Denture nightmare

[Lynn D]

Hi, I had a full bottom denture and partial upper denture fit a week ago and I feel like I have a mouth full of plastic. Will I ever be able yo chew on food properly because at the minute, it's like I'm playing a game of oral clackers when I bite down and top meets bottom denture.

 

[smirked]

@Lynn D Good afternoon,

In a word, yes. Things will be raw and sore for a while. The dentures will feel like foreign bodies in your mouth. I too had that feeling of a mouth just full of plastic.

It gets easier, trust me. I'm nearing 5 months into the denture life and it's the best decision I could have made. I can honestly say, you never forget you're wearing them - but - I got so comfortable with them that I don't feel them as foreign bodies anymore. They are part of my mouth now and function very well for eating.

Reading through my journal may help you with your own journey. You can find it here on the forum.

I am happy to assist you with any questions you may have.

 

[Lynn D]

Thank you, that makes me feel more positive

 

[smirked]

@Lynn D You're welcome! Just take it easy and don't try to advance too quickly into hard foods. Stick to softer things for a few weeks and you'll be fine.

 

[Stewart]

@smirked Can i ask, why did you lose all your teeth?

 

[Lynn D]

I had gum disease

 

[Lindylou1601]

@smirked hi next week I am having 3 top teeth removed which will leave me with 6 in total. I have had 5 back teeth previously removed. I am being fitted for a partial denture on the NHS. I went for my wax try in last week and the denture felt quite comfortable apart from some minor gagging. I have some recession on 4 of the remaining teeth but my 2 top front teeth have no recession. I'm worried that the partial denture will be problematic with the 3 extractions and will become loose. I'm terrified by the whole situation as dentures are something I have always dreaded. I also will be needing a bottom partial soon for 3 missing back teeth on the same side. My dentist told me to get the upper partial denture sorted first. What does an upper partial denture feel like? Can a tooth be added easily to it? It is an acrylic denture. Any advice would be so appreciated.

 

[smirked]

@Lindylou1601 I can't advise on the partial upper as I don't have experience with one. I went straight into a full upper denture. I was in the situation where the dentist had in mind that there were 3 upper teeth viable to save. But I stated that if they were in doubt (or the teeth may not last long) just take them out and I will have the full upper. For the reason of full suction.

I do have a partial lower. With 8 teeth remaining at the front. This works very well and eating is fantastic. There is a learning and adjustment period, though. In the beginning it is difficult. Especially when extraction sites are still tender. I have been assured that it's easy enough to add teeth to the partial when/if required.

As for denture loosening... I used adhesives to begin with but they are not for me. I don't like how messy they are and also the reliance on the glue holding all day. So I tried cushion grip and this is a soft reline material. Which fills the gaps and helps tighten up the fit of a denture.

I used to use it both top and bottom. But now I only use it on top. I'm 5 months in with dentures and my gums don't change so much anymore so I'll reapply cushion grip every few weeks or so. The stuff also lives up to it's name, where it does provide some 'cushion' effect and makes the dentures more comfortable to wear. Especially in the beginning. I started using it after the first few weeks of denture wearing (when things started to shrink with the healing) and the dentures felt loose.

You can read my journal here on the forum. It might help as well. I tried to document my experiences there.

Edit - typos.

 

[Lindylou1601]

@smirked thank you so much for your kind message.