I have permanent dentures anchored on by all-on-4 dental implants. My anterior teeth are 2-3 mm from the gumline. Is that correct or should they follow the gumline? My lips have been bulky and uncomfortable. I’m not sure if this is how it should be and I just need to get used to it or if something is wrong.
Kevin
Dear Kevin,
Gumline
I want to start by making sure we are on the same page. The gumline is actually where the teeth meets the gums. I think you are referring to where your teeth are extracted–The ridge of the jawbone under your denture. There is a slight difference in placement when you get completely removable dentures than when you get anchored dentures.
With completely removable dentures, the front teeth on the lower arch need to be placed directly over the bony ridge. If it is not, there will be a problem with the back teeth tipping whenever you bite something with your front teeth.
You, however, have all-on-4 dental implants, which is one type of implant supported dentures. Another type is implant overdentures. With these, you do not have to worry about any tipping. So, from that perspective, 2-3 mm is fine for chewing. However, there are appearance and speech related considerations.
Placing These Properly
There should always be a wax try in of the dentures before it is ever made in acrylic. That wax try in will check several things:
- The appearance of the teeth
- The patient’s speech
- The appearance of your lips
- Vertical dimension
- The occlusion of your bite
If your denture is attached with screws, it is a fairly easy procedure for your dentist to remove the denture and reset it in a more proper position. I would speak to your dentist about this. Even if there is a charge, it should not be much.
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