Immediate dentures come as a great relief for people who lose some or all of their teeth. This complete or partial denture is used to replace the natural teeth soon after they are either extracted or lost due to some accident or other injury.
Are Immediate Dentures Temporary?
Yes, immediate dentures are temporary because they are used to replace natural teeth soon after they are removed. These immediate dentures are not permanent and offer protection to the tender gums that can hurt soon after teeth extraction. Immediate dentures are meant to be used temporarily can be removed once the gums are healed.
Advantages of Immediate Dentures
Although immediate dentures are not permanent they come with some benefits. The obvious advantage is that you don’t have to hesitate to go outside and meet friends or family as you can go and speak and smile with confidence. Even immediate dentures are made to order, in the sense the color of the false teeth will match the color of your natural teeth. However, if all your teeth are being replaced, you have the option to choose pure white or off-white colors for your false teeth.
With a bit of practice, you can speak without any difficulty without your immediate dentures. This helps if there is any delay in getting your permanent dentures, which will be made in a lab and can take some time. Chewing soft food will also not be a problem with immediate dentures, though you should not attempt biting or chewing tough meats or foodstuff like nuts or seeds.
What to Expect After Getting Immediate Denture?
The first important thing is that you should not forget to follow the instructions given by your dentist. Remember that you should not remove the immediate denture for the first two days. This helps stem the bleeding, if there is any and allows the raw gums to heal naturally. Immediate dentures also help prevent swelling in the gums and saves the patient from a lot of discomfort felt soon after tooth extraction.
Is an Immediate Denture Very Expensive?
Considering that an immediate denture is temporary, the cost may appear a bit on the higher side. The problem is that you need immediate dentures after extraction and immediate dentures are made to suit your mouth structure, that too at very short notice. The price may be high, but the purpose an immediate denture serves is what matters. An immediate denture is made of soft material that can be relined according to the need as the structure of the gums and jaws can change when the swelling goes down. When you are ready for permanent dentures new measurements will be taken and you will be fitted out for new permanent dentures.
How Much Time Is Required for Getting New Dentures?
It could take a few days to get new immediate dentures. You may have to visit your dentist 5 to 6 times as all the teeth cannot be extracted at one go. Normally more time is given for healing while extracting the back teeth. Immediate dentures can be fitted only after the gums are healed to an extent so that there is no further damage and the patient does not experience too much pain.
Once the gums are healed, the dentist will start taking measurements, impressions of the oral cavity and bite impressions on a soft material, which will help shape the teeth to exact size and shape. By the time the last of the teeth are extracted, the immediate denture should be ready, and the dentist will fix it during the last visit. You may have to go for checkups once or twice after that.