Regular Dentures

The denture process goes along as follows:

  1. Impressions of your mouth/teeth are made prior to your extractions for a set of immediate dentures.

  2. You will go in and have your extractions done and your immediate dentures will be placed right after your surgery.

    **Please note: If you have already had your teeth extracted when you start the denture process, you will have impressions done, then the wax bite block and midline measuring, and then a wax try-in for your immediates before they are made. Refer to steps 5 - 7 below.

  3. Next, you will come home and heal for the next several months before starting the process of getting your permanent dentures.

    **I always recommend wearing your immediate dentures for as long as possible because your gums will start shrinking right after your teeth are extracted. The shrinkage will continue for several months up to a year following your extractions. If you get permanent dentures before you are done shrinking, they aren’t going to fit properly and in the long run it will end up costing you more money.

  4. Once you are ready for your permanent dentures the process will start off with a new set of impressions. Your dentist will first have bite blocks made off of these impressions. (Bite blocks are used to measure you for your dentures so that they fit comfortably and look good. They are usually made of wax.)

    5. Once the lab gets your bite blocks done you will go in to make sure they fit correctly, and the dentist will then measure and mark your midline for your dentures. (A midline is just a vertical line that goes from the top of your head down to your chin to divide your face in half. For your dentures, the midline should fall directly between your two upper center teeth and your two lower center teeth. A lot of times it takes a few tries to get the midline right on the wax try-in.)

    6. The next step will be a wax try-in with your new teeth in the wax. Now, this step is very, very important as it’s the last step before your final teeth are made. So, if something is not right with the fit or you don’t like the look or color, now is the time to tell them so changes can be made.

    7. Once all corrections have been made with the wax try-in, it will be sent off to have your final teeth made.

    ** AN IMPORTANT PART OF ANY OF THESE PROCESSES IS SEEING IF THE DENTIST YOU ARE PLANNING ON USING HAS AN ONSITE LAB. IF THEY DON’T, THE PROCESS CAN TAKE MUCH LONGER AND BECOME MUCH MORE COMPLICATED.