Immediate dentures in Tweed Heads
If you’re facing extractions and worried about being left without teeth, our Tweed Heads denture clinic can help you plan immediate dentures so you can walk out with a complete smile on the same day your teeth are removed. Tweed Heads dentists trust us with their immediate denture referrals because our prosthetists get it right the first time. With over 45 years’ experience, our dental prosthetists guide you through every stage – from your first consultation to adjustments and relines as your mouth heals.
Call (07) 5536 4241 to book a free 30‑minute immediate‑denture consultation at our Tweed Heads clinic.
Why choose Northern Rivers Denture Clinic for immediate dentures
45+ years experience
Over 45 years’ experience helping patients through extractions and immediate dentures
Before-and-after support
Close coordination with your dentist or oral surgeon before and after surgery
Clear, fair pricing
Clear, itemised costs for dentures, tissue conditioning and relines, with payment‑plan options
Local Tweed Heads
Convenient Tweed Heads location, caring for patients across Tweed Heads, Tweed Heads South, Banora Point and the wider Tweed Coast
What are immediate dentures?
Immediate dentures and temporary dentures are the same thing. They are made in advance and fitted straight after your teeth are removed, so you are not left without teeth while your mouth heals. At Northern Rivers Denture Clinic in Tweed Heads, immediate dentures can be partial (replacing one or a few teeth) or full (replacing all teeth on the upper or lower jaw, or both).
After your gums heal, we can reline or remake your dentures at our Tweed Heads clinic so they continue to fit comfortably.
Our team works closely with your dentist to help you transition smoothly to life with dentures.
Immediate dentures vs permanent dentures
The key difference is timing - and whether you're comfortable going without teeth during the healing process.
Immediate dentures are fitted on the same day your natural teeth are removed, so you never have to go without teeth. However, because they're made before your extractions and fitted while your gums are still swollen, immediate dentures will need adjustments and relining as your mouth heals over the following months.
Permanent dentures require waiting 8-12 weeks after tooth extraction for your gums to heal completely before we can take final impressions. This waiting period means going without teeth temporarily, but it allows us to create dentures with a more precise, stable fit from the start.
Many patients choose immediate dentures for the confidence and comfort of maintaining their appearance, then transition to permanent dentures once healing is complete.
Immediate denture pros and cons
The primary advantage of immediate dentures is simple but significant - you never have to be without teeth. Your new dentures are fitted on the same day your natural teeth are removed, so you maintain your appearance and ability to eat and speak throughout the healing process.
There are practical benefits too. The denture acts as a protective bandage over the extraction sites, sealing the wounds to reduce bleeding and swelling while your gums heal. This can make recovery more comfortable.
Cost and convenience also matter. Compared to implants or bridges, immediate dentures are significantly less expensive and quicker to complete, with fewer appointments required at our clinic.
Finally, our dental prosthetists can use your existing natural teeth as a guide to replicate their shape, colour, and arrangement before they're removed. Even if your natural teeth are misaligned, discoloured, broken, or missing, our prosthetists can help you achieve a natural-looking smile that may actually be an improvement on what you had before.
Immediate dentures are considered temporary because they only serve you during the healing period following tooth extraction. As your gums and bone shrink and reshape over the weeks and months after extractions, your dentures will require multiple adjustments to maintain a comfortable fit.
During this healing phase, your immediate dentures will become loose and need regular relining with a soft tissue conditioning material. This prevents sore spots, irritation, and keeps your dentures functional while your mouth continues to change. We recommend a permanent hard reline within the first 12 months once healing is complete.
At Northern Rivers Denture Clinic, your immediate denture cost includes two tissue conditioning treatments, ensuring your comfort throughout the healing process.
Can immediate dentures be permanent?
While it's technically possible to keep wearing your immediate dentures beyond the initial healing period, we don't recommend it.
Here's why: Immediate dentures typically have an effective lifespan of 18-24 months, not because of quality issues - they're made to the same high standards and from the same materials as permanent dentures - but because of the significant changes happening in your mouth during healing.
As your gums and bone shrink and reshape after extractions, your immediate dentures will need frequent adjustments including 2-4 soft tissue conditioning treatments to maintain comfort and fit, and 1-2 permanent relines within the 24-month period.
Even with these adjustments, immediate dentures are fitted to a mouth that's swollen and healing. Once that healing is complete, your mouth has a completely different shape. A new permanent denture custom-fitted to your fully healed mouth will provide better fit and stability, improved comfort, a more natural appearance, and better chewing function.
After transitioning to permanent dentures, proper maintenance will help them last for years with annual check-ups and a hard reline every 2 years.
Our team at Northern Rivers Denture Clinic Tweed Heads will guide you through every stage - from your immediate dentures through to permanent dentures that give you the best long-term results.
Your journey to immediate dentures
- 1. Consultation and planning
Your first visit to our Tweed Heads clinic is a free 30-minute consultation where we discuss your needs and what to expect. We'll recommend a trusted local Tweed Heads dentist or oral surgeon for your extractions, and once they've determined which teeth need to be removed, we take your preliminary impressions. This coordination between our team and your dentist ensures everything is planned precisely before your procedure.
