Yes, many people already do this. Not only do many people make their own dentures, but there are many different products and options for making your own DIY dentures. However, most dentists do not recommend that we do this from a dental rigor point of view.
Why They Make Their Own DIY Dentures?
The core reason is that many Americans lack dental insurance and cannot afford the high cost of dental visits.
A simple analogy explains this: Fast food may not be as healthy as Michelin restaurant food, but most people choose fast food because Michelin is far beyond their means, not because they don’t want healthy food.
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- According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average monthly cost of a healthy meal is about 1.5 times that of fast food, and less than 20 percent of Americans maintain a healthy diet.
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- According to IHS Markit, luxury cars (e.g., BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi) accounted for about 14 percent of the U.S. market in 2022, while economy and mid-range models took up most of the rest. The average price of a Toyota Corolla is about $21,000, whereas a BMW 3-Series averages $41,000—roughly double.
The 2x price difference in cars and food leads to significant consumer segmentation.
However, the cost comparison between dental clinics and homemade dentures far exceeds this 2x relationship. Food and cars can be produced industrially, reducing costs significantly, but the training of dentists cannot be industrialized. A qualified dentist requires 8-14 years of training, costing at least several hundred thousand dollars, if not close to a million. These costs make dental clinic visits prohibitively expensive for many.
Ways to Make Your DIY Dentures Without Seeing a Dentist
Currently, there are three main ways to make false teeth without visiting a dentist: Denture DIY Kit, Customized Veneers, and Online Dentures.
1. DIY Denture Kit
DIY denture kits mainly provide a materials package and instructional videos that allow users to take impressions, and molds and make their own dentures at home.
Pros:
- Affordable: usually around $100
- Adjustable: Can be adjusted multiple times, which is popular with many users..
Cons:
- Difficult to make: requires some manual skill and patience.
To solve the common issues with existing DIY denture kits(such as Denturi, and DIY Denture Shop) Dentureway has launched an improved Kit. Our kit optimizes the gum material and design, making it easier for users to complete the DIY denture process.
2. Customized Veneers
Customized veneers provide impression materials for users to take their own impressions at home, which are then mailed to the company. The seller creates veneers based on the impressions and sends them to the user.
Pros:
- Less hands-on: the user takes the impression and the seller does the rest.
Cons:
- Limited application: only applicable to partially missing teeth, as it does not contain gum material and can only be applied to existing teeth near the missing tooth.
- Wearing comfort and aesthetics are compromised: veneers have a certain thickness and may be uncomfortable to wear.
- Fragility: veneers need to be as thin as possible for aesthetics, which increases the risk of breakage.
The current market price is around $600.
3. Online Dentures
Online Dentures is a service that provides impressions, allows the user to take the impressions at home, and then mails the impressions to the dentist. The dentist creates a complete denture, including gum material and false teeth, and mails it back to the user.
Pros:
- Less hands-on: the user takes the impressions and the merchant does the rest.
Cons:
- Poor wearing comfort: due to variations in the fabrication process, dentures may need to be polished and adjusted by the user to achieve a comfortable fit.
- Higher price: Usually more expensive.
Customized Veneers currently on the market are expensive, uneven in thickness, and prone to breakage, while Online Dentures are uncomfortable to wear (and cannot be adjusted on-site) due to differences in impressions and fabrication. If our technical experts can better solve these existing problems and reduce costs, we will launch such products at an appropriate time.
