New to Dentures: Need Help Please, Dentist isn't helping. Thanks very much!

[itabmedia]

Hello everyone! This is my first time posting. This is also a long read. Sorry
Just to give some quick background, I was an addict in my youth and have had horrible teeth issues since.
I have been clean over 15 years and have a family now and this prompted me to get my teeth taken care of once and for all. I also suffer from depression, anxiety, and in my youth, panic attacks.

So after finally getting up the courage to start the whole process, I took the time to find a good oral surgeon to ease my fears. I do have only Medicaid so this wasn't easy. I did find a wonderful doctor who had great reviews, was honest, and did great work. So the past three weeks I have been getting my extractions done. I have had all tops extracted and now I must go back one last time for a few on the bottom. I am keeping two bottom molars and the bottom fronts.

I had my dentist (Who I don't like) make me my immediate dentures which I paid out of pocket for. They were put in this past Friday after the last top teeth were removed. Right away I noticed these weren't made properly.
They were way to big, I could not bite down with them and some spots hurt me.

So the next day I went right to my dentist for an adjustment. This dentist is not very good as far as his online reviews go, but he is right near my house, and TBH, most of the dentists who accept Medicaid are rated pretty poorly. So I go in and already I can see he is overbooked. The waiting room is filled to the brim.

I finally go back and tell him I need some adjustments. Without thinking he pulls the denture out of my mouth and (gross) a big wad of spit and blood come out with it. All over my shirt and onto the floor. He didn't offer me a napkin, He just said sorry and continued to look at the denture. I tell him I think the palate is too thick (Its probably almost 1/8") He did not even look into my mouth, just stuck his thumb pressed on it and says "Thats normal". I said it goes a little too far back and its getting in the way of my bite, he then starts using his rotary tool to file it down. So that seemed a little better. In total he spent about 5 minutes with me, not even looking in my mouth.

So I start heading home and right away I noticed This thing feels worse now than it did before. I get home and I see he cut too much of the back of it off. The backs of my gums are exposed and sticking out the back. On the top palate, the denture is cut back it stops halfway on the roof of my mouth. And there are a few spots still sticking into my extraction sites causing me pain. So I go back immediately. He makes a few more adjustments (cuts) to the denture. It got a little better but not much. I felt like he was just rushing me out of the chair.
He said he did not want to cut anymore off because this is just a temp denture and is just going to be used for vanity. But then a few seconds later told me I have to wear it all day and eat with it.

So now tomorrow, Monday, I will try and find a better dentist who will actually give me the time of day. I'm thinking if dentures aren't made or prepared right, this is the result. Being uncomfortable all day.

Here are my questions please:
1. Should I just wait to find another dentist soon and have him try and fix this guys mistakes?
2. Can I complain and try and get reimbursed for this shoddy work? This temp cost me $600 cash.
3. Is the denture supposed to cover the back gums like how it was before he cut them back too much?
3. How far back is the denture covering your palate? Mine stops half way and my tongue scraps against it.
4. How thick is my denture supposed to be around the palate? I don't have much room at all.
5. Can I use adhesive in the denture around the extraction sites?
I'm nervous it will get stuck or pull out the clots when removing the denture with adhesive.
6. Since these dentures in my mind are not ideal, he cut too much off and can't get it back. How long do I have to wait now until I can go for the permanent denture fitting? How long before my gums fully heal to do this?

I just want to say Thank You in advance for taking the time to read through my story. It hasn't been easy for me. I went from feeling tremendous pride for being able to overcome my fears and get all this done, to being depressed from how uncomfortable this temp denture is. And not getting the crucial time or help from the dentist to have this fit me right. Thanks for any help or advice, I really appreciate it!

 

[krlovesherkids777]

Re: New to Dentures: Need Help Please, Dentist isn't helping. Thanks very much!

itabmedia,

Hi,

First I just wanted to say I am soo sorry you are going through this.. it is frustrating and hurtful.. frustrating you didn't get a quality tempoary that works and feels ok for you. and just not right... as it seems as well that your dentist treated you so coldly and abruptly as it seems, not giving you time of day. I'm very sorry you had to go through that.

towards the end of the time with one of my dentists. he did a redenture for me on the bottom. at first he was trying to talk me into valplas denture and I didn't want it , i liked mine with the wire felt secure and i was ok with it. when the denture came in it was all Valplas.. I could have cried.. it was too tight, it didn't fit, it was gaggy and gross and I couldn't even wear it at all.. i literally spent nights crying , not knowing how to bring this up or what to do.. he usually did a great job for me and had been very personable. well.. I went on another forum and a dentist told me take it back and demand a redo. you paid for it and it should function for you and look good. So I gathered myself and nicely called my dental office and told my dentist , remember ? I did not want the valplas and I want the wire kind, this is just NOT working... I cannot deal with this.. He did listen to me thankfully and redo it. and they turned out ok. not nearly as good as before , but i am still wearing them to this day about 6 years later but looking forward to getting new ones or implants within the next year or too.

How long do you have to have the temporaries? I hope the permanant ones are alot better. and that you can get some temps that function and feel better. and you can get to soemoe who treats you much better.

 

[itabmedia]

Re: New to Dentures: Need Help Please, Dentist isn't helping. Thanks very much!

