Upper partial annoyance

dragona

I have now had a top upper partial denture for exactly three weeks. I returned to my dentist three days after receiving it, as it moved around a fair bit and he bent the two little metal clasps that hug my canines. It felt slightly tighter, but I mentioned to him that the palate part was not snug against my palate.

The whole thing feels stranger and stranger - if I push with my tongue up under the top front teeth, it feels nice and snug against the gum, but the back palate part shifts down and there is a big gap that liquids and food collects into. If I push up against my palate so *that* feels snug, the front part moves forwards and down, and leaves a big gap so when I smile, my top lip seems to rest on top of it.The front gap like this is maybe 3 or 4 mm.

Suggestions please? It has been like this from the get go -dentist said I would need adjustments later anyway, but it is very annoying, I expected it to fit properly initially and then maybe get looser

davo10

Dragona, immediate dentures (ie those made prior to extractions) are not accurate and do not tend to fit well because:
a) the lab must remove your teeth from the plaster model made from your impressions and try to estimate what your gum will be like after extractions. There is no other way to do this if you want a denture made to replace your teeth on the day of extractions. If you want a more accurate first denture, you allow the tissues to heal for about a week then take impressions but this is not practicle if the dentures are replacing front teeth. Therefore from the getgo they do not tend to fit well.

b) your tissues are changing on a daily basis in the weeks following extractions as they heal and smooth off, this is called resorption and remodelling. It will continue for 2-4 months so even if denture was accurate on day of fit, it would be loose now with gaps between denture and tissues.
This healing is natural and the amount of tissue change is unpredictable.

Though it can be uncomfortable and a little disheartening to have loose dentures after extractions, be confident that the next set of dentures made in a few months time when the tissues have stabilized, will be far more accurate, better fitting and comfortable.

dragona

davo10 -thank you so much for your detailed explanation -I have to put up and shut up then! I am dreaming of a bridge, so hopefully there will not be a nex set of fake teeth Quite honestly I don't know how people do with a full set, must be hell. Thanks again.