Immediate dentures are an exception to the general rule that you need to wait between three and six months after having your teeth extracted to get a set of dentures. If you want a set of dentures to create a new and perfect smile immediately after having your remaining teeth pulled — without ever having to wear temporary dentures or spend a day edentulous — ask your dentist in Yellowknife if you’re a good candidate for immediate dentures. Getting immediate dentures in Yellowknife is an ideal solution if you can’t avoid the extraction of all your remaining natural teeth but don’t want to spend months without teeth.
What is the process of getting immediate dentures?
The process of receiving immediate dentures near you typically includes two stages. While each person’s situation is different depending on the condition and circumstances of their teeth, the same steps typically occur during each stage of getting immediate dentures in Yellowknife.
Stage One
- Your dentist will extract any molars that are still in your mouth, and allow you to heal from that extraction. That healing period usually takes approximately six weeks
- Once you have sufficiently healed from the extraction of your molars, a dentist near you and dental technicians will prepare your immediate dentures based on impressions and molds taken from your existing teeth and jaw
- Your dentist will extract your remaining teeth, then will “immediately” place your immediate dentures in your mouth. (In some situations, your dentist can extract all your teeth in a single session and provide immediate dentures right after that first and only extraction appointment. Preferably, your teeth should be removed in stages as described above, but your dentist in Yellowknife will recommend the best approach for your needs.)
- That first night will be an exception to the general rule that you have to take your dentures out at night. During that first night, you’ll leave your dentures in your mouth though your dentist will take them out the next day
- As your gums heal, your dentist will add liners to and adjust the fit of your immediate dentures. They’ll quickly become loose and need those adjustments because your gums will shrink as they heal.
Stage Two
- Once you and your gums have sufficiently healed from the extraction procedures, your dentist will prepare a second and more refined denture to replace your initial set of immediate dentures. Your new dentures will be prepared to be as aesthetically pleasing as possible and taking all the changes in to your mouth, gums and jaw following your extractions into account
- After you’ve lived with that more refined set of dentures for six months or so, they too will likely require re-lining because the shape and size of your jaw will continue to change. Adjusting your dentures to ensure a secure and comfortable fit while accommodating your changing jaw will be an ongoing requirement of life with dentures. Just how often you’ll need to make those adjustments will vary from person to person. Your dentist will examine your gums and assess the fit of your dentures at regular dental checkups.
What are the pros and cons of immediate dentures?
Advantages | Disadvantages |
You’ll never have to face the world without teeth even if you’ve had all your teeth pulled.
It’s easier for your dentist in Yellowknife to design and craft dentures to imitate the shape, colour and arrangement of your own natural teeth while you still have some of those teeth. |
Because your gums change shape and size as they heal after having your teeth pulled, your immediate dentures will have to be adjusted, relined and sometimes even replaced in order to continue fitting properly.
The need to adjust and reline immediate dentures to accommodate the changing shape of your healing gums means immediate dentures tend to be a more expensive option compared to traditional dentures. |
If dentures are the best solution for replacing your missing teeth, what type of dentures are right for you? Ask a dentist in Yellowknife if immediate dentures are right for replacing your teeth while eliminating the need to ever live toothlessly.