Partial Dentures fit

[Serenity]

Hi,

I've just had some teeth extracted from my bottom jaw at the front. The teeth on the partial denture are much longer than my remaining natural teeth and the gumline on the partial denture isn't level with my natural gumline. This is my third set of partial dentures with exactly the same problem. I look at photos of partial dentures online and the teeth and gums seem to be flush (or level) with the patients remaining natural teeth and gums. The dentist that made my second set of partials said that there was not much that could be done, I tried to file that partial down myself, which was difficult but helped a little bit. It makes me so self-conscious that they just obviously look like a plastic prosthetic sitting in my mouth. I just don't understand why my partials never seem to be level. Am I just expecting too much from NHS partials?

 

[Mike]

It’s hard to say to be honest just from a debut it can certainly be challenging trying to mimic nature with partial dentures. The gum line will be governed by how much bone etc was lost from the area as well as from the remaining teeth and the level of the teeth will depend on the relationship between upper and lower jaws.

The fact that you’ve had three with similar issues and different dentists maybe suggests it’s just the way your mouth is. There is sometimes more scope to get things looking more natural with private dentures but it will still be limited by the shape of your mouth and remaining teeth.

What I will say is though that I guarantee you’ll notice the issues more than anyone else so try not to be too self conscious about it!

 

[letsconnect]

Hi Serenity, as Mike has said, there may be more scope with private dentures. If this is not within your budget, another option (which has worked out really well for some of our members who were not having much luck with NHS dentures) would be to visit a qualified dental technician directly. To do this, for a partial denture, you will have to have been seen by a dentist for a treatment plan and certificate of oral health.

They might be able to give you more advice regarding whether there's room for improvement .

We also have a dentures FAQ if you haven't already seen it:

Dentures FAQ

Top tips for new denture wearers! Find out about different types of dentures and how to deal with "teething problems".

www.dentalfearcentral.org

If you decide to go the dental technician route, make sure you continue to visit your dentist regularly. It's also a really good idea to pay for regular visits with a hygienist if you can at all afford it. Unfortunately, it seems pretty difficult these days to get preventive care on the NHS, so you'll usually have to pay for hygienists privately.

Please let us know how you get on !

 

[comfortdentist]

would you post a good picture?