How did you come to accepting that you needed multiple teeth removed/get dentures?

How did you come to accepting that you needed multiple teeth removed/get dentures?

I'm at that stage right now. I'm scared/embarrassed, but there is also this tiny part of me that knows I need to get this done. Not just for my physical health, but also emotionally. I am in my early twenties so I think that is part of the reason why I'm embarrassed. However, there is part of me that is happy with the fact that I recognize I need to get this work (multiple, if not all teeth removed & dentures) done.

I have an appointment tomorrow morning and I'm really scared......I don't know how to explain to my dentist that getting my teeth removed is the right thing to do for me. Not only physically, but emotionally and financially as well. I have done my research for many months now and I realize that dentures are not the same as my own teeth, but I just know that this is what I need to do.

Does anyone have any advice for me on what to say/how to get my dentist to understand that this is the best route for me...?

I really appreciate any input.

Re: How did you come to accepting that you needed multiple teeth removed/get dentures?

I am too am like you & in my 20's (27). I've known I needed all my teeth to come out since I was 23 but the dentist I had at the time would not give me the referral to have me put out & insisted I come back every week or two to have a few more teeth pulled each time. I went through with 6 extractions but it was just too much. I kept having to miss work & would be pain-free for a few days, only to be in pain again in a few more days.

These past few months have been really rough. Since the beginning of June I had been fighting abscess after abscess. As soon as I'd finish a course of antibiotics, I'd be in pain again from another infection. That's when I knew I definitely had to fix the issue. The constant pain was just killing me (I'm sure the infections too). So, I made an appointment with a dentist that had been recommended to me & she happily gave me the referral. Then panic set in because I knew that once it's done, there's no going back but I was okay with that at this point due to all the years of pain.

I kept thinking about how for years I've tried talking with my mouth partially covered so people couldn't see the state of my teeth. I've felt embarrassment & disappointment within myself as to how I could let this happen & then to go on for so long. I had perfect freaking teeth (all straight & nice looking) & my lack of oral hygiene ruined them. It's a tough pill to swallow thinking you've done it to yourself & now all you feel is shame for it. I've become really anti-social over the years because of the fear of what people will think or say to me & being a petite girl. Most people are always assuming I'm some sort of drug addict since I had severely bad teeth and am really small (5'2", 95lbs). I lost of lot of self-confidence because of the state my teeth were in. I avoided parties, family gatherings etc (pretty any place there were cameras and lots of people).

I came to terms with the realization that for the next 3 months after surgery I'd have no teeth, not even dentures, & I had accepted that so I can move on with that part of my life & will soon feel better about myself, but most importantly my health.

Once the referral was made, the pre-op appointment was booked & I'm glad I went through with it. The dental surgeon of course took more x-ray's (more detailed than the other dentists' office) & then pointed out that I also had a cyst in my mouth. The new dentist who gave me the referral had deemed it as another abscess as did the first dentist who wanted to do all the extractions himself, so I'm thankful I went to see an actual oral surgeon because otherwise it would have been missed.

This past Tuesday I actually had the remainder of my teeth extracted (24). Of course there was pain followed, but nothing as severe or as intense as one of those abscesses! My jaw is still tender to the touch & there are still stitches in my mouth, but at the end of the day, it's been worth it. I will have to undergo another surgery to remove the cyst, probably in a month or so, but again, I thankfully will never have to feel another painful abscessed tooth & in just a few more months I will be able to proudly smile with some nice teeth. I can't help but feel foolish for having let my teeth play such a big role in my life & limit me so much, but I'm happy that the battle is finally over & I've taken a step in the right direction.

You too will feel better about yourself once it's done & over with. I doubt any dentist would argue with you about pulling them if they truly need to be pulled so you wouldn't need to do much convincing. Your teeth will explain it all for you.

Good luck!

Re: How did you come to accepting that you needed multiple teeth removed/get dentures?

I am in the same boat. Last night i had another piece of tooth break off and now it is very difficult to eat. i told my husband to call and make me an appointment. I cant' make the call myself, the thought of it makes me cry and have trouble breathing. my question is how long does the process usually take to have all extracted and dentures made?

Re: How did you come to accepting that you needed multiple teeth removed/get dentures?

For me, the surgeon was in & out within 50 minutes, start to finish! I had already 6 teeth (4 molars, 2 wisdom) pulled prior, making him only needing to pull 24, but still, very quick in my opinion. My friend had ONE tooth removed and it took that same oral surgeon 25 minutes.

