Originally Posted by Bryanna

Hi vero,

I am in the dental field and can offer you some information here.

Not sure what information your dentist has shared with you about the fabrication of a partial denture. So I will give you the information here.

There is a limitation to the gum color choices for all partial and full dentures. Probably about 4 choices total making the selection something that has to be "settled" upon rather than esthetically fashionable. The base is made from a colored plastic or acrylic material therefore the color of the material used is not changeable. It cannot be dyed or stained and hot or cold water will not alter the color. If you were to soak the partial denture in a bleach solution or something similar, depending on how long you soaked it, the color made fade to a light pink... almost white, but it would not darken it.

Sometimes people have really dark gum tissue and in those cases, there really is no "ideal" plastic gum color to choose from. So it is best to choose the gum color that will compliment the skin tone of the patient to help make the partial denture less obvious.

Regarding the clasp that wraps around your front tooth.... if you remove this, the partial will most likely fall out. A clasp or clasps need to be added to keep the partial in place when replacing several missing teeth. Again there are limitations as to where that clasp can go to be effective. The color choices for the clasps are limited just like the gum base. They are either made of plastic or metal. They also have to be in a particular location on or near a tooth to work properly. Usually it is not advisable to have them just laying on the gum tissue as the friction from the movement of the partial will cause a very bad sore.

Regarding the size of the teeth. Again there are limitations based on the anatomy of your jaw, your bite and facial structures. If the teeth are too large you will not be able to close your teeth together properly while chewing. The same goes for if they are too small. So ideally they should be the size that fits comfortably into your existing bite. Sometimes the partial base can be made to accommodate a bit larger teeth if some of the plastic gum is removed but again it depends on the individual anatomy. The base of the partial needs to be thick enough to not only protect the gum tissue that it is sitting against but needs to be durable so it can be functional for a very long time.

Regarding the fit of the partial.... it should be as comfortable as possible. There will be an adjustment period as it is a foreign material in your mouth and eating, chewing, speaking, kissing..... is going to be different. Everyone adapts differently to wearing a partial or full denture. You may need to have several adjustments to the bite before it settles in comfortably. It is not unusual for the partial to be re made a couple of times because getting the right fit can be a bit tricky in some cases.

It is very important that you are happy about your smile. But equally important to accept that it will never be what it originally was and will be something that you have to adjust to. So your expectations need to be realistic but at the same time, you need to be able to wear it with confidence and not be self conscious of wearing it.

The only thing I can see that your dentist may have been remiss with is in offering you a full explanation of everything. You do not have grounds to sue her or the dental lab. But you should pursue the fact with her that it is not what you expected or anticipated and it is not comfortable.

I hope I have given you some helpful information. Before this issue becomes an emotional burden for you, please go back to your dentist and have a talk with her. MOST denture patients have lots of visits with their dentists and for similar reasons to yours, until they come to a mutual agreement about the denture.

Please let us know how you are doing.
Bryanna