Will I need oral surgery before getting dentures?
You may think that getting dentures won’t involve a surgical procedure, but in some cases, an oral surgeon will need to be involved in order to prepare the mouth to be fitted with the dentures.
The oral surgeon may perform a relatively minor intervention in the category of pre-prosthetic surgery if it is necessary to reshape the jaw to accommodate the denture.
The denture, gum and jaw all must fit together properly to ensure patient comfort while wearing the denture. Pre-prosthetic surgery can help to improve that fit.
Pre-prosthetic surgery may be necessary in a variety of situations. For example, tooth extraction may leave behind an uneven bone ridge that needs to smoothed out prior before the patient can be fitted for dentures. Some patients have gum and bone contours that will not support a denture, and surgery can help to prepare the jaw to accommodate the appliance. Others may have too much bone in the jaw and need to have some of it removed.
Additionally, some patients may need to have teeth extracted surgically before getting dentures, especially if those teeth are impacted or if a simple extraction is not feasible.
The following procedures fall under the umbrella of pre-prosthetic surgery.
- Surgical extraction of impacted teeth
- Bone smoothing and recontouring
- Elimination of excess bone
- Bone ridge reduction
- Removal of excess gum tissue/Reshaping of the gums
The practitioner who is fitting you for your dentures will tell you if surgery will be necessary. If you do need pre-prosthetic surgery, it can be completed on an outpatient basis. You can choose sedation for a more comfortable surgical experience.
Patients who need to undergo pre-prosthetic surgery before getting their dentures do not need to let the prospect of surgery cause anxiety for them. These procedures are routine, and your oral surgeon can discuss any concerns with you in advance of the procedure.
Ultimately, you want your dentures to fit well so that they’ll be as comfortable as possible. Pre-prosthetic surgery can help to achieve that goal. For additional information, contact the office of Dr. K. Ford Moore at 905-853-3727.