Extensive tooth loss is a common oral health issue, and dentures allow patients to greet the world with a whole smile again. Modern dentures are incredibly lifelike and so comfortable that patients often forget that they are wearing them at all. They can also improve a patient’s diet by allowing them to chew a wider variety of healthy foods. Since dentures carry all these benefits, it’s no wonder that so many people are curious about getting them. Here’s a brief overview of how long it takes to get your own set of dentures as well as the steps the process entails.
Getting Dentures Starts With…
The process of getting dentures begins with an oral exam. Your dentist will inspect your mouth and your remaining teeth to determine the best course of treatment. Some patients may be good candidates for partial dentures, which fill in the gaps between healthy teeth with lifelike dental crowns. Other patients may require full dentures, which can require the extraction of remaining healthy teeth. Whether or not the patient requires extractions is a key factor in how long it takes to get dentures.
If the Patient Requires Extractions…
Since swelling and sensitivity are to be expected following tooth extractions, it is necessary that the mouth be allowed to heal before it can be measured for dentures. Generally speaking, it takes between six and eight weeks for gums to be sufficiently healed after tooth extraction, but every patient is different. Your dentist may schedule you for regular follow-up appointments during this period so they can ensure that your mouth is healing properly.
Then It’s Time for Impressions
To create a precise map of your gums, your dentist will have you bite into a dental tray filled with a viscous (and pleasantly flavored) fluid, allowing them to take a negative mold of your mouth. This will provide the data necessary for making a well-fitting set of dentures. During the same appointment, your dentist will create a prototype of your new smile using wax blocks. You will advise them as to the size and shape of your teeth, so you may want to bring along a few photos of how your smile used to look.
Your Dentures Are Manufactured
The impressions and wax blocks will then be sent to a lab where a skilled technician will carefully construct your new dentures. Your dentures will then be sent back to your dentist so you can try them on and request any adjustments. They will then be sent back to the lab to be accordingly modified, cleaned, and finalized. A few days later, your dentures will be back at your dentist’s office so you can pick them up and start wearing them.
In total, the process of getting dentures can last anywhere from six weeks to three months, and whether the patient requires extractions is the biggest factor here. While this may seem like a bit of a wait, the benefits dentures bring to their patients make the time investment well worth it.
About the Author
Dr. Herbert T. Hudson earned his dental degree from the Louisville School of Dental Medicine and has taken many continuing education classes for dentistry from the Dawson Academy, the Las Vegas Institute, and SPEAR Education. He is proud to be a member of the American Dental Association, the North Carolina Dental Society, and the Academy of General Dentistry. His office in Pinehurst, NC offers general, pediatric, cosmetic, restorative, and emergency dentistry in addition to denture treatments. For more information on getting dentures, contact the office online or dial (910) 295-2750.