Sores and pain with new partial dentures [sad]

[Flufflie]

I am missing three teeth in my lower jaw. Two on the right and one on the left, all a bit to the back and only visible if I open my mouth fairly wide.

About two weeks ago I have been fitted with partial dentures. JIt's a plastic thing, without any clips. It just rests on my gums. It also cuts into my gums, causing sores that hurt like hell.

I went back to have the thing readjusted. At first it seemed okay, but now it's hurting again. There are cuts in my gums on both sides. I'm not wearing the denture now because it's too painful, but even without it my mouth hurts and burns as soon as I eat or drink.

Maybe I'm just being a wimp, but I'm usually okay with dentistry. For fillings I don't get any anaesthetics and this never caused me a lot of pain. These dentures, however, are sheer horror. I can't eat with them either.

Added to that, I have read that this type of denture actually increases bone loss in the jaw because the dentures rest on the gums.

My dentist never explains anything. In fact, he barely speaks at all.

I really really just want to ditch those dentures, but I'm worried that thnis will also have a bad effect on my remaining teeth.

Is there anyone here who knows something about dentistry? Should I try to get used to those dentures? Is it wise to try to keep wearing them if they are cutting into my gums? Are there any other options that the NHS will provide? Would dentures that clasp onto other teeth hurt less?

OH, I feel your pain and I'm in a similar situation. In Feb I went into hospital to have 3 or 4 teeth taken out and they took 15.

A couple of months ago I was fitted with partial dentures, top and bottom. They are hideous. I had a mouth full of ulcers within a couple of days and although the dentist adjusted them a bit, they are not much better and the edges of my mouth are permanently sore, Within another couple of weeks they had pushed on another tooth so much they broke a filling on that one and I had to have a crown.

The crown is awful, really badly fitting and sticks out. I told the dentist it stuck out and he said it didn't but it does and it catches my lip constantly. They adjusted the dentures to fit round the crown but my teeth look like the waves of the ocean now. The crown is short and fat and white and the dentures are long and narrow and yellower. It looks awful and they don't fit at all. The bottom ones give me ulcers and the top wobble from side to side. I cannot eat with them in at all. The food all goes underneath and hurts my gums.

The dentist says it's tough as it's NHS and you get what you get, like it or lump it. He told me before I even got them that NHS dentures would be awful and tried to get me to pay for private but he quoted a four figure sum and quite frankly he's living in a different universe to me (on his dentist's salary ) I cannot afford another £200 for even another NHS try so I am stuck.

I have got a little more used to the over the month. The best compromise I can come to is to wear them when I am out and about meeting people or at work. The minute I get home and relax they come straight out. And unless I am eating very publicly, they come out for eating too.

One thing I am doing is trying to save a little each month for private dentures. I believe you can get them done direct at some dental labs and then hopefully there is more recourse if the quality is bad or they don't fit. As my top set are the worst and look worst I'll get those done first.

Perevere - it does get a bit better and you get a bit more used to it. But mostly I can only say I really, really sympathise.

So sorry to hear of your problems.

I don't have dentures, but have a tooth missing in either side and last week my dentist (NHS) was trying to talk me into a partial denture. I was preferring a sticky bridge anyway, but now I'm sure! Ok, I'll have to be careful eating hard items, but hopefully will have less pain.

If you can afford to go back, could you ask about a bridge?

Mucisposy, that sounds absolutely horrid! I'm so sorry for you, and I hope it gets better for you. Why on Earth can't they make well-fitting dentures for the NHS???

I get what you mean about the different universe. I'm thinking I should've become a dentist!

I don't think I will persevere with those dentures. I can't believe it's good to let them cut up my mouth, and in my case the missing teeth are not all that noticeable, and I had no trouble eating when I did not have the denture.

I looked on the NHS website and there it says that they do provide dentures that rest on adjoining teeth. I wonder why I have not been given those. But perhaps those would be just as painful.

Weird thing is, my partner is missing many more teeth than I am, and he has dentures up and down, but he is fine with them. He had to get used to them as well, and they were sore in the beginning, but they never cut him as badly as those little dentures have done with me. The wounds these dentures have made hurt WAYYYY more than the after pain from my extractions ever did. Surely that can't be right?

When I went back for readjustment my dentist didn't even look at my mouth. He just sanded off bits where I said it was hurting and then let me try if it felt better.

You need to get back to your dentist. The dentures need to be adjusted so that they fit you properly, you should NOT be in any pain.

It really doesn't sound as if they should be cutting your gums or if you can persevere with the ones you have. Mine rest on my gums too. The top ones seem to take a layer of skin off the roof of my mouth every time so it is permanently sore.

My mum has dentures made in 1950 something and she loves them, says she doesn't know they are there. I've looked at them and they are lovely compared to mine, soft and translucent. Mine are hard pink plastic with rough edges everywhere a "tooth" meets the pink plastic. How can things have got so much worse in 60 years? Surely we should have better materials nowadays?

