Once most or all of your teeth have been lost to decay or another form of dental trauma, they need to be replaced. Otherwise, you won’t be able to chew your food well enough to maintain a healthy diet, and you’ll start to look older as your facial muscles lose their support and collapse. You’ll therefore want to get reliable dentures right away. However, creating and placing false teeth is a process that usually isn’t completed in just one visit; odds are you’ll have to make multiple appointments before fully enjoying your new smile. How long does getting dentures in Moses Lake usually take? You can find out by reading below.
The Dentures Process
The length of the dentures process depends on the steps involved, which might vary slightly depending on the situation. It will likely involve the following steps:
- Extraction: Full dentures can only be placed once any remaining teeth have been removed. For this reason, extractions might be required.
- Taking Impressions: No two mouths are the same. Measurements need to be taken to ensure that your new teeth will fit properly, which is why impressions of the ridges in your mouth will be taken. A wax mockup will then be made and sent to a lab so that they can fabricate the final restoration.
- Adjustments: The mockup will need to be adjusted each time you visit the dentist in order to ensure that the mockup still accurately reflects the state of your mouth. This step is vital for making sure your new teeth are the correct length and width.
- Placement: Once the dentures have been made and the adjustments are complete, your dentist in Moses Lake can place them in your mouth.
So How Long Does the Process Take?
Extractions alone can greatly affect the length of the process. The extraction sites need time to heal, and more extensive extractions tend to result in lengthier recoveries. It usually takes a few months for the mouth to heal; once the gums and underlying bone are repaired enough to the point that accurate impressions can be taken, the process can move forward. From that point, it will take about three or four visits for dentures to be designed and placed.
In cases where you cannot be without teeth while waiting for the final restoration, you might be given immediate dentures, which are made from impressions while you still have teeth and are placed right after the extraction. Extra aftercare is required for immediate dentures due to the issues that might occur if they’re removed too soon.
Regardless of the exact amount of time it takes for you to get dentures, it goes without saying you’ll be better off receiving your new teeth sooner rather than later. Call your dentist today to set up a consultation and learn more about the first steps of the process.
About the Author
Dr. Craig R. Harder has been fixing and improving smiles in the Moses Lake area for more than 20 years. He has completed hundreds of hours of continuing education courses with a particularly large focus on esthetics. When his patients need dentures to replace entire arches of teeth, he provides restorations that have been expertly designed with the help of high-quality digital impressions. If you believe you’ll need dentures soon, you can set up an appointment with Dr. Harder at Moses Lake Family Dentistry by visiting his website or calling (509) 765-4351.