Hello,
I have a couple of concerns. I have several areas that feel like sharp bones are trying to poke through my gum and is causing me a lot of pain and is difficult to wear my lower denture. Upper gum some of the same issue and in the very back on my right side feels like there is a flap of gum and very sharp bone above it. In the very front another large flap that hangs down in the very middle where my two front teeth had been. Is this normal??

My questions. First, I am looking for an adhesive for my dentures and so far I am having trouble with finding one that works for me. Any suggestions? Second, when not wearing my dentures, how should they be stored... ie in water and any issues when using hard water? Third, What is the difference besides time, when using a 3-minute or overnight cleaner? Does one work better than the other??

Any help with my concerns and questions would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Erika,

Some great questions. I hope Bryanna will respond as she will give you the best answers.

I had some bone fragments after my full mouth extractions, too.

I will respond more if you do not hear from Bryanna soon but I am just a denture wearer, not with the answers Bryanna can supply.

Just my opinion and may NOT be correct, but if you are needing adhesive, your dentures may not be fitting properly, especially the upper, unless you are using adhesive to keep from getting food under your denture, not to hold them in place.

I never use adhesive on mine and I can eat just about anything with them without any movement, including corn on the cob.

PS I know your pain. Until you are fully healed and the dentures fit perfectly, the pain can be awful. Sounds like you are actually doing pretty good if it is only 2 weeks. How many teeth did you have extracted at once?

Hello Hopeless,
I appreciate you taking the time to respond to my concerns and questions.
To answer your question... I had to have everything removed along with two impacted wisdom teeth.

I am using adhesive because food seems to get stuck under my dentures. I haven't been able to wear my dentures comfortably because of these bone fragments and sores, so most days I don't wear them unless I leave my house.

How long have you been a denture wearer?

Hope your having a wonderful day!

Erika :-)

Hi Erika_MN,

Glad to hear the oral surgery is done!!

The sharp edges that are poking through the gum are bone fragments or splintered areas of the jaw bone. As the gum tissue changes and the jaw bone heals closed from the extracted teeth, whatever bone was splintered during the surgery will start to make its way out through the gum. Although it is normal to have some splintering, it sometimes can be severe enough to require some intervention. Especially if it is in many places and is hindering the fit and wear-ability of your dentures.

Did the oral surgeon do an alveoplasty procedure after he removed all of the teeth? This is a surgical re-contouring of the jaw bone, both the upper and lower to alleviate as much splintering of the bone as possible. Do you know if he did that?

Have you been back to the oral surgeon for a post op check? If not, you need to do that. Also, have you been to your dentist for denture adjustments? If not, you need to do that too.

The extra flap of gum tissue needs to be evaluated by the oral surgeon. The tissue should not be healing like that. There may be something, like a piece of bone that is preventing it from healing properly.

Storing and cleaning your dentures.... I do not recommend any chemical based denture cleaner as they are not necessary, can cause severe allergic reactions and can even cause poisoning if not completely scrubbed off of the dentures. You can brush your dentures with an electric tooth brush, as just like teeth plaque and germs will build up on them. You can apply a few drops of Dr Bronners castle soap to the toothbrush and clean them that way. This soap is harmless and digestible, although it doesn't taste real good.. so always rinse your dentures very well before putting them in your mouth. You can soak your dentures over night in water and add a tiny squirt of this same soap. To brighten the teeth on the dentures, as they stain from coffee, tea... put some water and baking soda on the tooth brush and brush the dentures, then rinse.

Regarding the denture adhesive... I would recommend a product called Secure Adhesive as all the others have all sorts of chemicals and junk in them. It's important that you be careful of what is on your denture when you place it in your mouth as your oral tissue will absorb whatever chemical you have on those dentures.

It is best to use the least amount of adhesive as possible. Please have the oral surgeon take a look at your mouth, bony fragments, etc.... and then your restorative dentist to look at your dentures so they can be adjusted.

I hope this was helpful to you!! Please keep in touch with us
Bryanna