If your remaining teeth need to come out, an immediate denture means you walk out of that appointment with teeth. It is made before the extractions and fitted straight afterwards. The catch is that your gums and bone change shape a great deal as they heal, so the denture will loosen and needs follow-up visits, relines and often a replacement once healing settles.
The denture is made before the teeth come out
Impressions, bite records and shade choices are taken while your natural teeth are still in place. The lab then builds the denture with the teeth that are going to be removed trimmed off the model, shaped to how the gums are expected to look after the extractions. On the day, the teeth are taken out and the denture goes straight in over the sockets.
Because the denture is shaped to a prediction rather than to a healed mouth, the first fit is rarely the final fit. You also do not get a full try-in of the finished look in your own mouth beforehand, since your natural teeth are still there.
What you gain on the day
The obvious gain is appearance. You can smile, talk and go back to work or family life without a visible gap. The denture also covers the extraction sites, which helps protect them in the first days, and it keeps the cheeks and lips supported while you get used to the new shape. For many people, especially when front teeth are involved, that is the deciding reason.
Healing changes the fit
After extractions, the bone and gum where the teeth were remodel and shrink. A 12-month study by Schropp and colleagues (International Journal of Periodontics and Restorative Dentistry, 2003) found that the major changes at an extraction site happen during the first year. Better Health Victoria notes that a denture may need adjusting and relining within a few months of teeth being removed, as the bone changes and the denture loosens.
The Australian Dental Association also notes that an immediate denture may need more follow-up appointments and may need replacing sooner than a conventional one. This is expected, not a fault. Common steps are:
- A review within the first days to ease sore spots.
- A soft temporary lining when the denture starts to feel loose.
- A reline once the gums have settled further.
- For many people, a new conventional denture made to the healed shape, with the immediate denture kept as a spare.
Our guide to denture care and relines explains what a reline involves.
The first weeks at home
Your dentist will tell you how long to keep the denture in after the extractions and when to start taking it out to clean. Stick to soft, cool foods at first, cut food small, and chew on both sides. Expect some soreness and swelling, and call if a sore spot does not ease or something feels wrong. Our guide to eating with new dentures has practical tips for this stage.
Once you are past the early healing, the usual routine applies: brush the denture morning and night with a soft brush and a non-abrasive cleaner rather than toothpaste, avoid hot water, and take it out overnight.
What immediate dentures typically cost
An immediate denture is usually priced in the same range as a conventional denture of the same type. Typical market ranges are about $1,000 to $5,000 for a full denture for one arch and about $600 to $2,800 for a partial denture. Extractions are charged separately, with typical market ranges of about $200 to $350 for a simple extraction and $400 to $900 for a surgical one. Relines, and any new denture made after healing, add to the total. These are typical market ranges, not Lumi Dental fees. Our denture cost guide breaks the figures down further.
Questions about immediate dentures
Will I leave with teeth?
Yes. That is the purpose of an immediate denture.
Why does it feel loose after a few weeks?
The gums and bone shrink as the sockets heal, so the fitting surface no longer matches. A soft lining or reline brings it back into contact.
Should I save my teeth instead?
If some teeth may be saveable, that is worth discussing first. Our article on root canal versus extraction covers that choice.
Can I have implants later?
Often, yes. Once healing is complete, implants can hold a snap-in denture or a fixed bridge if there is enough bone. See our implant cost guide.
Planning extractions with a denture ready
If you are facing extractions and do not want to be without teeth, the team at Lumi Dental can plan the timing, the denture and the follow-up visits with you. See our current deals or contact the team at Lumi Dental to arrange a consultation.
