Patient Services
Immediate Dentures
The remaining teeth are removed and the bone and gum tissue are contoured to give you the most adaptive ridge possible for placement of your new dentures. The pre-contoured denture will be placed immediately after tooth removal. Please expect these consequences:
- There will be some swelling. An ice bag placed over the area for twenty minutes on and twenty minutes off will help control the problem. For the ice bag, you may use ice in a plastic bag wrapped in a towel or a frozen bag of peas works well, too. Please follow extraction post-op instruction sheet for full details.
- You will have some discomfort and we will prescribe appropriate medication. Please follow the medication’s directions for best results.
- Minor adjustments for your denture will be necessary. Leave your denture in position for the first twenty-four hours. Your dentist will take it out for you the first time to make the necessary adjustments.
- Do not rinse for the first twenty-four hours. Then you may rinse gently with warm water.
- Most of your discomfort will disappear in seven to ten days and initial healing will be well under way. Swelling will also take 10 to 14 days to disappear.
- Activities of daily living may resume after a few days. I recommend you take two days following surgery to return to your daily routine. Avoid competitive sports and get extra rest.
- Diet: Follow a soft or liquid diet for about three days. Small bites and slow chewing will help you learn how to manipulate the new teeth. Dentures are a substitute for nature’s original plan; not a replacement! Eating will be a ‘learned skill’. Be patient, eating will get better with time and experience.