Life With Your New Immediate Denture

Q: Why does my denture feel so loose already?

This is the most common and normal experience with an immediate denture. The looseness you feel is a direct result of your gums and bone healing and shrinking after the extractions. This is precisely why we do periodic soft relines—to fill in that space and keep the denture snug as you heal.

Q: Will my final denture look and feel better than this one?

Yes. Think of your immediate denture as a functional blueprint. It was made based on a model of your mouth before the teeth were removed. Your final denture will be made on a model of your fully healed gums, allowing us to create a more precise fit, a more natural appearance, and an ideal bite.

Q: How can I improve my ability to chew with a denture?

That is a very important question. Learning the new chewing technique is the first step. For patients who are candidates, we can use dental implants to dramatically improve stability and power. Here’s what clinical studies show about “chewing efficiency” compared to your natural teeth (100%): A conventional complete denture restores about 20-30% of original chewing power. An implant-retained overdenture (snaps on) restores about 40-60% of chewing power. A fixed implant denture (screwed in) restores 70-90% of chewing power. As you heal, we can have a detailed conversation about these different options to decide on the best long-term solution for you.

Q: I could eat anything with my old teeth, but now I'm struggling. Why?

This is one of the most difficult but important things to understand. While your natural teeth may have been “hopeless,” they were still anchored in bone, giving you strong chewing power. A denture rests on soft gums, which provides significantly less force. The goal is to learn a new skill, but it’s important to have realistic expectations about the limitations of a conventional denture.

Care for Your New Restoration

The Adjustment Period

The first few weeks with an immediate denture are the most challenging because you are healing from surgery and learning a new skill at the same time. It is essential to be patient with yourself during this adaptation period.

A New Feeling in Your Mouth

Your new denture will feel foreign and bulky at first. Your tongue and cheeks need time to learn how to function with it in place.
Speaking: You may notice a change in your speech. Reading aloud for a few minutes each day is the fastest way to help your tongue and muscles adapt.

The Palate (Upper Denture)

For an upper denture, the roof of your mouth will be covered with acrylic. This is a significant change that can affect how you experience food.

It can temporarily dull your sense of taste and your ability to feel the texture and temperature of what you’re eating. This is normal, and your brain will adapt over time.

A New Way to Chew: Vertical Motion, Not Grinding

This is the most important new skill you will learn. With natural teeth, you likely chewed in a side-to-side grinding motion. This will not work with a denture and will cause it to become unstable.

To keep your denture stable, you must now learn to chew with a simple up-and-down, chopping motion.
Start with soft foods cut into very small pieces.
Try to chew on both sides of your mouth at the same time. This creates balanced pressure and prevents the denture from tipping.

Bite Adjustment Information

It is 100% normal and expected to develop sore spots on your gums as you heal and adapt to your new denture. We will manage these with a series of adjustments and soft relines.

CRITICAL INSTRUCTION FOR ADJUSTMENTS: For us to help you, we need to see where it hurts. You MUST wear your denture for the full 24 hours preceding any adjustment appointment. This allows the denture to leave a visible mark on your gums, which is the only way for us to know exactly where to make a precise and effective adjustment.

Permanent Prosthetic / Denture Care

The First 24 Hours are Critical

As stated in your surgical instructions, you must leave your new denture in your mouth continuously for the first full 24 hours. If you remove it, swelling will occur rapidly, and you will not be able to put it back in. After this initial period, you will begin removing it for cleaning.

⚠️ IMPORTANT WARNING: For the first several days, your gums will still be very swollen. If you leave the denture out for more than a few minutes while cleaning, you may find it very difficult or impossible to put it back in. It is critical to clean the denture and your mouth and re-insert it promptly.

Understanding Your Immediate Denture

It is crucial to understand that your immediate denture is most often a transitional or healing prosthesis, not necessarily your final one. When it was made, we had to make “guesses” about how your gums and bone would heal after the extractions. The fit will change as you heal.

The Healing & Reline Process

Day of Surgery: We will place a soft, medicated liner inside your denture to improve comfort.
The Healing Timeline: Your gums and bone will change shape dramatically over the next 6-12 months. As this happens, your denture will become loose.
Soft Relines: To keep the denture fitting well during this time, you will need periodic soft relines (your first is at your 2-week post-op appointment).
The 6-Month Mark: After about 6 months, healing has stabilized. At this point, we will decide on the best long-term option, which may be a definitive hard reline of your current denture or the fabrication of a brand new final denture.