Hi, I have had a series of dentures over the past few years...mostly collecting dust in a drawer. I have never been able to wear them without significant discomfort and gum line swelling. I have some knobby areas on the buccal side of my bones both top and bottom.

Also have had bone splinters erupt from the sides of my gums where teeth have been extracted in the past 20 years.

A few dentists have recommended that I have all my teeth pulled and get complete dentures, but I am so afraid of having NO teeth since I can't wear the partials I have had fitted in the past. In addition, I have an exostosis midline palate that would make any upper plate almost impossible to fit without extensive surgery.

Four days ago with tears, I lost two more of my upper front teeth. They took a fitting for yet another upper denture. At this time I have one bicuspid top and bottom that meet, none of the others that are left have a corresponding tooth for a bite area.

any suggestions would be most welcome. After many root canals and subsequent failures, partials, gum surgeries, I have put out close to $20,000 with only gums left to show for the efforts. (13 teeth left)

Hey,TooTired you poor thing you've been through the tooth ringer(sort of speak) haven't you. I assume you don't have dental insurance or do you? I my self don't have Dental insurance when I need it most now because I believe that the copaxone does cause dry mouth and that means tooth problems I've had 2 root canals 2 crowns and my whole mouth is full of old and new cavities(before starting copaxone) ,I went to the dentist last week and I have the start of early peridontal disease my last check-up 8 months my teeth were mostly 2's and now there's alot of 4's and one 5 and that means I need a DEEP CLEANING or root scaling as they call it,plus it's gonna costs me ALOT of money I think I'm gonna need about 6 teeth done.I go back this Wednesday to finish the exam and full xrays and then there tell me how much it's gonna cost I'm afraid to find out !! Take care

I do have dental insurance that covers up to 1500$ a year in dental work. But, it only covers half of any dental appliance, and that only every five years (last one was a couple of years ago), so this one appears to be all mine cost wise. I also have a collection of "permanent bridges" that had been attached to teeth which had root canals ( a few of which failed). A good point was made eralier about microtubules. There is a major difference between retaining a tooth over various periods of time and actually curing what ails you..

Kristi, I can totally empathize with your predicament. I had root scaling which seemed to set off the first infection (probably released it from where it was simmering)..both those teeth required immediate root canals.

The worst situation was a dentist who insisted I had to be numb (I wasnt) and proceeded to try to work on the tooth in spite of my protests, I lifted an arm to block him and he raised a fist in my face. He was so angry with me he was shaking when he injected that angle between the upper and lower jaw (it was a back molar) so visciously I oozed anesthetic from a salivary gland for months after.

If you have a good dentist it is more than half the battle. Seems like this is true with a lot of medical issues, eh?

I love my dentist he's wonderful ,but the hygentist is the one who's going to do the deep cleaning and she's new at the dental office she was alittle rough when she was cleaning my teeth. I've been going the same dentist office for 25 years now,I first started going there when I was around 10 years old and needed braces on my teeth it's funny they still have this play car made out of wood in the office that I played on when I was little haha.My dentist I've been with him for about 15 years and he's funny and caring ,when I told him about me having MS he was so sweet he gave me kiss on the check and that really touched me. When ever he retires which I hope is a long way off because I don't want to go to any other dentist because I really trust him. Well,our see you later TooTired.

Hi Too Tired,

There are a few things that could be contributing to your inability to wear a partial denture comfortably.

First, you may be sensitive or allergic to the material that the partials are made out of which could cause localized swelling and irritation of the gum tissue. There are other materials that can be used if this is the case.

Second, the knobby bony areas next to the cheek that you speak of are called Tori or buccal exostoses. The bony area on your palate is called tori palatini. These are harmless slow growing bony growths that some people have whereas others don't. They can interfere big time with the fit of a partial or denture.

Thirdly, it sounds like you are prone to bone spurs which can also interfere with the comfort of a partial or a denture.

I would guess that your dentist is suggesting to remove all of your remaining teeth and place a full denture for two reasons. One, the teeth that are remaining may not be healthy enough to serve as good anchor teeth for a partial. And two, with all of your extra bony growths, you may not be able to get a good fit with a partial.

If you were to have your upper teeth removed, the bony growths along the buccal would be surgically reduced during the surgery allowing the bony ridge along the gumline to be smoother. This would allow the denture to sit more evenly along the ridge allowing your cheek muscles to naturally hold the denture in and you would get less sore spots and less (if any) bone spurs. The tori on your palate is another story. If it is large, then it may or may not be able to be totally removed. A full upper denture needs to sit snug against the palate for suction or it won't stay in. The tori prevents that from happening.

One option for you may be to have an implant retained denture. This would mean removing all of the remaining upper teeth and usually the buccal tori and maybe some of the palatal tori as well. Dental implants can be placed in areas where the bone is healthy and a denture can be made that does not go across your palate. Perhaps that is something to discuss, if you haven't already, with your dentist.

You are in a tough situation and unfortunately, there is no easy solution. However, I think you do have some treatment options and perhaps you and your dentist can explore what they are before you invest in yet another partial denture.

All the best to you,
Bryanna

My return appointment is scheduled for Feb 7 for bite adjustment on the new plate. I have also asked to have the missing teeth put on the other plate. I figure if one irritates in one place maby the other will iriate in a different one. I can then switch off between the two. I am looking forward to not scaring kids.

I priced implants. For the upper ones it would run somewhere about $4000 per implant (they want to lift the sinuses). I had tried one implant in my lower jaw several years ago between two lower teeth. It didn't take and was just absorbed. Moreover, this runs far outside my current budget. Any surgery designed to improve the fit of dentures is not covered at all. I think at this time having two at least semi functional plates I stand a running chance of being able to wear them one at a time.

Thanks Bryanna, I really appreciate your imput.

Hi Too Tired,

In your case, switching from one partial to the other may or may not alleviate those irritated spots and may actually cause new ones to develop. Switching back and forth could also cause an occlusion problem which could cause other teeth to wear down improperly making them vulnerable to nerve damage.

There are so many factors to consider when making partials or dentures. Getting a persons bite correct is a real challenge especially if they are wearing two different appliances and each one fits differently. It's about creating a fit between the persons natural horizontal and vertical occlusion so there is no added pressure on some teeth more than others. If there is, then this throws off our TMJ and our chewing muscles which then goes into the neck and shoulder areas. Proper occlusion is so important and it only takes the slightest irregularity to mess it up.

You mentioned that you tried an implant in your lower jaw several years ago, but it was unsuccessful. Dental implants are titanium posts, they don't absorb into the jaw bone, so I'm assuming you mean it had to be removed? You are right, implants are very expensive and not everyone is a candidate to have them. Peridontal disease, bone loss and/or low hanging sinuses make implant surgery more complex and run a higher risk of implant failure. It's alot to go through physically and financially if your risk factors are high.

I know how difficult this is and all you really want is for something to fit comfortably enough to eat and speak with! I hope your new partial fits well and you are able to get many good years out of it!

Keep us posted on how you're doing. Take care ~'.'~
Bryanna