Aug 16, 2022

How long after pulling teeth can you get dentures?

The general rule after having your teeth extracted to get dentures is to wait between three to six months. However, if you want dentures soon after tooth removal to create a new smile without the requirement of temporary dentures or spending time without teeth, you can inquire with the dentist in Evergreen Park about getting immediate dentures.

Immediate dentures after tooth extraction are an ideal solution if you don’t want to spend months without teeth. Immediate dentures give you a replacement for the teeth extracted soon after removing any remaining teeth in your mouth.

How Long Is the Wait between Teeth Extraction and Denture Placement?

The waiting time between getting your teeth extracted and denture placement is lengthy and requires you to endure a toothless smile besides confronting numerous challenges until you receive your replacements.

The dentist recommends you wait for your tooth socket to heal before revisiting them to provide molds for your dentures. You must visit the prosthodontist fabricating your dentures several times during the pre-fabrication stages providing measurements of your jaw to create precisely fitting dentures for you. The process is time-consuming and requires plenty of patience because the prosthodontist will request that you visit them repeatedly until your final prosthetics are ready.

Meanwhile, you must endure challenges when eating, smiling, and performing everyday activities with ease. You also confront deterioration problems with your jawbone and a lousy bite if you have any remaining teeth because they tend to drift towards the blank spaces upwards or downwards to make additional treatments necessary.

The Process for Getting Immediate Dentures

The process of getting immediate dentures proceeds in two stages. Depending on the condition and circumstances of your teeth, some steps are similar during each stage when getting immediate dentures or an immediate partial denture after extraction.

Stage I

Your dentist removes molars still present in your mouth and allows you to recover from the extraction, generally requiring approximately six weeks. After you have recovered from the extraction of your molars, the prosthodontist prepares your immediate dentures by taking impressions of your existing teeth and jaw.

After that, your dentist removes your remaining teeth to place the immediate dentures in your mouth immediately. In some cases, dentists remove all your teeth in one session and provide immediate dentures soon after. However, they prefer removing teeth in stages as described, and it is best to rely on the dentist’s advice because they recommend the best approach for your unique needs.

You don’t have to remove the prosthetics from your mouth during the first night after getting immediate dentures. Instead, you leave them in the mouth for your dentist to remove them the next day. As your gums heal, liners are added to the denture by the dentist to adjust their fit. The adjustments are essential because immediate dentures tend to loosen because your gums shrink when healing.

Stage II

After you and your gums have healed sufficiently from the tooth removal process, the dentist prepares another refined denture as a replacement for the initial set. Your new dentures are fabricated to appear aesthetically pleasing as possible, considering changes in your mouth, gums, and jaw after tooth removal.

Six months after receiving your refined set of dentures, they will require relining because the shape of your jaw continues to change. You must endure the adjustments for life to enjoy a comfortable fit with the new dentures to accommodate your changing jaw. How often you might need the adjustments differs for every patient. Your dentist assesses the fit of your denture besides examining your gums during routine dental checkups.

Benefits and Downsides of Immediate Dentures

Benefits
  • You never have to face the world without teeth, even after removing all your teeth in one session.
  • It’s convenient for your dentist to customize and fabricate your dentures to resemble the shape, color, and arrangement of natural teeth if you have any remaining.
  • Downsides
  • Your gums change shape and size after having your teeth extracted during the healing process. Therefore immediate dentures need adjustments and relining or even replaced to continue fitting correctly.
  • The adjustments and relining of immediate dentures to fit the changing shape of your gums make immediate dentures more expensive than traditional dentures.
  • If you think dentures are the optimal solution for replacing your missing teeth and want to know which type is best for your needs, please schedule an appointment with Family Dental Care — Evergreen Park for advice to prevent living without teeth.

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