In today’s appearance-conscious society, patients demand the transition period from their own natural teeth to replacement teeth be as short as possible with a minimum of disruption to their lives. By employing interim complete dentures, an apprehensive patient can be assured that their appearance will not be dramatically altered and they will be able to smile and function while in a period of healing and transition without missing a beat.

When Should You Use Interim Complete Dentures for Patients?

The objective for using an interim prosthesis is to condition the patient to the acceptance of a substitute for their missing natural teeth until a more long-term treatment option can be provided. In this article, we will discuss some of the uses for interim complete dentures and some general concepts about them to consider.

Immediate Dentures

An immediate denture is the first thing that comes to mind for most clinicians when an interim complete denture is mentioned. An immediate denture is a temporary solution for restoring both form and function to the patient during a period of transition. They can be a godsend for patients, giving them a boost of self-confidence and helping them to come to terms with losing their own teeth. Immediate dentures help maintain the soft tissue contour of the face and act to minimize swelling and control bleeding after extractions.

Immediate dentures are far from perfect, and they do have their drawbacks. Designed to be used for 6 to 12 months after extractions, they are not intended to be a permanent substitute for the patient’s natural teeth. Their main purpose is to allow the patient to continue to live their life while their gums and bone heal.

As a Transition to Implant-Retained Restorations

Today’s dentistry allows dental professionals to create beautiful smiles. No teeth? No problem. We can place dental implants to restore the patient’s teeth without using any removable appliances at all.

But implant placement is an invasive procedure, and implant-supported restorations can be expensive. Sometimes patients want a treatment that their current health status or their pocketbook won’t allow. Suppose the patient is already edentulous or has old dentures that are in poor condition. In that case, an interim appliance may be the best solution to buy additional time until the patient’s health issues can be resolved or their finances are in order, allowing them to undergo the restoration that they truly want.

Overdentures

Sometimes patients have a few teeth that can be maintained, maybe not indefinitely, but long enough to allow them to feel more secure in their transition to complete dentures. An interim overdenture is ideal for this situation because it allows the patient to take baby steps toward becoming edentulous.

Let’s face it. Dentistry has a psychological component to it. Not every patient is mentally prepared to make sweeping changes to their mouth or appearance. By breaking the treatment plan into smaller segments and through the use of interim appliances, the dental professional can help guide the patient toward the agreed upon final treatment goal without requiring the patient to accept the life-changing event of losing all of his or her teeth all at once.

Interim Complete Denture Options to Consider

Interim complete dentures can be as plain or life-like as you want. Stomadent Dental Laboratory offers multiple removable appliances suitable for use as interim complete dentures.

3D Printed Dentures

One quick and simple solution is 3D printed dentures. Printed denture baseplates and printed denture teeth are custom manufactured separately in their respective shades. Since the CAD/CAM designed teeth are fabricated as one continuous unit, the teeth and baseplate components are joined by the lab technician with light cured resin to create a seamless prosthetic. Digital printing of the teeth allows them to be manufactured to fit the exact curvature of the arch for ideal denture stability and occlusion without the need to manually modify stock denture teeth.

Transitional/Economy Dentures

Also suitable for use as an interim complete denture is Stomadent’s traditional Economy Denture. The Economy Denture is a durable and value-conscious appliance with anatomically-shaped teeth produced by a patented injection compression process in shades ranging from Vita A1 to D4 for a pleasing appearance.

Other Options

Of course, it is possible to use any of Stomadent’s dentures as transitional appliances, including our more expensive lines with premium appearance. Since the interim denture is not the final restoration, give the patient a goal to work toward. Why invest more to create the illusion of perfection?

Interim Is in The Eye of The Beholder

No matter what your denture needs may be, Stomadent has you covered. We offer a variety of denture solutions for every use including as interim appliances. With over 20 years of experience, trust Stomadent Dental Laboratory to create custom-designed, esthetically-pleasing dentures as individual and unique as your patient.