Healthy Smile: When I Chew, My Front Teeth Hurt

by Jeffrey Gross, DDS, FAGD of The Healthy Smile

That’s not exactly how our conversation started. The patient whom I saw yesterday was a patient of mine many years ago. She moved away and just recently came back to take care of her mother. She came to me to seek advice. Out of her purse came a denture. That in and of itself could be construed as strange. After all, dentures belong in the mouth, not the purse. What was unusual centered around the fact that she still had teeth in her mouth.

“Dr Gross, I know that you will give me an honest opinion concerning what I should do,” she went on to say. Her denture was never put into place because she could not afford the tens of thousands of dollars that would be the result of losing her teeth and getting a denture. She was in a quandary and carried this denture around for a year or longer. Her move back to our area prompted her to call me.

I do not know any details regarding the previous plan of treatment for her. I examined her mouth and saw that she had her front teeth and a couple of back teeth. Her front teeth showed signs of looseness. I looked at the areas which were devoid of teeth. The back of her mouth and roof of her mouth demonstrated very flat surfaces. There were no hills or valleys as I looked from left to right and front to back. It almost looked like the landscape of Ohio. It was completely flat.

Why is this finding significant? The lack of gum height tells me that she has very little underlying bone. The flatness translates into a challenging situation into which a denture will stay stable in the mouth. The denture won’t stay up without help. Even if we use a lot of adhesive, I have little confidence in the ability to wear a denture comfortably.

What does this have to do with the fact that her front teeth hurting when she ate? Actually nothing. Her front teeth were sore because she had almost no back teeth to give her chewing function. These teeth bore the brunt of all of her eating and soon would be lost if no treatment occurred in the back of her mouth.

I needed to do or advise her to do some procedure and yet, at the same time, stay away from a full denture. A complete denture would be a disaster in her mouth. I recommended that we use a partial denture designed with an emphasis on taking the stress of her front teeth. I also suggested that we use a splint on the front teeth. Now when she chews, the forces would spread out along all the front teeth together with the upper partial denture. We also discussed a single implant to make everything more stable and more robust. I came up with an affordable and straightforward plan that did not involve a lot of treatment

I hope that she will never have to use that denture that lives in her purse. I know that I can add many years to the life of her remaining teeth. Why am I so sure that this is possible? The answer is quite simple. I’ve seen this before and did this type of treatment. It works! If you have just a few teeth remaining in your mouth, it is possible to extend their life. Call our office at 440-892-1810 and we will help set up a visit for us to discuss your concerns. I look forward to meeting you.

Jeffrey Gross, DDS, FAGD is an Ohio licensed general dentist and is on the staff of Case Western Reserve School of Dental Medicine.

The Healthy Smile • 27239 Wolf Road, Bay Village, OH 44140 • 440-892-1810 • www.jeffreygrossdds.com