Hi Diane,

If I'm understanding you correctly, you have a removable denture on the top only? The lower implants have crowns or a bridge on them?

Dentures can be esthetically customized but there are some limitations. The esthetics pertaining to the length and size of the teeth... amount of gum on the denture..... the size and shape of the denture itself....all depends on the anatomical bone structure of the person. The balance between the size of the teeth and the size of the gum material needs to be in proportion not just for appearance but for practical functioning (chewing, spreaking) purposes as well.

If you have moderate bone loss then you would need more gum material on the denture to take up the space that use to be bone. This could cause you to have a more gummy smile than you did when you had your own teeth. In this scenerio prior to extractions your natural gum line showed less because it had receeded which makes the teeth appear longer. Frequently, the recession occurs over a long period of time and the patient is not even aware of the extent of it. Could that be possible in your case?

The fact that the denture is not "in place" is definitely not right. Irrelevant of the look of the denture, it should be seating properly on the implants and should be very functional.

Have you consulted with a Prosthodontist? These dentists specialize in the replacement of teeth. They are very focused on esthetics, sometimes moreso than a general dentist. They frequently get cases where the GD cannot please the patient with the fit and/or esthetics of the denture.

Let us know how things are going.....

Bryanna