.
Do you offer financing options for snap-in dentures?
This is an important question to ask if you don’t plan on paying outright for your dentures. Different offices will have different financing partners (and some may not have any financing offers at all). Most offices will go over payment options for snap-in dentures before you commit to a procedure, though it’s helpful to ask and make sure what options are available to you.
Am I a candidate for any other solutions for missing or unhealthy teeth?
Finally, if you want to explore all of your options, you should ask a particular office if you’re a candidate for any other procedures, like dental implants. If patients are eligible, we almost always recommend that they receive full-arch dental implants instead of snap-in dentures. Dental implants deliver a superior experience, and offer benefits like:
- No dietary restrictions (you can eat as though you had your natural teeth)
- No speech impediments (dental implants feel like natural teeth)
- More durable (dental implants are meant to be permanent, including your new teeth)
- More cost-effective (if done through our office, full-mouth dental implants are far more cost-effective than snap-in dentures)