- 2. Creating your custom dentures
Our dental prosthetists take detailed measurements including your bite registration and custom impressions using specially made trays. If you're already wearing dentures and need additional teeth added, you'll have a try-in appointment to check the fit and appearance before we finalise your new dentures. For first-time denture wearers, we create your dentures based on your natural teeth as a guide, even replicating improvements to shape and colour where needed.
- 3. Your fitting day
You'll collect your completed dentures from us along with clear post-extraction instructions. You then take your new dentures to your dentist or oral surgeon for your tooth extractions, and they'll fit the denture immediately afterwards so you never go without teeth. Your dentist will sometimes see you again 24 hours later to check your healing and ensure everything is progressing well.
- 4. Comprehensive aftercare
About 48 hours after your extractions, you'll return to our clinic so we can check your dentures are sitting comfortably and make any needed adjustments. We'll see you again after one week, and you can return as often as necessary for adjustments during the healing period. We also follow up with you monthly for the first three months to ensure your comfort as your mouth heals. Your immediate denture includes two tissue conditioning treatments to maintain fit as your gums change shape.
Who do I see first - dentist, oral surgeon or prosthetist?
Start with us. Our free 30-minute consultation saves you time and money by confirming your suitability for immediate dentures upfront, before you commit to extraction costs. We'll assess your case and refer you to the right professional for your tooth extractions.
Simple extractions are performed by your dentist. Complex cases - involving multiple extractions, health conditions, prescribed medications, or dental implants - require an oral surgeon working under anaesthetic.
Your prosthetist handles everything else: creating your dentures, fitting them, and providing all your ongoing adjustments and care throughout the healing period.
Immediate dentures for a single tooth
Losing just one tooth? We can create a single tooth immediate denture so you never have a visible gap.
Leaving a gap isn't just cosmetic. Adjacent teeth shift into the empty space, changing your bite and potentially causing jaw pain. The lack of support can age your facial appearance. There's also increased risk of gum disease and decay around the gap.
A single tooth immediate denture preserves the space while you decide on your permanent solution - whether that's a dental implant or a permanent single tooth denture. It also helps minimise bone shrinkage in the extraction site, particularly important if you're planning dental implants later.
After your extractions: what to expect
Most patients adjust to their immediate dentures within 4-6 weeks, though everyone's healing journey is different. You may experience temporary challenges with speaking, eating, or excess saliva production - these discomforts are normal and will pass.
Contact your dentist immediately if you experience excessive swelling, bleeding, or fever. Dry socket and wound infections need quick attention.
Contact our clinic for any sore spots or irritation - adjustments are quick and there's no benefit to soldiering on with discomfort.
Follow your dental professional's post-extraction advice carefully, maintain excellent oral hygiene, and be patient with yourself during the adjustment period. As your mouth heals over the next 24 months, expect regular adjustments and relines - this is completely normal.
For detailed post-operative instructions, see our immediate dentures post-op information page.
How much do immediate dentures cost?
The cost of immediate dentures depends on how many teeth are removed, the type of denture and any extra visits needed as your gums heal. The first two tissue conditioning treatments are included in the price of your new immediate denture, and we provide clear, itemised quotes at your free 30‑minute consultation.
Frequently asked questions
How long will I be without teeth on the day?
For most people, you are not left without teeth on the day of your extractions.
Your dentist or oral surgeon removes the teeth and fit your immediate dentures straight after, so you leave with teeth in place the same day.
There may be a short time in the chair without teeth while your dentist checks the fit, but you are not going home toothless.
Will my immediate dentures feel loose?
Immediate dentures usually feel snug at first, then a bit looser as the gums and bone shrink during healing.
This is normal and expected after extractions.
We review you regularly and can adjust or reline the denture to improve the fit while everything is settling.
Later, you may choose a more permanent reline or a new denture once healing is complete.
Can I eat normally with immediate dentures?
You will need to start with soft foods and cut food into small pieces while you get used to your new dentures.
Over time, most people work back up to a fairly normal diet, avoiding very hard, sticky or chewy foods.
We will give you specific eating tips at your visit and can adjust the denture if certain areas are rubbing or sore.
How long do immediate dentures last?
Immediate dentures are designed to get you through the healing phase after your teeth are removed.
Because your gums and bone change shape a lot in the first year, these dentures often need relines or may eventually be replaced.
Many people wear their immediate dentures for a few years, but we will review you regularly and let you know when a reline or new denture is the better option.
Are follow‑up visits and adjustments included in the cost?
Your fee for immediate dentures includes your planned review visits and the first two tissue conditioning treatments, so early adjustments are taken care of while your gums heal.
If you need extra visits or a permanent reline or remake later on, we will always explain the costs in advance.
You will receive a clear, itemised quote at your free 30‑minute consultation before you decide to go ahead.
Denture Care
Caring for your new dentures
Emergency Dentures
Rapid emergency denture service
Call (07) 5536 4241
Free 30-minute Consultation
at our Tweed Heads denture clinic
We believe in informed decisions. That's why we offer free 30-minute consultations to all our patients, new and existing. During this no-pressure appointment, we'll discuss your denture needs and goals, provide a personalised treatment plan and clear cost estimate, with no obligation to proceed. We want you to feel comfortable and empowered.
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