Anxiety about losing front bottom teeth and getting partials!!!

[Scooter33]

I am freaking out! My worst fears are coming true! I finally got the courage to go see a dentist after 7 years! I usually go into full panic attack when I even think of going to the dentist but I knew I need to and after seeing how wonderful my sisters dentist has been I did it! I went!
I was told that I had lost over 80% of bone in my 4 bottom front teeth and that it was strongly recommended that I have them removed and get partials!!! I can't even begin to process this! I knew this would eventually happen I knew that after I had my daughter my gums had gotten really bad and that really I was lucky to have not lost them already! But no matter how much I had been preparing myself for this day I am still in absolute panic about it!
I am terrified that people will be able to tell I have dentures that they are not going to look real that I won't be able to talk with them in or that they are going to fall out! My anxiety about this goes as far as I am afraid that I will never date again and that I will be alone for the rest of my life because I won't have front teeth!!! How am I going to be able to kiss some one are they going to be able to feel it! And say my dentures are amazing and you can't even tell that I have them (which I don't believe can happen) what would I say to a guy the first to e we spent a night together! He honey don't mind me I have to take out my teeth before we go to sleep! Hope I remembered to bring my denture cleaner and case!
I know that it sounds so superficial that with all the things to be terrified about its that! But at the moment I don't have an appointment for the procedure so that isn't really real in my head yet! ( I am sure the anxiety about that will set in soon) right now I can't wrap my head around being 33 years old and losing my teeth!!!!

 

[Maryp]

Try not to worry. Im 38 with a full top and bottom denture and no one can tell. When people do find out they are shocked. I just got my bottom 10 days ago and it was hard and i was worried but they actually look great! Dentistry has come a long way. All my teeth are fake but you wouldn't know it. If they think that is what is best for you then consider it and ill be the first to tell you,its not noticeable. Im not a dentist,just know what you are going through mentally. I uploaded a pic so u can see. Note i dontalways smile that big and my tablet has a crappy camera,lol

 

[Scooter33]

Thank you! It does help hearing from people who have gone through it and thank you for the picture! You are right you can't tell! You look great! Still a little nervous but really its about the procedure in general I do know its what's best and it will be nice not to have the discomfort of the loose teeth!

 

[carole]

I had a partial at the bottom front of my mouth, it was to fill a gap that having one front tooth had left. I could talk normally straight away and once I got used to taking them out which I found difficult at first I was fine. I wear a guard at night so I did take the denture out, but if I didn't have the guard I wouldn't have left it out at night. I know people that only take them out to clean when they have dentures and although the dentists don't advise this they seem to be okay.
So if you met someone then you could leave them in until you got to know them better then you could tell them in your own time when you felt comfortable to do so.

You will get sore spots at first and will need to go back to the dentist for them to smooth these out for you, it doesn't take long and is instant in helping.

The procedure isn't bad and because the teeth are loose they will come out very quickly, you won't know they are out until the dentist tells you.

They will make sure you are very numb then when you are and they can test you to make sure, they will then prepare the tooth which doesn't take long and will simply lift them out. If you are having an immediate denture, as I did they will put it in for you.

You will feel no pain or discomfort and if you did feel anything then before they start arrange a stop signal so that at any point they can stop and give you a rest or top up the numbing stuff.

You will be really surprised at how quickly the teeth are removed, also if you are having an immediate denture so that you don't have to live with the gaps you would need to go before the extractions to have impressions taken so that they can be make beforehand. If you don't have immediate dentures it will mean a period of about 6 months with no teeth. Ask the dentist about this and make sure you are happy with what is going to happen. I would recommend having an immediate denture, I am not a dentist just someone that has had a bottom front denture. I don't have it any more because I have had a bridge put in now to cover the gap. I don't know if this might be an option for you as four missing teeth might be too long a gap to do a bridge on.

If it was possible then you would need immediate dentures for between 6 to 12 months while your gums settle down and shrink back. A bridge doesn't come out because it is anchored onto teeth either side.

 

[JDrastic]

Hi, wondering if OP has any update..?
i'm about to go thru the same......

 

[krlovesherkids777]

Scooter,,

I understand exactly what you are going through .. I got a bottom partial at 30 . it was my bottom front five teeth. so talk about embarrassing I'm thinking... well.. I was very extremely worried.but .. they looked 100% better than my teeth they took out, and they were very real looking . I was self conscious a bit because I knew.. but also I felt more self confident because they were better than my bad decayed teeth in looks! As far as dating.. I felt the same way.. and actually I tried to use it as an excuse to try to break up a few times.. "btw I have dentures".. they never noticed... and they didn't care. I didn't tell them right away. its a really personal thing and I agree with Carole in that leave it to you know someone more and you are comfortable with them.

 

[JayDee7]

I'm going the same thing myself, kinda. I'm turning 36 next month and just last month I lost a front bottom tooth in my sleep I went today for the impressions. I'm getting a partial for my bottom front 4 teeth. I was terrified that the one really mobile tooth was going to pop right out with the suction force of the putty. I had a super sweet hygenist who wrapped it in wax and everything went smoothly and no missing tooth

Next Friday I have 3 extractions, bone graft and 2 implants put in... in the end after a few months, I'll have a implanted supported bridge with 4 crowns.

As dental phobic as I am, this has been such a positive experience for me that Im actually looking forward to having all this work done.