The short answer
Immediate dentures are made before your remaining teeth are removed and placed the same day, so you are never without teeth. Conventional dentures are made after the extractions once the gums have healed, which the ADA says may take several months. Immediates usually need relining or remaking after healing because the gums and bone change shape. Your dentist will check your gums and bone and walk through both.
General information, not a diagnosis. Your dentist will examine your mouth before recommending treatment.
Where you are right now
Your dentist has told you the remaining teeth in an arch cannot be saved, and you will be moving to a full denture. The next question is timing: do you want teeth placed the same day the extractions happen, or would you rather wait for the gums to heal and have the denture made to the healed shape?
Both paths end in a full denture. They differ in when you get it, how well it fits at first, and how much refitting to expect. Neither is right or wrong; it is a choice about timing and trade-offs that you and your dentist make together. The immediate dentures page covers the same-day option in detail, and the dentures and partial dentures page covers dentures in general.
If some of your teeth are still healthy, a partial denture or a bridge may be a better fit than a full denture. See bridge vs. partial denture before reading on.
How immediate dentures work
An immediate denture is made before your teeth are removed. Your dentist takes measurements and impressions at earlier visits, and a laboratory builds the denture from them. On extraction day, the denture is placed right after the teeth come out, so you leave with teeth.
The practice describes three phases: back teeth may be removed first, the denture is made, then the remaining teeth are removed and the denture is inserted the same day. The denture also covers the extraction sites while they heal, and you eat soft foods for the first few days.
The trade-off is fit. The denture was shaped to a mouth that still had teeth, and gums and bone change shape as they heal. The ADA notes that an immediate denture may need to be relined or remade after your jaw has healed. Plan on follow-up visits for adjustments and at least one reline.
How conventional dentures work
A conventional denture is made after the remaining teeth are removed and the tissues have healed, a wait the ADA says may take several months. Impressions are taken of the healed ridge, so the denture matches the shape your mouth has settled into.
The clear downside is the gap: a period without teeth in that arch while healing happens. The upside is that the first fit is made to a settled ridge, so early refitting is usually smaller. The mouth still changes slowly over the years, so relines and adjustments remain part of life with any denture.
For the step-by-step of impressions, try-ins, and fitting, see the process for getting dentures.
| Question | Immediate denture | Conventional denture |
|---|---|---|
| When you get teeth | The same day the remaining teeth are removed | After the gums heal, which the ADA says may take several months |
| Time without teeth | None | A healing period with no teeth in that arch |
| How the first fit is made | From impressions taken while teeth were still present | From impressions of the healed ridge |
| Early relines | Expected; a reline or remake after healing is common | Usually fewer at first; relines come later as the ridge changes |
| Learning to eat and speak | Once, with one appliance, starting on extraction day | After the wait, once the denture is placed |
| Visits | Several before extraction day, then follow-ups during healing | Impressions and fittings after healing, then follow-ups |
What both options share
Whichever timing you choose, some things are the same.
- New dentures may feel awkward for a few weeks. Extra saliva, minor soreness, and a few changed speech sounds are normal early on.
- Expect follow-up visits so the fit can be checked and sore spots relieved. Early on, your dentist may want to see you often.
- Over time your mouth changes, and the denture may need adjusting, relining, or eventually replacing. Denture reline vs. new denture explains how to tell which.
- Daily care is the same: brush the denture with a soft brush and a non-abrasive cleanser, brush your gums and tongue, and keep the denture in water when it is out so it does not warp.
- Call if a sore spot or irritation does not go away. Persistent soreness is a reason to be seen, not something to wait out.
Which one usually fits
Immediate dentures tend to suit people who do not want to be seen without teeth, who work with the public, or who want to learn to speak and chew with one appliance rather than two. The practice notes that candidates generally have reasonably healthy gums and jawbone to support the denture during healing, and that immediates are not right for everyone.
Conventional dentures tend to suit people who can manage a healing period without teeth and who want the first fit made to a settled ridge, with less refitting early on.
Cost plays a part too. An immediate denture includes the work done before extraction day and the relines that follow; a conventional denture adds nothing during the wait but leaves you without teeth. Ask what each path includes before comparing fees.
Some situations change the plan. Extractions expected to be complex may be referred to an oral surgeon, and extensive bone or gum problems may call for a different sequence. Your dentist will say so at the consultation rather than stretch to fit the plan. The practice's post Dentures 101: types, fit, and care is a good companion read.
Questions to ask before you decide
Insurance and payment facts on this site come from one place: the practice accepts all PPO plans, does not accept Medi-Cal or Denti-Cal, and works with patients on a payment solution. See dental insurance and payment and call to verify your coverage.
- Am I a candidate for an immediate denture, and what about my gums or bone affects that?
- How many visits will the whole process take, before and after extraction day?
- What relines or a remake should I expect, and are they included in the fee?
- If I choose conventional, how long will I be without teeth, and is a temporary option possible?
- What should I eat in the first days, and when should I take the denture out?
- What does my PPO plan cover for extractions, dentures, and relines?