Yos

Hi again Pines,

So now the real business of getting on with your life with dentures begins http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/t_up.gif I'll assume that the dentures are fitting somewhat properly, at least not as badly as you thought they might fit a week ago. The sore spots you're experiencing is normal. It could take a week or more before all of them are sorted out. Sometimes when one spot gets fixed it causes another to start somewhere else or sometimes just hurt differently. If the denture starts to hurt and you know it's not going to go away, see your dentist. Most dentists don't mind denture patients stopping in for a quick adjustment. The gagging reflex is a common problem too. The palatte can usually be trimmed back (forward?) a little without sacrificing the suction needed to keep the upper denture in place. Dentists are reluctant to trim the palate too much unless gagging is a serious problem. If it's now only a "hint" you may get over it eventually. Give it a little bit of time if it's not a nuisance.

Eating, drinking and talking just takes some practice and getting used to having all that plastic in your mouth. I'm sure it feels huge and foreign. Your tongue especially is going to take some time to get used to it's new cramped quarters. It will take some time for your tongue to get used to finding the spots inside your mouth to form letters and sounds. Practice reading aloud like the dentist suggested although I don't see much value in practicing in front of a mirror except maybe to see your beautiful new teeth Drinking is usually not much of a problem but do be careful with hot drinks in the beginning. Fortunately, the rest of your mouth will be there to remind you if food or drink is too hot to eat http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/blob_fire.gif . Eating with dentures is probably the most difficult skill to master. Start with small portions and chew evenly on both sides of your mouth. You've probably already discovered that putting food on only one side will make the denture tip. Try to avoid chewy foods for the next little while too. Give you gums a chance to adjust to the new pressures of the dentures. Practice chewing even if you're eating applesauce. The more you practice the sooner you'll learn to control the denture. Don't even think about biting with your front teeth until you have a fairly good handle on chewing or have the upper denture firmly glued in. Biting will cause the upper teeth to pivot towards your lips and the back of the denture to come down on the back of your tongue. Over time your mouth muscles will learn how to grip the denture when you eat which will prevent the denture from tipping when you bite.

By "very good bones" your dentist was probably referring the jaw bone under the gums in that your bone loss due to the extractions was not severe. The lack of a ridge under the gums can be the cause of the dentures not having much retention (the ability of the denture to stay in place). I've never used adhesives so I'm not in a good position to give instructions on how to remove dentures put in with adhesive. I've read that rinsing with warm water helps to loosen the dentures. As for any other tips, I would suggest that you experiment with different foods in privacy to see how you're able to handle them or figure out how to. You can actually have a little fun with that

Most of all, be patience. Speaking and eating with dentures will never be the same as with natural teeth but the good news is that they will eventually feel normal and you'll be able to eat and speak normally. As far away as that may seem right now that day isn't all that far away. If you think of any other questions please ask. Good luck with your new dentures!

Yos

[This message has been edited by Yos (edited 09-30-2003).]