Perhaps you should go back to your dentist again and complain. I don't have the courage to do this. Besides anything else I'm scared he will charge me another £200 and I'm not very confident with dentists. He already warned me I wouldn't like them and if I didn't there was nothing I could do. This seems crazy. I can't think of any other situation where you would pay £200 for something crap and just have to suffer the fact it was crap. I'm just trying to think of them as temporary until I can afford something better. Good luck with yours!

That sounds so miserable. Did the dentist give you any reason why you needed a partial denture? Were you having problems eating or anything?

I've got 3 back teeth missing bottom left jaw and 3 back ones missing top right which makes eating certain things difficult. But no one has mentioned needing a denture Like you the gaps aren't visible unless I really open my mouth wide.

I don't want a denture and manage to eat most things ok. I think unless you're given a really good reason why you need one or are having problems I'd be tempted not to put up with this and manage without.

I'm not sure if I have the courage or the will to go back to the dentist.
I had no trouble eating before I was fitted with the killer denture! Could eat nuts and raw carrots without trouble.

I think I got the dentures because I had a conversation with the dentist about one other tooth that isn't in a great state. I said that I was worried that when that one came out too I wouldn't be able to eat normally. He said something about a replacement then, and I said that I did not want replacement teeth on both sides of my mouth, but only on the side where two teeth next to each other were missing. So when he started taking imprints etc., I figured that was what I would get.
Instead I got this thingy that seems to have been created to shred the gums in my lower jaw.

I have not worn the dentures for almost four full days now, and the biggest cut is still open, red and painful. The other sores are healing, but are still sensitive.

Musicposy, your mum's dentures sound great. Perhaps you should take them to your dentist and say that you want similar ones.
Mine are like yours - hard, sharp plastic. They are the sort of things that if a small child would want to stick them in their mouth you'd tell them to not do that because it would hurt!

I had a single front partial denture after my crown could not be replaced so brutal stuff to get all remaining bits out of the canal. Needle into roof of my mouth and I am left with a sore tender roof of mouth. If I put it in it throbs and if I use fixadent if feels like I’m ripping off the roof of my mouth. I can eat with it as so sore. Start a new job Monday. Feeling very fed up

Hi Fluffie and others, have same problem. Went to a different dentist (other dentist told me wear them all nite first day I got them, on the chair I was telling him they were killing me. Wouldn't make one adjustment told me to use positive thinking. There was no more I could say, he was not adjusting them. Found out from new dentist the sores are ulcerated in 1 day, not to wear them for at least 4 to 5 wks. So make sure your sores are not ulcerated before you wear them, they will never heal with the dentures over them and will cause more harm. 3rd dentist I've been thru in Florida, they really don't know about making dentures at all, it's July I've been going thru this since Dec. So depressed out $8,000 still can't wear the bottom partials for a mth, so I won't know until a mth if the adjustments (at the second dentists) office made any difference. $120. for her adjustments. No sense going back to this guy, he literally cancelled 5 of my apts in a row 2 mths, they have your money, and you're screwed and they DON'T CARE. Know so many people in 63 years of my life that have gotten dentures in Jersey, one or two visits back for a few sore spots done, and they all look beautiful. Loved the looks of my full upper dentures asked him to make the perms just like those. He to a photo. No resembleance at all, smaller and very square, this is a nightmare.

I have already posted but I wanted to add. I have 7 teeth left on bottom, have partial. I am beginning to think the full denture is the way to go. I have heard from so many people they had to eventually after trying a yr or more with a partial that it was impossible, money after money, after money. Everyone I spoke to that had our problems got the remaining teeth taken out and got a full denture, no problem at all after that. I am sick with trying to decide what to do because at least with the 7 I have in front on the bottom I can wear the tops to go out, can't eat, but don't have to go out without teeth. But I'm pretty sure these 7 will have to go because it's my 3rd partial and nothing but problems, don't even have a filling on any of my remaining teeth, this is the worse thing I've been thru have not eaten anything substantial (any meat, veg, fruit, for 7 mths now, and to top it off I eat once a day and I gained weight.

Can't imagine what u can get for 200? I paid almost $2,000 for uppers they're fine and $1,600 twice for lower partials and for almost 7 mths now the partials have my mouth cut and ulcerated. But I don't understand why you would even spend a penny on something your told are going to look terrible? Every dentist I went to said they'll look beautiful, tops do, bottom look beautiful but I'm cut to pieces. You really do get what you pay for, you cannot skimp when it comes to dentures, even getting quality ones are problems.

You better get the roof of your mouth checked. I told my dentist the upper dentures were burning my mouth, he said, that will go away. It got so bad went for a second opinion and I had thrush. I had to take liquid medicine four times a day for 2mths, it did the trick. Very few people have trouble with the uppers something is wrong, don't let it go it could get much worse. Good luck