What is immediate dentures installation?
Immediate dentures installation means fitting a ready-made removable denture on the same day that your remaining teeth are taken out. The denture is made in advance from impressions and records of your mouth, so that you leave the surgery with teeth rather than a gap. It sits on the gums like a conventional denture, but it also acts like a protective covering over the extraction sockets, helping to control bleeding and protect the area while it heals. Immediate dentures can replace all the teeth in one arch, or several front teeth at once if the back teeth are retained.
This guide explains how the treatment works, what it is like while you heal, why the denture will need adjusting, what it costs compared with the UK, US and Germany, and how to choose a clinic. For the wider range of options see our dental treatments in Turkey hub.
How are immediate dentures made and fitted?
The sequence has four stages. First, the dentist examines your mouth, takes X-rays and records the bite and the shade and shape of the teeth you want. Impressions are taken and the laboratory makes the denture, usually in a few days; some clinics use digital scans. Second, on the day of surgery, the teeth are removed under local anaesthesia, sometimes with sedation, and the sockets are cleaned and smoothed. Third, the denture is placed straight away and the bite is checked. Fourth, you attend a review within about 24 to 48 hours, when the dentist checks for sore spots and trims the denture.
Because the denture is made before the teeth are out, the fit cannot be tried with the final gum shape. That is the main trade-off of the method, and it is why the first fitting is not the final result.
What happens while the gums heal, and why do immediate dentures need relining?
After extraction, the gums and the bone beneath them change shape. Most of the swelling settles in the first two weeks, but the ridge continues to shrink for several months. As this happens the denture, which was made for the earlier shape, becomes loose. The dentist therefore adds new material to the underside (a reline) after a few weeks or months, and often again later. Many patients then have a new permanent denture made about three to six months after surgery, once the gums have settled.
It is worth planning for this before you travel. A reline or replacement is usually done after healing, so ask whether it will be done in Turkey on a second visit or by your own dentist at home, and what each option costs. Without that follow-up, a loose immediate denture can rub, trap food and affect speech and eating.
Immediate dentures installation cost in Turkey compared with the UK, US and Germany
The figures below are approximate ranges per arch for the denture alone, not hospital quotes. Extractions, X-rays, bone smoothing, sedation and relines are often charged separately, and each hospital confirms its price in a written quote.
| Country | Approximate cost per arch |
|---|---|
| Turkey | €350 – €1,300 |
| United Kingdom | €800 – €2,400 |
| United States | €1,000 – €3,500 |
| Germany | €700 – €2,200 |
What changes the price: the denture material (acrylic, or a metal framework for strength), the quality of the teeth, how many teeth are being extracted, whether sedation or general anaesthesia is used, and whether a reline or a second final denture is included. A package normally lists the examination, X-rays, denture, extractions, review visits and adhesives or cleaning supplies; ask for each item in writing.
Are immediate dentures a temporary or a permanent solution?
For most people they are a transitional solution that covers the healing months, although some keep wearing a relined immediate denture for years. The word "immediate" describes when it is fitted rather than how long it lasts. In practice a denture of any kind wears and loosens over time as the jaw changes, so it will need relines or replacement. Chewing force with a removable denture is lower than with natural teeth or fixed implants, and hard or sticky foods may stay difficult.
Immediate dentures, conventional dentures or implants: how do they compare?
A conventional denture is made after the gums have healed, which means weeks or months without teeth, while an implant-supported option adds fixed support. Our guide to dentures covers the removable options in more detail, and the pages on immediate load dental implants and All-on-6 dental implants explain how same-day fixed teeth work.
| Option | Suited to | Typical limits |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate denture | Replacing teeth at once while they are being extracted | Fit loosens as gums shrink; relines needed; removable |
| Conventional denture | Healed gums and a closer, more stable fit | A period without teeth while healing |
| Implant-supported teeth | Firmer, fixed teeth with less bone loss under the bridge | Surgery, longer treatment, higher cost |
If you want fixed teeth later, an immediate denture can be a bridge to that stage, because it keeps your appearance in the meantime. Whether you can have implants afterwards depends on your bone and gums, which a scan will show.
Who is a good candidate for immediate dentures, and who is not?
