For those of you who don't know my situation - I am 32 years old, had all my teeth extracted two months ago. I've been wearing dentures since the extraction and have been experiencing pain which I'm not sure is normal or not.
My question is... Is it normal to still have pain after two months? I can only chew on the left side of my mouth (even on this side, there is some pain). I expected some level of pain, but not this much. If I clench down on my dentures, it hurts. I also have these little hard bumps along my gums, which I am assuming are bone(?).
Re: Painful gums, two months after full extraction?
It is usually necessary to have your new dentures adjusted by your dentist after delivery. The dentures can rub against certain areas on your gum and cause sore spots which will require selective grinding. Don't hesitate to return to your dentist for adjustments.
Re: Painful gums, two months after full extraction?
Hi Emsmom,
It sounds to me like you might have bone chips irritating your gums. They will usually work their way to the surface and come out on their own. They can be very painful especially when pressure is applied by the dentures.
Massaging your gums will help relieve this but a slightly quicker way to get rid of the bone chips is to "chew" or gum soft bubble gum. It does a few things for you- it will help toughen your gums and also the pressue applied by the bubble gum will help pull those chips out.
The secret to it is to get a soft bubble gum like bubblicious or hubba bubba and wad it up with your fingers, take your teeth out and begin to mash it around with your gums. It is painful at first but over time it really helps. Warning- do this only at home- it is quite comical to watch!
I do think it would be a good idea to see the dentist again and make sure this is what the problem is and not ill fitting dentures. They can cause so much damage.
The bone chips are part of the healing process, the more trauma your mouth endured during extraction the more likely you are to have chips, they are the edges of the tooth sockets sort of breaking off, some are absorbed back into the jaw bones, some get between the bone and the gum and become an irritant.
Re: Painful gums, two months after full extraction?
Thank you for all your replies
The painful part isn't from the sore spots on my gums, nor the bone chips. It is on the "tips" of the gums, where the teeth once sat. For example, biting into anything is painful along the ridges, not the sides (where sore spots can appear).
I do get the odd sore spot, but my dentist has been adjusting my dentures when that happens. I even shaved off a piece myself yesterday, as I wasn't able to see my dentist on the weekend.
I'm just concerned that I still can't eat certain foods. I can't even bite into a sandwich yet - it hurts too much. I am pain-free when they are just in my mouth, but to eat anything that requires me to use any of my front teeth is impossible right now.
Sandybeech - When I chew gum, am I doing this without my dentures in? Can you clarify please?
Again, thank you everyone and Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there
Re: Painful gums, two months after full extraction?
That sounds more like the interdental bone (bone that comes up between the teeth) that was never smoothed down as it should be with full extractions. Now, this will eventually wear itself away with time, but its usually a lot easier to do an alveoloplasty at the same time as extractions.
I would suggest just getting a second opinion from a dentist, always a good idea when something does not sound right or does not work as intended.
