Kourosh Maddahi, DDS, Beverly Hills cosmetic dentist, explains that there are two options for a patient getting complete dentures. Conventional dentures cannot be fit for several months after the teeth are completely removed, as the gums need that time to fully heal. As the gums and bones in the mouth are continually healing and changing shape, even the conventional dentures need to be reshaped - but only about once every four years.

Immediate dentures are an option for people who don't want to go without teeth for that length of time. As the name suggests, these dentures are measured for and immediately used. The only problem with immediate dentures is that they tend to fit well for only three to six months, because the gums heal and change shape. Although they will need to be replaced or relined by conventional dentures in six months, there are some benefits to using immediate dentures. They act as a bandage over the freshly worked-on gums to prevent excessive bleeding. They also allow the patient to immediately get used to talking again with a full mouth of teeth - as opposed to learning to talk with no teeth for six months and then re-learning to speak with teeth. The most obvious benefit is that the patient will never need to be in public with no teeth in his or her mouth.