Your dentist may have recommended getting immediate or temporary dentures following a tooth extraction, but you may have questions about what that means. Not wanting to look like a fool in front of your dentist (or perhaps you were still out of it from the anesthesia and couldn’t think straight), you kept your queries to yourself, only to end up here on your quest to know more. Lucky for you, we have just the answers you’re looking for with regards to immediate dentures. What are they? Are they for you? How do you get them? And how much do they cost?
What Are Immediate Dentures?
Immediate dentures, also known as temporary dentures, are inserted immediately after tooth extraction. You can think of these as a “placeholder” for the first two to three months until your permanent dentures are ready. You can learn more about the difference between permanent and temporary dentures here.
Are Immediate Dentures for You?
If you’ve just had teeth extracted, then your dentist may give you temporary dentures to wear. However, the denture depends on how many teeth you’ve had removed. You could either get:
Immediate dentures are a good solution for people who have esthetical or psychological concerns about navigating daily life without prosthetics following dental extraction. It can make life much easier as you wait for your permanent set of dentures to be made.
What’s the Process of Getting Temporary Dentures?
So how do you go about getting an immediate denture? The process usually goes like this:
- One to two months before your tooth extraction. The dentist will take several impressions of your mouth, usually over four or five visits. This process helps your dentist create the right denture for you.
- The day of the extraction. Once your teeth are removed, you will get the immediate denture inserted after the procedure.
- First day with immediate dentures. You may feel a little soreness and discomfort as you get used to the denture.
- First weeks. You will adjust to dentures, and the denture soreness and discomfort will slowly go away.
- Getting your permanent dentures. When your dentist thinks it’s time, you will get impressions for your permanent dentures, and they will be made to measure.
What Are the Costs of Immediate Dentures?
The cost of immediate dentures depends on a few factors, like the type of dentures, for example. Immediate dentures are an additional cost to permanent dentures, because they will need to be constructed before the extraction, and you may need follow-up visits for adjustments and re-fitting.
How Long Can I Leave My Immediate Dentures Out?
When you get your immediate dentures, follow the instructions your dentist gives you. Usually, you should not take the denture out until the morning following the extraction, and even then only for cleaning. However, by your fourth day, you should take the denture out at bedtime and leave the denture in a cup filled with cold clean water till the morning.
Your dentist will give you immediate dentures after tooth extraction. Not only do they help you get used to dentures but they also cover up the gap left behind while your permanent dentures are being made, so you can get out and live life with confidence.
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