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It’s impossible to imagine life without your teeth. Yet, for many, this idea becomes a reality after unsuccessful battles with oral disease. Permanent tooth loss affects people in many ways. Not only is there a loss of functionality, but there is also a loss of confidence and self-esteem

If you are facing complete extraction of your natural teeth, immediate dentures may be the best solution for you. Immediate dentures can help you avoid the embarrassment and loss of functionality that comes from living without any teeth. At the Smile Center in Buffalo, NY, we understand the devastating impact of permanent tooth loss. You can count on our team for caring, compassionate care that will allow you to leave the office with a brand-new smile. To learn more, please call us today at .

What are immediate dentures?

Also known as same-day dentures, immediate dentures are typically used on patients who must have all their natural teeth removed. This temporary solution allows patients to leave the office with a new set of teeth, instead of having to wait for the gums to heal. With immediate dentures, patients facing tooth loss can retain the appearance of the smile as well as the ability to eat and speak properly.

Preparing for immediate dentures

The process of receiving immediate dentures begins before the extraction. After we determine you are a good candidate for immediate dentures, impressions are taken so that the new dentures will fit correctly into your mouth. We work with a high-quality dental laboratory to select the right color, shape, and size of the teeth to ensure your smile looks natural.

Important considerations with immediate dentures

Once the teeth are extracted, the immediate dentures will be placed. Initially, these dentures should fit snugly over the gums and stay in place properly. Over time, in the absence of stimulation from natural teeth, gum and bone tissue will shrink during a process called resorption. This process can loosen the fit of the dentures, making them uncomfortable and potentially causing them to slip out of place or fall out.

It’s important to maintain regular dental visits during the healing process so that the dentist can monitor the fit of the dentures. As time goes on, fine-tuning adjustments to the dentures can ensure that they stay in place during the healing process. Typically, this involves relining the dentures with more material to keep the fit snug.

After immediate dentures

At some point in time, once the healing process is complete, patients may opt for a new, more permanent set of dentures. Once the gums have healed, we can take a new set of impressions to allow for fabrication of dentures with a more secure fit.

Many patients go on to consider dental implants following their immediate dentures.

Dental implants

Dental implants are the closest tooth restoration option to natural teeth. The implant posts are placed into the jawbone at strategic points in order to support a set of dentures. The dentures snap into the implants through an abutment so that they are firmly held in place.

Benefits of dental implants:

• Look and feel like your own teeth
• Can last a lifetime with good oral hygiene
• No fear of dentures moving around or falling out
• Improved speech and ability to chew/eat
• Improved self-esteem and confidence

In order to receive implant supported dentures, patients will need to have sufficient bone structure. If there has been significant bone loss due to gum disease, bone grafts may be necessary prior to receiving dental implants.

Of course, patients can always decide to stick with removable complete dentures that are held in place with suction or adhesive. Denture technology has gone a long way, making this a viable option for patients to still enjoy all the benefits of a fully restored smile. At Smile Center in Buffalo, we make sure that we use high-quality dentures and take accurate measurements to ensure that the dental prosthetic fits as it should.

If you are in need of complete extraction, all is not lost. With the help of immediate dentures, you can have a beautiful smile in the midst of tooth loss. To learn more about immediate dentures and or other tooth replacement services, please call Smile Center today at .