The difference, I think, when they're taking all the teeth out as opposed to one or a few is that there is no need to really be "careful" because they don't need to worry about damaging any other teeth. I asked and he said he started from the front & worked his way to the back, that way my front teeth weren't in their way when reaching for the back ones. He used the ones then created from the front ones removed so he was able to have "leverage" getting at the others, without having to "dig" at them. The worst of my stitches were in the front, where he did have to dig to get them out.

I thought my mouth was going to be a mess of stitches since a lot of the teeth in the back (& front) and been broken & some were now under my gums (more so in the back though), but again, he only dug in the front and rest he got out by using the hole beside the tooth that was extracted.

As for the dentures, because I'm on social assistance, they only give me them after 3 months following the extractions to cut down the cost of making a temporary denture AND a permanent denture. This way, they're only paying for a permanent one. So, I guess it would depend on your insurance coverage etc.

Re: How did you come to accepting that you needed multiple teeth removed/get dentures?

sounds you were in the exact same situation i am. some broken, some gone, some half broken etc. it looks like our insurance will prolly cover 60% and im hoping i can get immediate dentures. im mostly concerned with how much time i might have to take off of work, plus we are moving overseas in february (hes in the military) so there is some urgency, especially now that i cannot bite into anything. he actually listened though and i have an appointment next thursday at 1, and he explained my fears, i told him to make sure he used the word phobic too, and they said they will just look and discuss my options.

Re: How did you come to accepting that you needed multiple teeth removed/get dentures?

Ya. They were all in rough shape. You'd never had guessed I even had front teeth in the top since they were all in my gums. I knew for a few years they needed to come out but dreaded the thought of not having teeth for 3 months following the extractions, but in the end, I really had no good teeth to eat with anyway so I figured may as well stop beating around the bush & get over and done with. Not to mention that the state of my teeth held me back from a lot as I was very, very self-conscious of them. So much so that I had avoiding seeing &/or talking to friends, family, strangers etc. I hated having any sort of picture taken of myself & if I needed to take one, I was sure to close my mouth.

I was fighting abscess after abscess for the last few months too. As soon as I'd finish a course of antibiotics, I'd need another for either the same infection or new one. That's when I knew it was enough & I definitely had to do something before there were grave consequences.

If you know they need to come out, there is no need to put off the inevitable. It really wasn't as bad as I had anticipated, but I suppose everyone is different. The first day was definitely the worst for me. I had passed out before getting my prescription of Percocet so I woke up a few hours later in a world of pain & it took a while before the Percocet had any sort of effect since the pain had set in so bad, because it's easier to manage pain by taking the medication before it begins as opposed to in being in full force. So, that was my mistake. The 2nd & 3rd day were pretty rough too, but nothing in comparison to the 1st. By day 4 it still was sore for sure, but I was able to function okay. I went to a walk-in clinic for more Percocet's and the Dr. gave me a load of Advil & told me it would help with the bone pain & swelling & it most definitely did.

So, I'd suggest if either of you go through with it, buy a bunch of Advil & make sure you take your pain meds prior to sleeping so you don't end up how I did lol.

Re: How did you come to accepting that you needed multiple teeth removed/get dentures?

cant lie on this subject. despite the fact that the extractions/partial occurred about 4 months ago, I still cant really accept the fact in had to do this. unless I have to, I only wear the stupid things about once a week so mom wont start the "u have to wear them or your teeth could shift" speech. I am still having a minor problem with the top partial and some cold sensitivity with a filling but im refusing to go in and im currently standing at a 0% chance of me choosing to go to my December cleaning.

I may of had a bunch of crap teeth(14 extractions total) b4 all this went down but at least I could eat right and had no cold sensitivity problems!!! pretty much every day lately has been nothing but me hating myself for doing this and mourning the loss of my old teeth.

would I probably of had to get full dentures down the line if I didn't do in when I did? sure, but why should I care? dental genetics has a bulleye painted on me anyway! both grandparents on moms side had full dentures(grandfather had what some described as having chalk for his real teeth), mom has full dentures, and an aunt has upper dentures.

Re: How did you come to accepting that you needed multiple teeth removed/get dentures?

I'm missing being able to eat certain foods. Even though my teeth were crap, I was able to eat most things I like anyway, except for really crunchy stuff. And, even at that, I could eat crunchy stuff, just very, very slowly lol.

Nonetheless, I can't even attempt most foods now & I'm told it's likely I won't able to later, even with the dentures. It's like you're damned if you do, damned if you don't.

On the plus side, I will never have another awful abscess! I'm happy about that!!