Will I Need Surgery Before Dentures?

Posted on 5/8/2023 by San Tan Oral Surgery

Dentures have been around for hundreds of years in order to combat tooth loss. In all of those years, the popularity continues to grow. One in five American adults has dentures. Are you pondering getting dentures to replace your lost teeth? You may have questions about dentures. Here are some common questions people ask when they are getting dentures.

Preparing Your Mouth For Dentures

In many cases, preparing your mouth for dentures is easy. This is especially true if you have lost teeth due to tooth decay or gum disease. When you lose teeth to cavities or periodontal disease, the area where your tooth used to be is already clean and ready for dentures. However, if you need dentures to replace your teeth after trauma, you may have to have teeth removed, especially if they are broken, jagged, or severely cracked. Dentists usually try to save teeth if at all possible, but if your teeth have experienced trauma, it is easier to remove them to allow your mouth to heal.

If you have to have surgery to remove your teeth, your mouth will need a few weeks to heal completely. If your mouth isn't healed, your new dentures will rub against your gums and create sore spots or even abrasions. Your mouth will be ready to accept your new dentures when the trauma from your surgery is healed completely.

Aftercare for Your Mouth

If you do have to have surgery before you have dentures, you will need to treat your mouth with care. Avoid foods that are overly hard, pointed, or sticky for a few days. Rinse your mouth out with salt and warm water or with an antibacterial mouthwash. If your mouth is painful after surgery, limit your meals to a soft diet only rather than hard-to-chew foods. Also, be sure that you are following the dentist's instructions for aftercare so that your mouth will be ready as soon as possible for dentures.

About
Dr. Cynthia Colson

Dr. Colson grew up in the Metro area, attending Camelback High School and ASU. She graduated from the University of Kentucky Dental School and completed her residency at Long Island Jewish Hospital in Long Island, New York. She also attended an anesthesia fellowship program at the University of Illinois at Chicago and has traveled with Healing The Children, a non-profit organization, to Bucarumanga Columbia treating patients with cleft lip and palate deformities.
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What our patients are saying about us

"Dr. Colson is amazing! She explained everything thoroughly without sounding condescending and gently but directly guides you through the whole procedure. She is excellent and super experienced. I got my wisdom teeth pulled (3 partially impacted and one simply extracted) and aside from asking too many questions under laughing gas before the general anesthesia knocked me out, I got no complications and have had essentially no pain at all." – Ana D.

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Office hours

Mon - Thur: 8am to 5:00pm
Friday: 8am to 2:00pm

Location

3303 S. Lindsay Rd.
Suite 112
Gilbert, AZ 85297

Contact

Office: (480) 604-2592

Connect

Santanxray@gmail.com

About Us | Dental Implants Gilbert, AZ | San Tan Oral Surgery
If you have recently been told you need oral surgery, you have come to the right place. Call San Tan Oral Surgery to schedule your initial consultation today!
San Tan Oral Surgery, 3303 S. Lindsay Rd. Suite 112, Gilbert, AZ 85297-2100 / (480) 604-2592 / santanoralsurgery.com / 12/10/2025 / Page Keywords: Dental Implants Gilbert AZ /