J
JenBPhobic
Junior member
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2008
- Messages
- 2
Hello. I have been to 3 dentists (one an oral surgeon) & have been advised to have some teeth removed & get immediate denture(s). All 3 "denture-experienced" dentists agree that I should get a partial denture on the bottom. However, they are not in agreement regarding the top.
I am a 40 year-old dental phobic female & have 8 upper teeth remaining. Two of the dentists (including the oral surgeon) advised to have all remaining upper teeth extracted & get an immediate full denture (with a complete down the road).
The dentist I have chosen (both highly recommended by patients & the one I'm the most comfortable with by far) feels very strongly that 3 of the upper teeth should be retained & I should receive an immediate partial upper denture (with a complete down the road). Of the 3 retained teeth (which are strongly anchored/in-place... versus the others that are very loose)- one is a left molar (#14), another is a right molar (#3) and lastly a right canine (#6). The canine has had a previous root-canal & is fitted with a permanent crown (it's the best tooth in my mouth apparently) & it will not need any work. The 2 remaining molars will need crowns with possible (but not probable) root-canals. These three teeth will help anchor the partial. This dentist feels that this is the best route to go. She stated that she is confident that the remaining upper teeth can survive at least another 5 yrs. She recommended the partial over the full as the partial is allegedly more stable & it will also be an easier transition into a full denture 5 - 10 yrs from now.
The other 2 dentists stated that they didn't feel that the remaining "savable" teeth would make enough of a difference to warrant keeping. One also said that the way the remaining teeth are located in the mouth might actually "cause" stability issues.
The dentist I have chosen to care for my mouth was very informative & stated that she would strongly support my decision either way. She let me know, that she will take very good care of me in any case.
Soooo..... although I'm happy & confident in the dentist I've chosen (which is a big relief for this dental phobic), I am at great odds as to whether I should "go-for" the partial or just get the full upper denture? Does anyone have any advice? I've scoured the forums for a similar predicament, but I'm not having any luck. Is it worth hanging on to the 3 remaining teeth? Is there that much of a difference between a "big" partial & a full denture? Any advice at all would be much appreciated. I feel very lucky to have found this forum with so many understanding & helpful people out there. Thanks so much in advance.
I am a 40 year-old dental phobic female & have 8 upper teeth remaining. Two of the dentists (including the oral surgeon) advised to have all remaining upper teeth extracted & get an immediate full denture (with a complete down the road).
The dentist I have chosen (both highly recommended by patients & the one I'm the most comfortable with by far) feels very strongly that 3 of the upper teeth should be retained & I should receive an immediate partial upper denture (with a complete down the road). Of the 3 retained teeth (which are strongly anchored/in-place... versus the others that are very loose)- one is a left molar (#14), another is a right molar (#3) and lastly a right canine (#6). The canine has had a previous root-canal & is fitted with a permanent crown (it's the best tooth in my mouth apparently) & it will not need any work. The 2 remaining molars will need crowns with possible (but not probable) root-canals. These three teeth will help anchor the partial. This dentist feels that this is the best route to go. She stated that she is confident that the remaining upper teeth can survive at least another 5 yrs. She recommended the partial over the full as the partial is allegedly more stable & it will also be an easier transition into a full denture 5 - 10 yrs from now.
The other 2 dentists stated that they didn't feel that the remaining "savable" teeth would make enough of a difference to warrant keeping. One also said that the way the remaining teeth are located in the mouth might actually "cause" stability issues.
The dentist I have chosen to care for my mouth was very informative & stated that she would strongly support my decision either way. She let me know, that she will take very good care of me in any case.
Soooo..... although I'm happy & confident in the dentist I've chosen (which is a big relief for this dental phobic), I am at great odds as to whether I should "go-for" the partial or just get the full upper denture? Does anyone have any advice? I've scoured the forums for a similar predicament, but I'm not having any luck. Is it worth hanging on to the 3 remaining teeth? Is there that much of a difference between a "big" partial & a full denture? Any advice at all would be much appreciated. I feel very lucky to have found this forum with so many understanding & helpful people out there. Thanks so much in advance.