Same-day dentures have become a game changer for those seeking to restore their smiles. While traditional dentures required patients to live for weeks – or even months – without their teeth as extraction wounds healed, same-day dentures have changed all that. Here’s how they work.
What Are Same-Day Dentures?
Dentures have long provided patients with a reliable, affordable way to restore their smiles after tooth loss. However, fitting and manufacturing conventional dentures begins post-extraction, after the gums have had time to heal fully, which can take several weeks. During that time, patients are without their teeth, affecting their appearance and their ability to speak, eat, and chew.
Same-day dentures provide all the benefits of dentures without the wait.
The process of making your full or partial same-day denture begins before tooth extraction; this way, your dentures are ready for you the day any remaining teeth are removed. Not only does this mean you never have to be seen without your teeth, but you won’t have to adhere to a strict diet of soft foods or adjust to speaking without teeth.
But these aren’t the only benefits of same day dentures; there are more.
Reasons People Love Same Day Dentures
Quicker Healing
Same-day dentures can help you get through the worst part of post-extraction recovery. Because the dentures are placed immediately following the tooth extraction, they can act as a sort of bandage, reducing bleeding, easing sensitivity, and protecting gums from irritants.
Same-day dentures also help support your facial structure. Without teeth, cheeks can begin to develop a sunken appearance. Dentures can help slow or prevent jawbone deterioration, preserving your natural appearance.
Confidence
Missing teeth dramatically changes how we look, and for some people, this can make social situations and work uncomfortable. Same-day dentures allow you to return to your routine immediately.
Natural Looking
Dentures have come a long way over the last decade; they now look and feel more like natural teeth than ever before. However, the process of matching the current size, formation, and colour of your natural teeth is much easier to do when your teeth are still in your mouth.
Easy Adjustment
Patients often pick up bad habits while living without teeth for an extended period, and some of these habits can be difficult to drop. Same-day dentures make adjusting to dentures easier. Instead of learning to and then unlearning to speak and chew without all your teeth, you can jump right into denture wearing.
Things to Consider Before Getting Same Day Dentures
While there are numerous benefits to same-day dentures, patients also need to be aware of the drawbacks.
Fit is the most common negative of same-day dentures. Because they are fitting and manufactured before teeth are extracted, getting the sizing just right can be a challenge. Gums will also change as they heal; over time, same-day dentures may need to be relined or refitted to ensure a secure fit.
Price is something else that patients will need to consider before opting for same-day dentures. Because the fitting process is more complex, often requiring several visits before teeth are extracted and several more after, same-day dentures cost upwards of 25% more than conventional dentures. And because it is almost impossible to know how much gums will shrink post-extraction, there is also the risk that the dentures will need to be refitted rather than simply relined.
Overall, many patients find that the benefits of same-day dentures outweigh the costs. If you would like to learn more about your tooth replacement options, we are here to help.
