Hii JJ - sorry about delay in replying, I was out most of yesterday.
My implants are two implants into the gums, with one separate tooth attached to each implant, so no bridge. I do have a bridge which consists of two porcelain teeth attached together, fastened to the remains of a tooth and I've also had a 3 tooth bridge attached to the remains of 2 teeth (one of the teeth split in this bridge, so I ended up with a denture).
There's virtually no difference between a bridge attached to implants and a bridge attached to teeth. The only difference is what they're attached to, but the aesthetics is the same. In both of my bridges, when I run my tongue along the back, it's very smooth and just feels natural. It certainly shouldn't feel like it's a mini denture.
I'm just wondering if, when the impressions were taken, that the gums hadn't fully healed and maybe the gums have moved slightly since, so the bridge maybe doesn't fit as snug as it should.
You say that the rest of your gums are tender too??
Are you referring to the whole of the upper jaw, or just in the surrounding area of the implants??