Good candidates need several or all teeth removed, want to avoid a toothless period, and can attend a review within a day or two and a reline later. It suits people with a visible front gap, those who work with the public and those who dislike the idea of an empty mouth. It is less suitable if you have a bleeding disorder or take blood thinners without your doctor's advice, have uncontrolled diabetes, are undergoing jaw radiotherapy, or cannot return for adjustments. A very sensitive gag reflex can also make a full upper denture hard to tolerate; mention it at the consultation.
What does immediate dentures installation feel like?
The extraction is done under local anaesthesia, so you feel pressure but not sharp pain. When the numbness wears off, the gums are sore and tender, and the denture may feel bulky, as if the lips and cheeks are fuller. Speech often sounds odd for a few days, and eating is awkward at first. Most dentists ask you to keep the denture in for the first 24 hours to limit swelling and bleeding, then remove it for cleaning after the review. Pain is usually controlled with simple painkillers.
Your trip to Turkey and recovery step by step
A trip for immediate dentures usually needs about three to five days: the examination and impressions on the first day, extractions and fitting once the denture is ready, and one or two reviews before you fly. Some clinics make the denture in about two days. Keep to soft cold or lukewarm foods for the first days, rinse gently with salt water once the dentist agrees, and avoid smoking, straws and hard foods. Swelling peaks within two to three days and eases over about a week. Sore spots are normal and the dentist adjusts the denture to fix them. After about three to six months, once the ridge has settled, plan a reline or a new denture.
Risks and complications of immediate dentures
Common problems are soreness, sore spots under the denture, swelling, difficulty speaking and eating, and a denture that loosens as the gums shrink. Less common problems are bleeding after extraction, infection, dry socket (a painful empty socket, usually when a clot is lost), and gum irritation or denture stomatitis (a yeast infection under the denture) if it is not cleaned or is worn overnight. The NHS advises regular dental check-ups and careful cleaning of dentures. Because the fit changes, it is important to attend reviews and not to try to adjust the denture yourself.
How to choose a clinic for immediate dentures, and red flags
A reliable clinic examines your mouth and takes X-rays before quoting, explains how many teeth will be removed, tells you honestly that relines or a new denture will be needed, and gives you a written plan with all follow-up costs. Red flags include a fixed quote given only from a photograph, no mention of relines, a laboratory that cannot explain how long the denture will take, and pressure to remove teeth that may be savable. Read how our process works and request a plan through our free quote page.
Questions to ask the clinic:
- How many teeth will be extracted and could any be kept?
- How long does the laboratory take and how many days do I need to stay?
- Are relines or a permanent denture included, and where will they be done?
- What do I do if the denture rubs or loosens after I fly home?
- Can the denture later be converted for implants?
Hospitals with Dental Treatments in Turkey
Frequently asked questions
Immediate dentures are removable dentures made before your teeth are extracted and fitted on the same day. They let you leave with teeth in place and also cover the sockets while they heal.
Usually not. The gums and bone shrink for several months after extraction, so the fit loosens and relines are needed. Many people have a new permanent denture made after three to six months.
Approximate ranges are €350 to €1,300 per arch in Turkey, against about €800 to €2,400 in the UK. Extractions, sedation and relines are often extra, so ask for a written quote listing everything.
The result is a full set of teeth on the day you have the extractions, so you do not go without. The shape may be adjusted at the review, and a later denture is made once the gums have settled.
Swelling peaks within two to three days and eases over about a week. Gums keep changing for three to six months, so you will need review visits and probably a reline during that time.
Extraction is done with local anaesthesia, so you feel pressure rather than sharp pain. Afterwards the gums are sore and sore spots can appear under the denture, which the dentist adjusts at the review.
Not at first. Start with soft foods, avoid hard or sticky items, and chew on both sides. Chewing power with a removable denture stays lower than with natural teeth or fixed implants.
Yes, usually. The gums shrink after extraction, which loosens the denture. A reline adds material to the underside after a few weeks or months, and the denture may be replaced after three to six months.
They are different. Immediate dentures avoid a period without teeth but have a less precise fit while the gums heal, while conventional dentures are made on healed gums and fit more closely.
Most patients need about three to five days for examination, impressions, extractions, fitting and one or two reviews. A reline or final denture later may be done by a dentist at home or on a second visit.