Dentures

slk2015 · February 2017

I am curious if anyone has gotten regular dentures and figured out how to deal with a partial tongue, dry mouth and migraines in learning to use them. I have the top ones glued in right now, but after a while, I have to take them out. When I have migraines, they aggrevate the headache. The bottom ones are the real problem. Even if I glue them in using plenty of adhesive, there's the problem of food getting under what's left of the right side of my tongue (I'm missing about 1/4 of my tongue, so half the right side) and then working it's way up under the bottom denture. Pills do that too and I have to spit them out and try again. I only wear the bottom one when I eat or occasionally when I go out. My dentist can reline the dentures, but that only helps a couple of weeks. I'm thinking this is due to a "perfect storm" of things working against me.

My tongue and neck still swell and my speech is lousy and the dentures get "kicked out" by the tongue. I kind of gave up on phone conversations for now. Fortunately, most of what I do is over the internet and involves typing.

Permanent dentures are out. Too much a chance of infection of the posts (husband has a friend that had 3 implants go bad this way--he gave up and got a bridge) and my mouth reacting to the metal implants. So I'm trying to find an answer. Dentists really don't know what to do with this, it seems.

As noted in a previous comment, I can "gum" food with the best of them and put the dentures in to eat sometimes, but it's frustrating to not be able to figure out a solution. Any ideas?

Noellesmom · February 2017

My husband

Got dentures but they made him wait until a year after his radiation ended. I believe that made a tremendous difference in the good fit he got.

That having been said, the first year was a series of adjustments to the dentures. Because everybody's gums change through the years, adjustments are still made on an as needed basis.

Keep taking care of your gums but get the needed adjustments.

slk2015 · February 2017

Dentures

I should have included that I waited almost 4 months after top teeth extracted, 2 mos for bottom. It's been a year since I got the top denture, 3 months since the bottom one. I didn't have radiation, just a glossectomy and minimal neck dissection.

Maybe I don't quite understand how often the dentures need adjustment. The top ones were never relined and only had minimal changes the first month or two. The bottom basically would not stay in my mouth since day one. After a reline in the office, they stayed in for a bit (maybe two weeks) and now they drive me crazy. I know bottom ones are tougher, but I can't figure out how to deal with the skinny tongue and the bottom plate I guess. It's hard to explain. Missing part of my tongue seems to add a lot of complexity with the bottom denture.

I will continue with the adjustments as suggested.

SASH · February 2017

Permanent Denture

I have a partial lower permanent denture to match my upper real teeth. This took 28 Hyperbaric Oxygen treatments before surgery and 10 after. Heal for 5 months before second surgery to uncover posts. Another 5 months of healing and then they started doing molds and fittings. Another 2 months and I now have permanent lower dentures sitting on 4 implant posts.

This was all started 16 years post treatment.

PACE · February 2017

Dentures

SASH. It gives all on this board hope to hear that you have had such success with lower permanent dentures after 16 years. It was, I'm sure, a long an arduous journey but worth it. Thank you for sharing your story.

Ferg61 · February 2017

Nasopharyngeal cancer

Six years cancer free.i received 65 rounds of radiation (twice day radiation). No salavia as result of radiation and eating issues. Last April my teeth started to fail as result of radiation. It took almost six months before my insurance company TRICARE got on board with Adjunctive dental. Medical insurance covering all my surgery. Hyperbaric dives 20 before and ended up with 30 afterwards. All my teeth pulled in Oct 2016. I wear full denture on top but unable on bottom (Temp denture). Top denture stays in using seabond tape to hold top denture in. I go when denture is loose. Ever it seems three weeks For soft reline.

i go next week to surgeon to discuss implant. Should have implants done within next month Top and bottom.

Because of Hyperbaric chamber it speed up the growth of my cataract, so next month I'll have both eyes done.

New journey will start next month and what every my new normal will be....however, I'm very blessed to be here.

Stage III Nasopharyngeal cancer.

Cancer and its aftermath will not keep me down.

slk2015 · March 2017

Dentures

I am adding an update. I realized that part of the problem with the dentures is that after years of mouth and teeth pain, it just feels soooo good to be able to take the teeth out when they bug me. In time, I suspect I will get to the point where having them in feels better, but in the meantime, I just wear the tops to town and both when I eat something I can't gum, and don't worry about how much I have them in. The dentist relined both and cut the annoying "wings" off the back of the bottom one and now my teeth fit together properly and I can keep the bottom ones in my mouth much better. My bite is also much better.

One other thing--I was highly frustrated with the top dentures falling out three time in less than 10 minutes after I had put them in with adhesive. For some reason, I thought "you know, my mouth is really dry". Adhesive paste says to dry the dentures before applying. I went in and ran water over the denture, then popped it back in my mouth. A miracle! They stuck--really, really well. Now I just rinse them and apply the paste without drying. My husband notices the difference--I don't struggle to keep them in now. I don't know if this will work for others, but it made a huge improvement in keeping my dentures in.

phrannie51 · March 2017

slk2015 said:
Dentures
I am adding an update. I realized that part of the problem with the dentures is that after years of mouth and teeth pain, it just feels soooo good to be able to take the teeth out when they bug me. In time, I suspect I will get to the point where having them in feels better, but in the meantime, I just wear the tops to town and both when I eat something I can't gum, and don't worry about how much I have them in. The dentist relined both and cut the annoying "wings" off the back of the bottom one and now my teeth fit together properly and I can keep the bottom ones in my mouth much better. My bite is also much better.

One other thing--I was highly frustrated with the top dentures falling out three time in less than 10 minutes after I had put them in with adhesive. For some reason, I thought "you know, my mouth is really dry". Adhesive paste says to dry the dentures before applying. I went in and ran water over the denture, then popped it back in my mouth. A miracle! They stuck--really, really well. Now I just rinse them and apply the paste without drying. My husband notices the difference--I don't struggle to keep them in now. I don't know if this will work for others, but it made a huge improvement in keeping my dentures in.

If I thought you were

trying to keep them in without any water, I would have said something and saved you some misery!! I make sure my denture is dry when I apply the adhesive, but ge my mouth really wet before slipping them in. Glad your experimentaction got you an answer.

P

slk2015 · March 2017

phrannie51 said:
If I thought you were
trying to keep them in without any water, I would have said something and saved you some misery!! I make sure my denture is dry when I apply the adhesive, but ge my mouth really wet before slipping them in. Glad your experimentaction got you an answer.

P

Wet!

Thanks! It's just something one does not really think about--how dry one's mouth really is compared to much of the population for whom instructions are written. I will now!

Dentures

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