Dentures: stupid question - how do you know which are the top and bottom?

[Judythecat]

Here’s a photo of my normal “smile” - the denture is not visible at all, maybe partly because my teeth are large (had to get a load pulled for orthodontic reasons as a child because they were all too big for my mouth!).

 

[krlovesherkids777]

Judythecat,

You have a lovely smile! and love the cat necklace always love the name Judythecat.

 

[Judythecat]

Judythecat,

You have a lovely smile! and love the cat necklace always love the name Judythecat.

Thanks so much! The rest of my teeth are all my own! I’m conscious the front upper ones have a bit of staining so am going for an airflow cleaning treatment on Friday, and to have the white fillings redone - they are there because of over-brushing wearing away enamel, such irony.

 

[Dawn65]

I have a semi-flexible partial denture, it is two teeth (lower molar and pre-molar) and no plate. It clips round the next door teeth with gum coloured bits. It cost £300, and was not available on the NHS. Attached is a photo I took just now, baring my teeth so you can see.

Thank you. That's very doable. Just need to figure out how to get them now

 

[Judythecat]

Thank you. That's very doable. Just need to figure out how to get them now

My surgery is a mix of NHS and private, so I can access private treatment as well as being an NHS patient. The process was impressions, trying in a wax model, final fit, and then I needed it shaved down a bit after a few days. I had had the gap for years but I think if you have had recent extractions there is a period when things are changing in your mouth and it wouldn’t be an option until that is all settled. (I am not a dentist though so that may be incorrect.)

 

[Dawn65]

Because I am under special care I can't have that mix of NHS and private in the same place. It's making this process very frustrating, as giving me options is not something this dentist does. Plates to her means whatever it means to the NHS. I'm only finding out other options DO exist here and it's hard work and confusing. So, I do appreciate the help.

I found a company who does jazzy coloured, metal plates and flexi but they won't deal direct with me. They supply to dentists, so trying to pick my way through HOW I get them now, given that special care can't just order them and let me pick up the bill.

Question about your flexis: can you feel them in your mouth? Are they gag reflex free for you?

Cheers

Dawn

 

[Dawn65]

Here’s a photo of my normal “smile” - the denture is not visible at all, maybe partly because my teeth are large (had to get a load pulled for orthodontic reasons as a child because they were all too big for my mouth!).

You do have a lovely smile

At the moment, I don't even have the strength to care whether or not I look good. I just need a means to stop being aware that my teeth aren't there or of any foreign object in my mouth reminding me they aren't there or causing bigger panics by making me gag. It's like Chinese water torture and it's gone on 3 months. Hoping for a solution fast before my mind cracks altogether. Hope I survive to be concerned about how pretty my smile is xxx

 

[Judythecat]

Because I am under special care I can't have that mix of NHS and private in the same place. It's making this process very frustrating, as giving me options is not something this dentist does. Plates to her means whatever it means to the NHS. I'm only finding out other options DO exist here and it's hard work and confusing. So, I do appreciate the help.

I found a company who does jazzy coloured, metal plates and flexi but they won't deal direct with me. They supply to dentists, so trying to pick my way through HOW I get them now, given that special care can't just order them and let me pick up the bill.

Question about your flexis: can you feel them in your mouth? Are they gag reflex free for you?

Cheers

Dawn

No, I don’t feel it, and didn’t/don’t gag. I left the dentist with it in, and wore it until bedtime that day. The entire thing is about the size of the top joint of my thumb. Smaller, really. I got a big ulcer underneath it after the first few days and went back to the dentist, she shaved off a few millimetres, and told me to leave it out for a week so it could heal. After that I had no issues.

I do find certain foods collect around the cheek side of it, so I tend to pop it out and rinse it after eating - because it’s so small I can do it easily at work and it just looks like I am washing my hands. If you are not comfortable around your mouth it might be an issue for you to take it in and out frequently.

I treat it exactly like my contact lenses, it goes in first thing, then I take it out when I take my makeup off after work, about 6. If I am just knocking about the house, I don’t bother with it, and wear my glasses. As I said previously, my gap is not at all visible and I had lived with it for about ten years.

 

[Dawn65]

No, I don’t feel it, and didn’t/don’t gag. I left the dentist with it in, and wore it until bedtime that day. The entire thing is about the size of the top joint of my thumb. Smaller, really. I got a big ulcer underneath it after the first few days and went back to the dentist, she shaved off a few millimetres, and told me to leave it out for a week so it could heal. After that I had no issues.

I do find certain foods collect around the cheek side of it, so I tend to pop it out and rinse it after eating - because it’s so small I can do it easily at work and it just looks like I am washing my hands. If you are not comfortable around your mouth it might be an issue for you to take it in and out frequently.

