Aw, Holly, I’m just so darned happy this all turned out so well for you. I know you were filled with anxiety about what to do for almost, what, 2 years? Oh gurl, now you can exhale a huge sigh of relief and learn to smile from ear to ear again! You have a new set of ‘pie biters’. 😅 That’s what one of my favorite patients used to call his dentures, his pie biters.

I can imagine the excitement of your family with that long awaited first selfie!! And I would expect this will be a huge confidence builder for you to have a smile along with the twinkle in your eye. 💕

Back to the mechanics of things:
Adhesive.
Your denture is basically held in place by suction with a good snug fit over your tissue. Where you just had the extractions, the bone and tissue will shrink and modify under the denture over the course of weeks. The denture being plastic, won’t change, creating small gaps between tissue and plastic. When that happens, the denture may not fit as snugly and become loose when you talk or eat. That’s when a good adhesive comes into the picture. It fills the gaps between your tissue and the plastic of the denture. It can also help soothe tender spots under the denture.
You’re noting two little sore spots already. That’s to be expected. Your dentist will most likely trim those down with a handpiece, then polish the plastic and have you try it in to make sure you feel less pressure there.

The reason your oral surgeon has told you no sucking through a straw or swishing vigorously is so that you do not dislodge the blood clots from the extraction sites. In another 24 hours that should be fine but still be gentle for a couple of days.

Using your inhaler won’t be an issue with your denture in place and rinse & spit as usual.
But you do want to keep your mouth clean! So ask your dentist today how to care for the extraction area so that it stays healthy as it heals. You still need to brush your lower teeth, so it’s ok to do that! You can still rinse your mouth too. Sip some water, let it roll around in your mouth and spit…just no vigorous swishing for 3 more days.

When the dentist removes your denture today, he may have you gently rinse with water and spit Or his assistant may use the water syringe to irrigate your mouth and the suction to collect. But they will be cautious where the teeth were removed.

Phew, huh! You did it!! It was my pleasure to be you every step of the way. Wish I could take you out to lunch…to try out those new pie biters. Giggle. Have a great day, Holly!! Hugs!