If you have been suffering with painful or missing teeth for some time, then it could be a big relief to finally start the process of getting partial dentures from your dentist. The process of creating dentures may require more time than you originally anticipated. For example, your dentist may need to bring you in to extract any remaining teeth and then take impressions of your gums. These impressions will go off to a dental laboratory like SML Global, so that a customized pair of dentures can be created just for you.

In the meantime, you won’t just go around with no teeth! That would make chewing and speaking difficult, not to mention the fact that you might feel embarrassed to smile. Instead, your dentist will likely fit you with interim partials, otherwise known as short-term partial dentures. These dentures won’t be as strong as your permanent dentures and might not fight quite so perfectly, but they should do the trick while you wait for your permanent dentures, as long as you take care of them.

If you have questions about interim partials, make sure to ask your dentist during your denture consultation.