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Partials leaving a gap? **pic attached**

J

Jayne71

Junior member
Joined
Oct 1, 2013
Messages
3
Hi again, I posted a couple of weeks ago but didn't get any response so I'm hoping I'll do better this time.

I had my upper back teeth removed and partials fitted just over 2 weeks ago. There was always a slight gap at the gum line between where the partial started and my right canine tooth, but I was able to push the denture up slightly and close the gap. However, in the last few days, the gap has gotten bigger and I'm no longer able to close it. Is this just something I should expect as my gums heal? I go back in 3 months for a reline, will my dentist be able to fix it or should I see him sooner? Thanks for any replies! :)
 
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Re: Partials leaving a gap?

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Hi Jayne71, sorry to hear that you didn't get any replies for your first post.. I'm not a dentist, but applying logical thinking (which basically means guessing) the gap could either have gotten bigger because your gums on your canine had changed a bit or the denture had changed (the option with your gums sounds more probable to me). Whatever is the case, if I were you, I wouldn't wait for 3 months to be seen - your denture should fit and you wouldn't want to keep a visible gap for three months.. As Dr.Daniel, a dentist here on the forum once wrote: you have a dentist, so use him. :) He/she should be able to adjust it.
All the best wishes and keep us posted.
 
Jayne71,

As a partial denture wearer myself. That looks very uncomfortable and I would not want to have it like this. I can imagine the dentist will want to fix it earlier for you . I agree definately go back and ask then to help figure this out because it shouldn't be such a gap I would think.
 
Thanks to both of you. :) I think the sensible thing to do would be to make an appointment to see my dentist ASAP - I actually think I've got a wealth of problems on that side (as well as the gap its uncomfortable, still painful to eat, and when not eating, my upper and lower teeth don't actually meet on that side when I close my mouth....)! Funny how I hadn't really thought of these problems until now! :)
 
Hi Jayne71,
If you had teeth in the area of the gap extracted, and the denture fitted the same day, then this situation is to be expected. The gums shrink as a they heal and thus, the gap gets bigger. After about 3 months the gums become more stable. That is why, your dentist has suggested relining the denture after 3 months.
When dentures are fitted immediately after teeth are extracted they are known as immediate dentures. Another common name for them is temporary dentures. This is because this problem always arises to a greater or lesser degree and they always need relining or replacing. The only way to avoid this is to extract the teeth and wait three months before constructing the dentures, but most people don't want to do this.
Having said all that, go discuss the situation with your dentist as he may be able to do some sort of temporary reline to help you get through the three months.
Best of luck
Lincoln
 
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