I have had my upper dentures since March 22nd and I am fed up to the eyeballs with them !! I do not go to a dentist ---I got them from a denturist and it is to him I have been now 9 times for adjustments and fittings since the install. Is this normal? I have read on the site here about something called a hard liner? I do not have any liner nor has there been a mention of one; they are quite loose now and when I eat they slide up and down on my ever-shrinking gums. They now feel too big too ---all the guys seems to do is use a Dremel and buzz off a bit and then away I go again.

I had to have all my top teeth removed because all the root canals I had were failing so decided rather than have implants willy nilly, I'd just get the plate. I have been quoted $15 thousand (minimum) for 4 implants which would hold the plate in place and take out the hideous palate thing. But given the root canal failure, I am hesitant to spend that much $$ (no guarantee given). This apparently cannot happen (if I decide to do it) until 56 months have passed. In addition to the uncomfortable teeth, I now seem to have an ever dry mouth and what feels like "burning mouth syndrome" I have waken at night often with a stinging palate and gums (particulary the big hangy one where the front teeth were --I think I bite it when I sleep (used to grind my teeth).

Long story short, shall I try liners myself (I understand there are good ones available only on-line) ----I am really getting fed up with these darn teeth !!

Hi prairiegirl,

Wearing dentures can be extremely difficult at the onset for many people. So your situation is not uncommon in that respect and yes it is normal to go back to the dentist or denturist many times for adjustments during the initial healing phase. You are still considered a new denture wearer and you still have some healing left to do. Everyone heals at a different rate, so it's hard to determine how long it will be before you're ready for a hard reline. You could try one of the at home denture reliners and see if it helps, but chances are it will need to be frequently changed.

Are you using a denture adhesive? Which one? Does it help?

The fee of $15,000 for 4 implants probably includes the denture. It is true that you would have to wait several months to have the implants done from the time of the extractions. The jawbone has to heal well enough to hold the implants.

Having a dry mouth could be due to any number of things. Usually, a new denture wearer finds they have an over abundance of saliva until they get use to the denture. Perhaps your problem could be medication related? Are you rinsing your mouth with anything? What are you using to clean your dentures with? Any mouthrinse that contains alcohol will cause you to have dry mouth and cause your gum tissue to sting or burn. NO ONE should be using a mouthwash/rinse that contains alcohol because it reduces the salivary flow which causes all sorts of oral problems.

Look forward to your reply... let's see if we can be of some help to you!

Bryanna

Hi ---thank you for your reply. I was cleaning them with Polident cleanser and soaking them overnight in Polident as well. The last two days I have just cleaned them with baking soda, and soaking them overnight in plain water. I am glad to know that it's not unusual to see the denturist that often. What IS a hard reline? soft?

I am on a Valium taper (I became addicted to the hidous drug following the long illness/death of my mother a few years ago). This in itself has been a loooooong process---reduce by .25 mgs every two weeks or so ---am now down to .75 mgs three times a day and hope to be off them soon). This tooth business sure hasn't reduced my stress any !! Does that make sense that if my body rejected all those root canals it may well reject the implants? I really don't want to go through all that pain/stress (never mind the $$) if all for naught. You know?

Thank you so much for your help.....

Hi prairiegirl,

You could be sensitive to an ingredient in polident. Stick with the baking soda regimen for a couple of weeks and see if that helps with the burning sensation. Also, make sure you brush your dentures really well with a denture toothbrush and water before you put them in your mouth.

The difference between a hard reline and a soft one is the density of the material. A soft reline is usually done during the early stages of healing, which is where you are at and it can be redone a couple of times ...... the hard reline is more permanent and it's done about 6 months after the extractions. A hard reline can last a year or so.

Are you rinsing your mouth with mouthwash? As I said previously, any oral product that contains alcohol will cause irritation on the oral tissue.

Valium is one of the drugs that does cause dry mouth. So that could be part of the problem you are experiencing with the discomfort in your mouth. A chronic dry mouth can contribute to a burning sensation, etc. Some good products to help reduce the dry mouth problem are those that contain Xylitol. Xlear is a company that carries various items that are helpful. Here is one of their sites: http://www.xlear.com/xylitol-gum.asp...FYd-5Qod6WrwKw
Some drug stores and health food stores carry their products also.

With regard to your root canals...... to be very blunt... it is an untruth that your body rejected the root canals. I'm sure that is what you were told, however, all root canaled teeth are chronically infected and it's just a matter of time before they show signs of deterioration. So please, do not blame yourself for root canaled teeth that went bad... it's an inevitable situation. The real issue here is how healthy is the bone in the area where the root canaled teeth were?? Dental implants have to be placed in healthy bone or they will fail. Quite frequently, the jawbone where the root canaled teeth were is not very healthy from the chronically infected teeth being there. So the issue of healthy bone would need to be addressed first before diving into doing implants. Dental radiographs in addition to a dental CT scan would help determine the health of the bone.

Could you ask your denturist to do a soft reline?

Bryanna




QUOTE=prairiegrl;655561]Hi ---thank you for your reply. I was cleaning them with Polident cleanser and soaking them overnight in Polident as well. The last two days I have just cleaned them with baking soda, and soaking them overnight in plain water. I am glad to know that it's not unusual to see the denturist that often. What IS a hard reline? soft?

I am on a Valium taper (I became addicted to the hidous drug following the long illness/death of my mother a few years ago). This in itself has been a loooooong process---reduce by .25 mgs every two weeks or so ---am now down to .75 mgs three times a day and hope to be off them soon). This tooth business sure hasn't reduced my stress any !! Does that make sense that if my body rejected all those root canals it may well reject the implants? I really don't want to go through all that pain/stress (never mind the $$) if all for naught. You know?

Thank you so much for your help.....[/QUOTE]