I treat it exactly like my contact lenses, it goes in first thing, then I take it out when I take my makeup off after work, about 6. If I am just knocking about the house, I don’t bother with it, and wear my glasses. As I said previously, my gap is not at all visible and I had lived with it for about ten years.

Thank you so much. Magic words are "not gagging" here. This clearly is what I need to aim for.

Yes, the looking at them is a huge problem. I'm trying to find out if they can be done non-tooth coloured at the moment to get over that one. One manufacturer tells me non-tooth coloured only comes on a plate.

I'm desperately trying to bring both solutions together - non-tooth coloured and flexi.

 

[Gordon]

Your special care dentist should be the person to talk to about this. You'll notice in the coming paragraphs that I mention her quite a bit!

The NHS will provide cast metal dentures, 4 months after extractions at a minimum. This is to give the sockets time to fully heal, it's common sense. You'll need more impressions with a more accurate impression material to get them done.

The lab shouldn't talk to you, they aren't allowed to deal directly with patients, but they should be happy to work with your dentist.

Those kind of acrylic dentures which you have are quite tricky to get in and out, especially if you've not been wearing them, then the teeth will likely have moved slightly, your dentist will need to re-fit them and probably adjust them to suit you again. Unfortunately they have to be a certain thickness in order to be strong enough to stand up to chewing forces. Chances are your husband isn't fitting them properly, hence the reason they feel like there are big gaps.

It's your dentist's job to make sure you are comfortable putting them in and out by yourself... in extreme cases I'd teach a carer how to do it, but I don't think you'd be in that category.

Costs should be in the several hundreds, less than that if you're going via NHS.

Sorry if I've missed anything out.

 

[Dawn65]

Thank you, Gordon.

I notice you closed the other thread. Specifically, I wanted to know there whether they are EVER supposed to go across the roof of my mouth. I always thought these things didn't ever touch the roof of your mouth.

To be clear about the alternatives, my dentist has never mentioned any other than I've got. When I discovered here that coloured ones and flexis exist she gave me the website for Casterbridge and she told me to ring them. Hence, my confusion now. What should she do to help me get flexis, given to NHS doesn't do them? Can she refer me some where else or am I totally on my own trying to find this? Particularly, as I'd like flexis not tooth coloured. This seems to be my likely most tolerable option.

I haven't ruled out the metal ones, but the thought of metal in my mouth will be a biggie. Not sure I can cope with metal clasping my teeth. And again, I'd need those non-tooth coloured, which the NHS won't do, but this company does.

In any case these are all non-NHS options. No probs, I'll pay. I know an ordinary dentist would mix NHS and private options, but I didn't think special care could, and she's never offered to, hence the running around like a headless chicken here trying to work out HOW to do this.

As for her showing me how to put them in...no it will have to be my husband. Oh God, where do I start... it had never occurred to me that people needed to be shown. I thought it was a question of open gob, shove in, feel nothing, leave them there till you clean them, shove back in. And at the moment I can bearly look at them. I certainly can't touch them.

To be fair she didn't much of a chance to explain anything. I was realing from the shock of her putting them in - like someone trying to kill me by forcing a brick in my mouth. I literally couldn't breath and they had to immediately get them out as I went into full blown panic attack. I then went into a mental melt down so bad they almost sectioned me the following day.

I'm really grateful to everyone here for helping separate fact from my mis-conceptions about dentures. But I have to say, I am so SHOCKED, to learn people have to "get used to them" or that they are aware of them in the mouth, much less that they can actually trigger gagging. And I have no idea how to cope.

The only way I can talk to the dentist is at a safe distance, I.e. to write between appointments or ask here. Once there I can't speak or hear her because of the upset at just being there. All communication then is with my husband.

 

[Gordon]

Just trying to keep things neat so that people can follow the thread, multiple threads on the same issue can be confusing

I don't know of a flexible denture material that isn't pink/gum coloured, but there maybe something out there I've not heard of.

A denture is made up of 2 basic parts, the teeth and the supporting gum structures. Which part of it being coloured do you actually want? Do you still want tooth coloured teeth or something else? So would for example blue teeth with pink gum work be acceptable?

It'll be very difficult to get dentures made for you if you can't let the dentist fit them first, they don't come from the labs and go straight into place, they always need some fine adjustment at the chair side. There's also normally a "right" way to put them in and out and that needs to be taught.

Writing your problems down in advance will make it much easier for the dentist, gives them something concrete to work with as well as letting you put your ideas in some kind of order (I'm always more organised when I can write things down).

People generally seem to have misconceptions about dentures, they are very complex biomechanical devices, they have to work in a very harsh environment which is totally inside somebody's 'personal space', they need to harmonise with a dozen different muscles in a very tight space.

You wouldn't expect to get artificial legs made and go dancing a waltz right afterwards, yet people seem to think you can slap in a denture and go eat a crusty roll.

There is always a learning curve, some people are natural denture wearers and manage fine quite quickly, while others really struggle with them.

