Denture Blog

Getting Dentures Without the Downtime

If you suffer from tooth loss or tooth decay has progressed to the stage where your denturist has recommended extractions, you are probably now considering your tooth replacement options.

For many, this choice will lead to dentures. However, for most, living without teeth for weeks or months while gums heal and the denture is prepared is uncomfortable or even impossible to imagine.

There are many reasons why a person can’t or doesn’t want to be with some or all of their teeth; it can make continuing to work difficult, lead to uncomfortable social interactions, and force significant dietary changes. But your denturist in Surrey might be able to offer a solution: immediate dentures.

What is an Immediate Denture?

Unlike a traditional denture, an immediate denture is worn home the same day your teeth are extracted; there is no downtime or awkward delays while you wait for your gums to heal and your denture to be fabricated.

However, despite the name, there is nothing “immediate” about how a same-day-denture is made.

How Are Immediate Dentures Made?

Preparing for tooth extraction followed by immediate dentures will require several appointments with your denturist in Surrey. Just as moulds of your mouth are needed to create traditional dentures, your denturist will also need to take detailed impressions. The only difference with immediate dentures is that these impressions are taken before teeth are extracted.

Using these impressions and precise measurements, your denturist will craft a custom-fitted denture that is ready to be worn the same day your teeth are extracted.

Are Immediate Dentures as Good as Conventional Dentures?

The quality and construction of an immediate denture are virtually identical to a conventional denture, and as a short-term solution, immediate dentures offer several important benefits to denture recipients. They are not, however, intended to be a one-and-done solution.

Because immediate dentures are fitted before teeth are extracted, it is difficult for denturists to get the same degree of custom fit that is possible post-extraction. There is also the issue of shrinking gums that may occur as they heal post-extraction.

Your gums can take up to a year to fully heal from tooth extraction, and in that time, they will swell and then begin to shrink. You may find that your immediate dentures begin to feel loose overtime or the fit becomes uncomfortable.

The solution to this problem is to have your immediate denture relined, a simple process where more material is added to your denture tray to help improve the fit.

Relining is standard in denture care, even if you opt for conventional dentures. The difference is when and how often you will need to have your denture relined; with an immediate denture you may have to have the appliance relined a few times during the first year to get the fit secure fit you need.

However, once the fit is correct, you can happily wear your immediate denture for ten-plus years with only the same occasional maintenance that a conventional denture would require.

A Two-Step Denture Process

While many people can and do continue to use their immediate dentures for years after extraction, others opt for a two-stage denture procedure, beginning with an immediate denture and then transitioning to a conventional denture once the gums have fully healed.

The biggest downside of this option would be the price; rather than having your immediate denture relined or refitted, you are paying for an entirely new denture appliance. However, the benefit of being measured and fitted for a denture once your gums have fully healed is the precision fit that your denturist can accomplish.

For more information or to find out if immediate dentures are a good fit for you, reach out to Digital Denture Centre, your local Surrey denturist.