The advantages include:
- A patient never has to be without their teeth, which improves their day-to-day life
- The immediate denture helps to protect the tooth extraction site during healing.
Another alternative is to extract all teeth at one time but to hold off on placing an immediate denture while the extraction sites heal. Because the need for an immediate denture is eliminated with this treatment, this can be a more economical approach. However, the patient must be without teeth for several months.
Following proper healing, the definitive denture is constructed. In our office the vast majority of new denture wearers choose the New Wearer package that includes an economy immediate denture. The final deluxe denture is fabricated after healing is complete.
Approximately six months later, it may be necessary to complete a denture reline procedure to accurately adapt the denture to the gums following additional recontouring and jawbone healing. The frequency of relines over the life of the denture is an individual matter and is best determined by a licensed dentist during follow-up examinations.
The immediate denture holds tissues together, supports clot formation, and protects the extraction sites from debris contamination. As healing progresses over the next several weeks, the immediate denture will loosen due to changes in the contour of the gums and jawbone. Temporary denture liners may be placed to help maintain a reasonable fit. Denture adhesives may also be used to assist in denture retention and stability.
