My dentist did an impression followed by a wax bite and two wax try-ins. I noticed with the second wax try-in that it wasn’t staying in and let my dentist know. He said that was only for the teeth and not to worry about it. When I finally received the new dentures, there was zero suction. When I spoke with my dentist about this hs said I likely needed time for my gums to adjust. I gave that time but nothing improved. Next, he said maybe my bite was off and he had me come in again. This time he ground down on the denture teeth. While they felt great when they stayed in, the hardly ever stayed in. Now he’s talking about doing a reline. I’m not sure if this is any better. Should I give up with this dentist?
Missy
Dear Missy,
If everything seems fine with your dentures except they are not staying in, the fit issue should be repaired with a reline. However, your dentist is guilty of skipping some steps in the process of what you told me. Though, it’s possible you didn’t tell me everything. If he did skip some steps, he’s guilty of succumbing to the pressure of keeping prices down to stay competitive. The best impressions are two-step impressions. Some dentists will even do a three-step impression.
He should take a preliminary impression with alginate. This allows for a preliminary model of the jaw. From that model, a custom tray could be made specific to the patient. Some dentists use a moldable stock tray. For the next phase, a heavier impression material is used for a process called border molding. Suction is accomplished by the border of the upper denture. For it to work, you want the border to press into the tissue a little, hence the reason for the heavy-body impression material. The final step is a wash. This is a light-body material that will fill up the interior of the impression that registers all the tiny details of the soft tissue.
If this is shortened to one step, as it seemed your dentist did, the result can be an adequate denture, but the dentist will save chair time and cost.
Consider Dental Implants
If you are fairly young, you may consider looking into dental implants. When your teeth are removed, your body begins resorbing the minerals in your jawbone to use elsewhere in your body. This is in an effort to stay as efficient as possible with its resources.
Unfortunately, after about ten or so years, you’ll no longer have enough jawbone left to keep your dentures in place at all. This is known as facial collapse. Having some dental implants placed will not only prevent this, it will also secure your denture and improve your chewing capacity.
This blog is brought to you by Lexington Dentist Dr. John Weaver.