Your Dental Timeline: Recovering From a Tooth Extraction & Getting Dentures

It’s not uncommon for patients to undergo a combination of dental procedures alongside each other, like having one or more teeth extracted and getting dentures. However, it’s important to have a realistic expectation of the timeline, because giving your smile enough time to heal is a crucial part of the process. Read on to learn what your timeline will look like from the moment your tooth is extracted to when your smile is complete again.

Step 1: Visit Your Dentist

If one or more teeth are damaged beyond repair, your dentist in Dallas may recommend extracting them in an effort to preserve as much of your natural smile as possible. This is because, although they’re going to be removed, they can be replaced with lifelike artificial teeth that help you regain the health and function of your smile.

Step 2: Have Your Tooth Extracted

Having a tooth extracted is a simple process that only involves a couple of dental instruments. Using a pair of dental forceps, which are similar to a pair of cooking tongs but for teeth, your dentist will gently wiggle the tooth free of its connective tissue. They will then use an elevator to lift the tooth out of the socket and remove it from the mouth.

Step 3: Heal From Your Tooth Extraction

Depending on a variety of factors, like whether you smoke, your healing process will be between six and eight weeks. This will give the gum tissue enough time to close and allow the underlying bone to heal. If you opt for implant dentures, it may be necessary for you to receive a bone graft before you can have the dental implants surgically placed.

Step 4: Get Fitted for Dentures

Once your healing process is complete, your dentist will fit you for either full or partial dentures, depending on whether you’re missing an entire arch or several teeth. They will capture a detailed impression of your gumline and surrounding teeth and send it off to a dental laboratory to then craft your restoration based on the mold.

It’s common that patients need to undergo one or more fittings before their final prosthetic is complete and ready to wear, so be prepared to visit your dentist at least one more time so they can make sure that your new dentures fit perfectly.

Step 5: Enjoy Your Complete Smile

Once your final dentures are complete, your dentist will show you how to maintain them. Typically, it’s important to wear your prosthetic for the first 24 hours, being sure to remove them when you sleep to give your gums a rest after that. If you have any questions or you accidentally damage your dentures, be sure to contact your dentist immediately to ensure they continue working as intended for you.

About the Author

Dr. Vanina Arrechea has over two decades of experience helping patients rebuild and restore their smiles with tried-and-true treatments like dentures and dental implants. She aims to help all of her patients maintain healthy, functional smiles that serve them throughout their lives. Having worked at the Gildewell Dental Lab for several years earlier in her career, she is incredibly familiar with the process of crafting dentures and makes sure her patients’ replacement teeth fit perfectly. For questions or to schedule an appointment, visit Daily Smiles Dental’s website or call 214-233-9460.