 

[geos]

I received some orthotics for my TMJ yesterday. When the dentist placed it in, I could feel my gag reflex getting triggered a bit. Afterwards, they had me practice placing it in and getting them out. I had to have the proper alignment and to apply the proper pressure to place them in properly. That evening I placed it in, noticed my gag reflex wasn't triggered. For me, I think knowing that I was placing it in correctly and that it was well positioned removed the anxiety of it not being well positioned. Afterwards, it's getting used to the new feeling of having the orthotic in your mouth. I only have to wear it at night, so it helps. I know my dentist explained that even for my TMJ orthotic device a few adjustments can sometimes be required. So I can totally see the need for adjustments with dentures.

I love Gordon's comparison to an artificial leg and it helps seeing that it's a complex medical device. As Gordon suggested, writing down your questions is a great idea. Maybe doing this and also explaining it to your husband would help making sure he knows what to ask your dentist.

 

[Birmanclaws]

I do not have dentures, but over the years I have had a variety of “in mouth” devices, retainers, bite plates, Invisalign, implants and they all (bar the implants) felt totally alien and took some time to get used to.

Do you have the impression moulds? If so could you fit them to the mould to see how they fit? If you or you husband could practice on the moulds it could be less traumatic for you.

I hope you find a solution that gives you peace of mind

 

[Dawn65]

I do not have dentures, but over the years I have had a variety of “in mouth” devices, retainers, bite plates, Invisalign, implants and they all (bar the implants) felt totally alien and took some time to get used to.

Do you have the impression moulds? If so could you fit them to the mould to see how they fit? If you or you husband could practice on the moulds it could be less traumatic for you.

I hope you find a solution that gives you peace of mind

Thank you. Why didn't we think of that before? Seems so obvious now you've said that.
Lol. I'll get him to try that tonight.

 

[Dawn65]

Just trying to keep things neat so that people can follow the thread, multiple threads on the same issue can be confusing

I don't know of a flexible denture material that isn't pink/gum coloured, but there maybe something out there I've not heard of.

A denture is made up of 2 basic parts, the teeth and the supporting gum structures. Which part of it being coloured do you actually want? Do you still want tooth coloured teeth or something else? So would for example blue teeth with pink gum work be acceptable?

It'll be very difficult to get dentures made for you if you can't let the dentist fit them first, they don't come from the labs and go straight into place, they always need some fine adjustment at the chair side. There's also normally a "right" way to put them in and out and that needs to be taught.

Writing your problems down in advance will make it much easier for the dentist, gives them something concrete to work with as well as letting you put your ideas in some kind of order (I'm always more organised when I can write things down).

People generally seem to have misconceptions about dentures, they are very complex biomechanical devices, they have to work in a very harsh environment which is totally inside somebody's 'personal space', they need to harmonise with a dozen different muscles in a very tight space.

You wouldn't expect to get artificial legs made and go dancing a waltz right afterwards, yet people seem to think you can slap in a denture and go eat a crusty roll.

There is always a learning curve, some people are natural denture wearers and manage fine quite quickly, while others really struggle with them.

Thank you. Ideally I'd like the flexis (ie no plates) with nothing coloured like the human anatomy. No pink, no white. It might not be possible. This company the dentist gave me the website to can do colours for plates, but not flexis. We haven't found a way to bring both together. But this forum has helped me this far, by making me aware such colours and flexis are out there. I'd never have known otherwise. The dentist has never mentioned them. NHS does what it does and we're all grateful it exists, but it can't think outside the box much.

So, The other issue is finding a means to get these non-NHS options....

I am raising these things with the dentist by writing between appointments and my husband talks to her in there.

As for all this gagging and "getting used to" and not wearing them at night business, my misconceptions were perhaps naive, and again, I'd have been none the wiser, but for you guys, but I'm devastated at what I'm hearing. All these things are going to increase my awareness of my gaps in my mouth, not diminish them and I have zero idea how I'm ever going to cope.

Yet, doing nothing is not an option. I'm totally freaked out by my the gaps in my face 24/7. It's like Chinese water torture. It's gone on 3 months now and every day is worse than the one before... it is literally driving me mad. I'm spending my days barely able to get out of bed, just rocking, not able to function with anything.

If I could live life without a body to be aware of and no dentists or doctors to ever touch me, I'd be as sane as the next person. I know no one has a magic answer to that...but thank you all for the practical information.

 

[Gordon]

I could be wrong but haven't you had teeth extracted from both sides on the upper? Any chance of posting a photo of the denture casts if you have them? It would make it easier to comment on what to replace the missing teeth with.

 

[Dawn65]

Never thought of that. I'll ask my husband to photograph them when he gets home...

And yes, my top wisdom teeth, but also next but one along both sides on the top and the corresponding back teeth on the bottom. So 2 x plates with one tooth either side, and opposing each other.