NHS Dentures

clarabean

Hi,

I wonder if anyone could give me some advice or info?

My mum has just received a new set of dentures from her NHS dentist, at a cost to her of £198.

The dentures are ill fitting and hurt her gums, they cause her to talk with a lisp, and worst of all they gum line is around a centimetre lower than her own, meaning her new teeth protrude and she can't close her mouth over them. She looks like she's wearing comedy false teeth. She's very self concious about it, and I wondered what her rights were?

The dentist has said there's nothing that can be done, but my mum has shelled out almost £200 for a product that she's unhappy with, that's not fit for purpose and that she won't use.

Is my mum entitled to have her money refunded, or dos she just hav to accept her comedy falsies and chalk it up to experience?

Thank you!

Optimist

Dentures are classed as goods therefore the Sale Of Goods Act applies and means the dentures have to be of satisfactory quality and fit for purpose. If they don't fit then they don't meet that criteria. She should take them back and tell them that she is rejecting them for the reasons you have given.

If the dentist still gives problems or says they can not help then come back for further advice.

McKneff

If they are as you say they are you should tell her to go to another dentist for another opinion.
No self respecting dentist would make a denture like that.

Im really not sure if this is a wind up, but we'll see.

I had dentures fitted in May, throught June I could have thrown them on the floor and stamped on them, They were ill fitting to start with and really did take 4 or 5 months for them to settle.
it really does take a lot of time to get used to them. The gum structure changed dramatically in the first six months, maybe she just needs time for things to settle down.

Toothsmith

Dentures are an absolute nightmare, and I hate making them!

The first thing I do with any patient wanting a new set is to tell them how rubbish and poor they will feel TO START WITH.

A new set will always feel different to the old familiar comfy set, and will take some getting used to.

While you are getting used to them, they will feel very loose, look very odd, and be difficult to talk with and sometimes almost impossible to eat with. It takes a bit of work and determination from the patient to get used to them (And a bit of support from friends and family!)

Getting used to a new set is easier if the patient is relatively young (Both in years and 'outlook' on life), has a good solid ridge of bone, and hasn't had the previous set too long.

What makes things harder is an 'elderly' patient, a very old denture ("Mr Toothpuller made this for me just after The War, and it's been brilliant") and no boney ridge left.

It's all down to 'adaptability'. The older a denture is the thinner and more worn it will be. So when the new one has proper size teeth, and proper thickness of plastic, it will feel huge. This will mean the mouth will feel very unnatural around it. The mouth will not relax, and the patient will look awful.

As the patient get's used to the new feeling, the mouth will relax, and the face will look a lot better.


Of course - without seeing it, it might well be that the denture is rubbish, but you can't just assume that just because your Mum is having difficulty. New dentures that are perfectly good CAN be difficult too.

jugglebug

Just a quick note to add to what the others correctly have said
With regard to the teeth protruding.
There is usually a trial set up stage where the teeth are set up within a wax denture so that things like the looks can be assessed and approved before going to the final stage.
Was this not done? or if it was didn't the protrusive appearance of the dentures not mentioned then?
I make a big song and dance about that stage because like toothsmith I hate making dentures and on more than one occasion have fitted perfectly reasonable dentures that have been subsequently rejected because of perceived faults that could have easily been fixed at that stage for no more aggravation that perhaps a single extra visit, and no extra charges or arguments over refunds. However for some reason folks think the final denture will be somehow different and keep silent until it is too late.

Toothsmith

One other thing with regards to the 'soreness'. It will be almost impossible to make a enture that is 'perfect' at first fitting.

You often need a few visits for adjustments to get things absolutely comfortable. So don't be afraid to go back.

Just appreciate that there are some things that need adjustment, and some things that need getting used to.

clarabean

Thanks for everyone's input. With regards to the sale of goods, our concern was that perhaps part of the cost was met by the NHS, and wondered what effect this would have on my mum's rights as a consumer. NB: having spoken to my mum since posting, I realise I got the cost totally wrong. She paid £100.16, not £200 as previously stated.

The info about wearing the dentures in has given her some comfort, she's wearing the dentures this weekend while visiting friends, rather than reverting back to her old ones infront of anyone outside household, so thanks for that. They do still seem to be considerably larger than her previous set, i can't see how they'll settle back by such a significant degree.

She's also been promised an audience with someone senior at the practice who give her a second opinion and will make a judgement on the fit and look of the teeth.

Thanks to all who've responded.

PS: A wind up? Why?

Oopsadaisy

If you want the best dentures expect to pay around £600/£700.

NHS dentures are like NHS glasses...they let you see/eat but anything other than that is a bonus.

NHS glasses don't look or feel like a pair of top branded glasses and I don't hear too many people complaining [although there are a lot who would expect a pair of D&G glasses on the NHS]

Chris_71_2

I have had 5 bottom teeth removed from the front and a partial denture made to fit in their place with an extra 3 teeth each side as I have no other bottom teeth. I paid £209 which is the NHS price and I am worried they are a bad fit. I cannot talk without clenching my teeth, I cannot eat anything. They move about and seem too big. I know these are common problems but it gets worse. They sit on top of my gums and if I open my mouth you can see the bottom edge of the denture and almost the top of my gums at the front. The 'ridge' that is cut away usually in the denture so they fit over the gums is almost non existant. I have top dentures which fit perfectly (made a few years ago) but I can't see how these are ever going to fit. My mouth feels like it is 'full of teeth' and I don't know what to do about it.

Oopsadaisy

go back and esplain all this to the dentist.

topsales

Don't assume that paying a lot for dentures will mean that they are any better! I have just paid thousands for dentures privately and am VERY unhappy with them. They re very uncomfortable and my lips are much more ' severe' looking for some reason. I really wish that I had stuck with my old horrible but real teeth.