Immediate Dentures

When the removal of your remaining natural teeth becomes necessary, immediate dentures can help you transition to life without natural teeth while your mouth heals. Unlike conventional dentures, immediate dentures are planned and fabricated before your teeth are extracted, so they can be placed immediately following your extraction appointment.

How Are Immediate Dentures Made?

The process begins with a consultation with your denturist to determine whether immediate dentures are the right option for you. Before your teeth are removed, your denturist will:

Take impressions of your mouth, teeth, and gums
Record the necessary measurements and relationships of your jaws
Assess your existing teeth and smile
Plan the size, shape, and appearance of your new denture teeth
Use these records to create a working model for fabricating your immediate dentures

Your existing teeth can often be used as a guide when designing your new smile. Depending on your goals, your denturist can work with you to maintain the appearance of your natural teeth or make improvements to your new smile.

Once your immediate dentures have been fabricated, they are ready to be inserted on the day your teeth are extracted, allowing you to avoid a period without teeth.

Why We Often Recommend Transitional Immediate Dentures

When many or all of your remaining teeth are being extracted, we often recommend a transitional approach, particularly when achieving a high level of aesthetic and functional results is important to you.

This is because your mouth changes significantly during the healing process. The gums and underlying bone naturally shrink and change shape after extractions. An immediate denture must be designed before these changes occur, which means it is impossible to predict exactly what your healed tissues will look like.

For patients with high expectations for the appearance and function of their final dentures, a transitional denture can provide a better pathway to the final result.

Our Recommended Approach: Transitional Dentures

At Pacific Denture Centre, we may recommend placing transitional immediate dentures on the day of your extractions, followed by the fabrication of your final dentures once your mouth has had time to heal—typically four to six months.

This staged approach allows us to:

Provide you with teeth immediately following your extractions
Allow your gums and underlying bone to heal and stabilize
Monitor how your tissues change during the healing process
Make necessary adjustments during the healing period
Use your healed tissues as the foundation for your final dentures
Spend more time refining the appearance, fit, bite, and function of your final dentures

In many cases, we believe this is the best approach for achieving a more predictable and esthetically pleasing final result, especially when a significant number of teeth are being removed.

Your transitional dentures can also serve as a spare set of dentures, providing a useful backup after your final dentures are completed.

Choosing Not to Have Transitional Dentures

Your treatment plan is ultimately your choice. However, if your denturist recommends transitional dentures and you choose to proceed directly with final dentures, it is important to understand that the final dentures will be fabricated before your tissues have fully healed and stabilized.

As healing takes place, significant changes to the shape of your gums and underlying bone may occur. These changes can affect the fit, bite, appearance, and function of your dentures.

In some cases, revisions may be needed after healing to improve the dentures. This may include resetting the denture teeth to correct esthetic concerns or other changes requested by the patient such as tooth color or tooth shape and size. These services involve additional fees that are not included in the original denture fee and will be the patient's responsibility.

For this reason, when transitional dentures are recommended, we strongly encourage patients to consider the benefits of this staged approach—particularly when multiple extractions and high aesthetic expectations are involved.

Healing and Denture Adjustments

After your teeth are removed, the gums and underlying bone naturally change shape as your extraction sites heal. These changes can affect the fit of your immediate dentures.

During the healing period, your denturist will recommend:

Temporary liners or tissue conditioners to improve comfort and fit
Follow-up appointments to monitor your healing and denture fit
Adjustments or relines as your oral tissues change
Regular examinations to ensure your dentures continue to function comfortably

The number of adjustments or temporary relines needed will vary from person to person depending on the rate and pattern of healing.

Once healing is complete, your denturist will assess your oral tissues and discuss the fabrication of your final dentures, designed using the more stable shape of your healed mouth.

What You Should Know About Immediate Dentures

Because immediate dentures are made before your teeth are extracted, there is generally no opportunity to try the completed denture in your mouth beforehand. This means that some adjustments to the appearance, fit, or bite may be necessary after insertion.

Factors such as the number and position of teeth being removed, available space, and the need for adequate strength and support can also affect the design.

Your denturist will explain the process, discuss your options, and recommend the approach that best meets your oral health, functional needs, aesthetic goals, and individual circumstances.

Please note that temporary liners, tissue conditioners, adjustments, relines, and other services required during the healing process are additional services and may involve costs beyond the fabrication of the immediate dentures.

Our goal is to help you transition comfortably through the healing process while giving your final dentures the best possible foundation for long-term comfort, function, and appearance.