Total prostheses
In case of complete tooth loss, i.e. in cases where there are no more natural teeth in the jaw, a complete denture is necessary. In contrast to partial dentures, total dentures are not held in the oral cavity by clasps but by negative pressure and adhesive forces. In order to guarantee this, a so-called functional impression has to be made when making the prosthesis.
This means that the jaw and parts of the oral cavity are shown in different motional states. In most cases the correct fabrication of a complete denture of the upper jaw is much easier than the fabrication of a complete denture of the lower jaw. This fact may sound a little unimaginable at first, because one could assume that dentures of the upper jaw offer less support due to gravity.
However, since there are fewer contact surfaces with the jaw in the lower jaw and the mobility of the tongue has a negative effect on the adhesive forces, this phenomenon can be easily understood. The removable full denture is considered a standard restoration when a patient has no teeth left. One prosthesis is made per jaw.
This standard restoration is also called a regular restoration. Health insurance companies usually pay half the cost of such a prosthesis. If a regular check-up with a dentist has taken place once a year for at least five years, and these check-ups have always been recorded in a bonus booklet, then most health insurance companies will increase the proportion of the costs covered.
The dentist draws up a treatment and cost plan in which he writes down exactly how much money he wants for the dental prosthesis. This plan is submitted to the health insurance company, which then decides whether the planned prosthesis can be made in this way and how much they will pay. Such a treatment and cost plan is composed of the fee for the dentist, the fee for the dental technician who has to make the prosthesis and the cost of the material used by the dental technician and the dentist during the treatment.Since there are no precise rules for this, two dentists may ask for different amounts of money for the dentures.
So it can be worthwhile to go to two or three practices and compare the costs. For two dentures (i.e. upper and lower jaws) a patient must expect at least 600 Euros own contribution. If the patient’s income is too low, there is the possibility that the dentist will make a hardship claim. If this is approved by the health insurance company, the insured does not have to pay anything for his full prosthesis, because all costs are covered by the health insurance company.