Hi krlovesherkids777, Thanks for the kind words and the quick response.

Thats a real shame to be given a product you knew you did not want in the first place. I know how that situation feels right at this moment. I feel I am at the mercy of this dentist, who does not have my best interest in mind. How is he supposed to fix my issues when he isn't even making a decent effort.
Also, I'm not familiar with the kind of denture you mentioned, this is all new to me. Its a flexible type or something?

I'm not sure how long I have to keep this temporary denture. He just told me 4-6 weeks after I have had my extractions then I can start the process for the permanent ones. But I am reading on various forums that some people have waited much longer, like 6 months to a year. I'm not sure why though. How long did you wait in between sets?

Its great By The Way you had the courage to go back and ask for a redo on the set you had. I'm not sure if this guy would listen to me if I attempted that. He might just say, "Well, you said you were gagging a little, so I cut them back".

It was a surprisingly good experience with the oral surgeon which I dreaded for so many years, but a horrible experience with the dentist and denture so far.

Thanks for your time.

 

[krlovesherkids777]

Re: New to Dentures: Need Help Please, Dentist isn't helping. Thanks very much!

I hope you can really find a dentist who listens and is compassionate, the care level and quality level may really change.. i'd be really upset if it would be me in your place . I would definately be looking for second opinions and options if I felt unlistend to. For me it was a bottom partial, so not full it was basically everything but 5 teeth on the bottom. and I have a set with wire clasps, yes,the other was some type of flexible all valplas denture, i hated it. I only got one.. it was impressions, wait then I got mine. I didn't have to have temporaries. or maybe they just didn't offer them? I did wait for many weeks without them. going toothless on the bottom. i learned to live with it and thankfuly i worked at home so was able to avoid the public for several weeks for the most part.

Please let us know how it goes in asking for change possibly.. or 2nd opinions.. I hope you can get something quick that works and functions andlooks decent.. I'm either thinking of doing these dentures over or.. getting implants but implants are so $$$$ .. i'm going through one implant now. and its been quite a process.

 

[itabmedia]

Re: New to Dentures: Need Help Please, Dentist isn't helping. Thanks very much!

Thanks again! I really appreciate the reassurance.

OK, so you skipped the temp and went right to the final set.
I would have actually liked to go that route but the dentist sold me on the temps.
My situation is a little different maybe though. Going without temps wouldn't be ideal for me.
I go out with my 6 year old daughter and also go to her bus stop and I have to socialize somewhat.
I would be too embarrassed to have to do that kind of stuff without teeth.

Tomorrow I will spend all day trying to find someone else.
There is a University clinic around here that I could go back too.
I registered with them some time ago but it was only for a consultation.
I'm also going to just call a whole bunch of places to try and find someone.

I hope I get lucky and find someone else decent so I can say goodbye to this guy.

PS I would love implants or all on 4 or something but I have a baby coming and I couldn't afford that anyway. 20k min.

 

[krlovesherkids777]

Re: New to Dentures: Need Help Please, Dentist isn't helping. Thanks very much!

I know ... its crazy.. just one is expensive.. ! Do you look on healthgrades.com and yelp and google for reviews and experience from other patients? My dentist says on his profile he has special traning or something with anxious patients and he is a great listener! the best and he takes it one step at a time truly and is sooo awsome.. so I know there is hope for you!! you can find someone that truly cares that you get what is good for you !!

 

[itabmedia]

Re: New to Dentures: Need Help Please, Dentist isn't helping. Thanks very much!

Wow Sounds like you found a kind and caring dentist! Thats Great!
I feel like if you find someone special who actually cares about the work, you are very lucky these days.
This is how I feel about the surgeon that pulled my teeth. He was honest, listened, and did great work.

I actually searched quite a bit yesterday looking up dentists via my insurance website.
I then googled their names one by one looking at all the reviews I could find.
However I am on Medicaid, which unfortunately does not give me the luxury of too many choices.
The dentist I currently have and don't like is actually rated much higher than most of the dentists in my network. LOL so that tells you the quality of dentists in my insurance plan. Unfortunately not having decent insurance really hurts me.

I'm going to try and get some rest this evening and start early tomorrow with my search.

 

[krlovesherkids777]

Re: New to Dentures: Need Help Please, Dentist isn't helping. Thanks very much!

I remember when I was on medical assistance,, at 30 yrs of age, at it WAS very extremely hard to find anyone who would take it let alone anyone good like you say.. some places were just gross and bad . anyways.. i found a gal that was just a year into her practive getting started and she was my first good dentist, she was very compassionate and kind and spent time with me, as she was building her practice it wasn't exactly overflowing .. and she was able to accept assistance patients.. she actually changed my life.. helping to talk me into my lower dentures originally. she would tell me. you should'nt have to hide your beautiful smile. i would walk in with my hand over my mouth I was so embarrassed. she helped change my life and give me dignity back..

Maybe look for younger drs just building their practices up that might take it.. They are young enough for some of them to be really compassionate still. My dentist is farily young himself. maybe early 30's i'd say. Doesn't mean the older dentist don't care i'm sure alot of them care alot.. but maybe are built up to the point where they doin't need to take assistanace /medicaid patients . ?