Food Particles Getting Caught Between Gums and a Fixed Removable: A Potential Problem?

The issue of food impaction under prosthesis and gum tissue is certainly important and usually addressed by the contour or shape of the prosthesis which helps to prevent it or make it easy to clean. The prosthodontist can give you important insights about the design, while the oral surgeon placing the implant will work with him or her to make sure the implants are in the correct position.Dr. Kazemi

An ideal treatment for you is a fixed bridge on five implants. The bridge doesn’t touch the tissue and is fixed to the implants with small screws. There usually is a small space between the bridge and the gum tissues to allow you to easily clean underneath. I usually recommend a water pik to flush food particles from under the bridge. Yes, particles can get under the bridge but, unlike your denture, the bridge does not touch the gums so you won’t feel like you are trapping or biting down on the food particles, so it won’t hurt your gums Our office has been making this type of bridge for 20+years and our patients have been very pleased with the comfort and function of the new replacement teeth. I think you will be pleased too. Michael W. Johnson DDS, MS

I am very disappointed in my implants. I hated my bottom denture so I thought implants would be an ideal choice. I must say that even after 37 (yes, 37, I exaggerate not at all) I can truthfully and with all honesty that I am still not satisfied with my implants!! I was actually referred to a specialist in implant procedures, (my 38th appt) just a week ago and he “ tweeked” them as best he could. It has made some progress in how it fits but I get very bad sores on my gum line! It’s like it is very sore on the left side for a few days until; after gargling with salt water, it gets better on that side of my mouth and then other side becomes very sore!! I was thinking about purchasing a water pic to clean under them. Has anyone had any similar results with food getting trapped under the implanted denture and if so, does a waterpic work on getting the food particals out from under the plate?

I have a removable dental bridge. Even though I brush them after eating, food sticks to certain parts and it's hard to get rid of this pasty sticky food. If I'm only supposed to use a soft toothbrush, how can I get rid of this little food "mass" that sticks to the wire parts of my bridge? It happens in the difficult-to-brush places of my bridge, on the wire connections.

There is a constant "give and take" with this all too common issue: Dentists like the space, b/c it makes it makes it easier for the pt. to clean around the implants everyday (waterpik). Pts. usually (but not always by any means) hate more space as it makes it more probable that food gets underneath their prosth. Then there's the issue of air leaks on upper implant supported dentures which is another issue. Since constant food impaction/air leaks (which can compromise speech) and other objections to too much space are usually what make the patients miserable, we try to close the space as carefully as possible while allowing daily homecare access. The case is just a disaster despite all else being dead on if the pt. is miserable. So, we have an agreement with these pts. that depending on the access they have or don't have to the implants/gum area for daily care, we see them for hygiene appts more frequently and possibly a full "take it out and clean" appt. yearly. One way or the other, the implant/gum interface has to be kept plaque free - at least as much as possible - by us or them. The likely hood for periimplantitis ( like gum disease but around implants) is much higher if there is failure to maintain hygiene there and spells disaster for the whole case if severe.