Best denture adhesives according to redditors

Our studio uses dental wax with gauze infused into the wax. It's malleable and goes over the bottom teeth, which prevents just about all biting damage that occurs from extended playing. I'm personally not a fan of these protectors as I like the direct feedback of bottom teeth/bottom lip, but the rest of the studio swears by it. A couple of my friends practice for >6h/day with this thing without any pain whatsoever. I'll edit my post later today when I find out what exactly it's called and where to buy it.

Edit: Poster above me beat me to it, Ezo

I had braces when I was in high school playing the clarinet (I'm a private lesson instructor now) and the thing that helped me more than anything was this product called EZO

https://www.amazon.com/Ezo-Denture-Cushions-Lower-Heavy/dp/B001ET6ZTG

It's a denture cushion, yes...but it takes ALL the strain from your lip (I suspect you may be compensating a bit, totally normal...it hurts) so you can focus on your embouchure. If you cut these little bad boys up to about an inch long (you should get 6-10 smaller pieces from each big piece) you can fit that to your braces and teeth to eliminate any discomfort. Waterproof medical tape works as well, but EZO is where it's really at.

> Have you experienced any bone loss or changes in your face?

No bone loss. It takes years for the loss to be detrimental to getting implants.

I look older when my teeth are out but once they are back in I look younger/my age.
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> How often do you have to return to the dentist? How long can a set of dentures last before you need them refitted?

In the beginning I went A LOT. I got immediate dentures. So as the swelling went down they needed to be adjusted and have the sides shaved down and some spots smoothed out.

This step is important because it can slow your recovery time down. Ill fitting dentures is not the way to live.

I was told every 7 years or so it's good to have them replaced but the dentist will look them over and recommend it when it's time.
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> Do you have any fitting issues with the dentures? How long after extractions did you get the dentures? What kind of adhesive do you use?

I got my dentures made before my extractions and picked them up the day before surgery. The oral surgeon placed them while I was still in the chair. I had to leave them in for 24 hours and then take them out to begin gently saltwater rinsing every few hours and after every meal.

Properly fitting upper dentures will never need adhesive. They suction to the top of your mouth and stay snugly in place. Some people adhere their bottoms down if they give them trouble. I switch between Secure and Fixodent.

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> Have you considered implants as you can afford them? If you've talked to anyone about it, did they warn you about bone grafts?
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I am considering implants but I am happy right now. I was warned but it wasn't an immediate concern.
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> How long did it take for your sutures to heal? My molar sutures took two months and they are still an interesting shape.

My sutures were completely out by day 10. By day three/five many of them were dissolving and kind of hanging out. It was annoying but my upper denture stopped me from toying with them too much.

So it takes about a year for all the secondary healing to finished. The initial healing was pretty much all done by the second month. By that time I was eating all kinds of shit anyway. I was still going in for adjustments although, the initial swelling was gone. Gums will shrink continuously and then they'll ease up.

Soft relines help as well. They are basically pillows for gums. They are amazing.

I haven't had an adjustment in months but I change my reline (by myself) pretty often (once every 2 months or so now). This will need to be done less and less often.

I'm going to get a hard reline at my year mark.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B07D8QR24T?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

Got this as a cheaper alternate to Waterpik. Teeth feel so much cleaner and a much better experience than flossing. A solid useful product so far.

Haven’t seen this suggested yet, but try using a piece of EZO denture pad over your bottom teeth:

Ezo Denture Cushions, Lower Heavy, 15 Cushions (Pack of 6) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001ET6ZTG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_vCFZCb2RNJACR

I was having the same problems when I got serious with sax in the 8th grade (to the point every my lip would bleed or hurt too much to play anything), and used them at the suggestion of my teacher/professor at the time. I would use EZO every time I played, and the same piece will last a long time. Hell, a box should last you for years. I played on a 3.5 vandoren and selmer S90 mouthpiece.

Basically just cut a piece large enough to put over your bottom front teeth, at the pressure point where you would have pain from biting. I got to where I would cut a piece to fold once or twice over itself to make a thicker pad. It shouldn’t need to end up longer than an inch or so in length.

I could play for hours with no pain, which was handy for all the playing I had to do daily in college. And, arguably, it made my sound darker as the bottom lip became “thicker” against the reed.

Some professors argue against it, saying they don’t “need” it but who cares. It made me a better player.

Edit: another professor had me try and learn the rolled out embouchure after I had already been playing the standard way for 7 years. Too much of a change for me, I’d rather stick to playing with EZO.

They're these ones , iirc! They work like a charm! :-)

Hey, I played with braces in HS, too. You adjust. Then adjust again when they come off. You can try the wax or paper. Or try Ezo. (http://www.amazon.com/health-personal-care/dp/B001ET6ZTG). I found this best for me. Just cut it to fit over what you need it to.

And the most active sax subreddit is /r/saxophonics.