Restorative Dentistry
Immediate Dentures in Los Angeles
You do not leave without teeth.
When teeth have to be removed, the gap between extraction and a finished denture is the part people dread. An immediate denture is made beforehand and fitted the same day. Smile LA Downtown Modern Dentistry offers it as one of four denture types.
Fitted the same day
How it works
The denture is made in advance, from impressions taken while your teeth are still in place. On the day of the extractions it goes straight in, so you never appear in public without teeth and the tissue underneath is protected while it heals. That second point is easy to overlook and worth as much as the first: a denture seated immediately acts as a dressing over the sites, which is a practical benefit rather than only a cosmetic one. What you are trading for it is stated on this page rather than discovered afterwards — a denture fitted on the day is fitted to a mouth that is about to change shape, and it will need attention as that happens.
The trade-off
The trade-off, stated plainly
Gums and bone change shape as they heal after extraction. A denture fitted on day one is fitted to a mouth that is about to change, so it will need adjusting — and eventually relining or replacing — as things settle. That is not a fault in the denture; it is the price of not going without one.
- What you gain No period without teeth, and protection for the healing site.
- What it costs Adjustments afterwards, and a reline or a definitive denture later.
- The alternative Waiting for the gums to heal and having a conventional denture made to the settled shape.
Worth asking about at the same time
If implants are in your plan at all, it is worth raising before the extractions rather than after — an unstabilized denture allows bone loss, and the bone available is what determines the options later. See implant supported dentures.
The short answer
An immediate denture is a removable denture made in advance and fitted on the same day the natural teeth are removed, so the patient is never without teeth. It is made from impressions taken while the teeth are still in place, then seated straight after the extractions, where it also protects the healing sites underneath. Because the gums and bone change shape as they heal, an immediate denture needs adjusting afterwards and eventually relining or replacing with a definitive denture.
Immediate Dentures FAQ
- Will I leave the appointment with teeth?
- Yes, you leave the appointment with teeth, because that is the entire purpose of an immediate denture. It is made beforehand from impressions taken while your natural teeth are still in place. On the day of the extractions it goes straight in, so you never appear in public without teeth. Seated immediately, it also acts as a dressing over the healing sites.
- Will it need adjusting?
- Yes, an immediate denture will need adjusting as your mouth heals. The gums and bone change shape after extraction, and a denture fitted on day one is fitted to a mouth that is about to change. As things settle it needs adjustments, and eventually a reline or a definitive replacement denture. That is not a fault in the denture but the trade-off for not going without teeth.
- Is it the same as a conventional denture?
- No, an immediate denture and a conventional denture differ in when they are made and fitted. A conventional denture is made after the gums have healed and settled, so it fits the final shape of the mouth from the start. The drawback is that you go without teeth while you wait for that healing. An immediate denture avoids the gap but needs adjusting and relining as the mouth changes.
- Should I consider implants first?
- If implants are in your plan at all, it is worth discussing them before the extractions rather than after. The bone available after the teeth come out is what determines which options are possible later. A denture that is not stabilized by implants allows the bone underneath to be lost over time. Raising it early means the whole plan can take that into account, and implant supported dentures are the option to ask about.
