• Dental Phobia Support

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But You're Too Young for Dentures!

Well they definitely work now. I can wear them without problems and they work for eating, so they're acceptable the way they are. Not spectacular, but they work.

I went out to a nice Japanese place today for lunch and didn't have any trouble eating even without any adhesive at all. The lowers were definitely a little loose for that, but I didn't get any food stuck under them so the fit is clearly working.

I think just a little bit of powder adhesive top and bottom will keep things in place for even the most challenging foods.


Oh, and if I really coat the uppers with powder it can actually be painful to remove later.



Overall I'd say I'm not quite happy with them, but I'm not unhappy either.
 
Did a test run today with all-powder adhesive. I just did a very light dusting on the uppers and lowers.

Uppers: No instability issues. They didn't feel glued on but they didn't feel like they were going to move.

Lowers: Very mild instability later in the meal, minor lifting at the end. They fit well enough without adhesive to eat many foods, so when I say "very mild" and "minor", I'm kind of exaggerating the problem. The hold simply wasn't as solid as thicker "gum" adhesives. Of course I also didn't have any sticky ooze seeping out of the edges either.

Food: Chicken fried steak with crispy edges, eggs, pancakes, and biscuits and gravy.


Obviously the greatest challenge here was the chicken fried steak, though the pancakes were a bit sticky on the "roof" of the uppers. So all-in-all not a particularly difficult meal to chew. But this was something that would have been mild to moderate difficulty before the reline and I didn't find myself having to think much about what I was doing.

I was drinking coffee with the meal, to which I attribute most of the loss in grip in the adhesive (warm liquids dissolve them). If I had been drinking something cold, I think I wouldn't have had any lifting at all.

As it was, both uppers and lowers came out later for cleaning without prying or difficulty.


Conclusion: Powder works on top and bottom now. A little more on the lowers will probably hit the "sweet spot" in terms of hold versus ease of cleaning later.


I'd say I'm happy with them in that they do what I need them to without being much trouble, but not in the "I'm deliriously happy" kind of way. If a scale of 1 to 10 is 1 being very unhappy, 10 being deliriously happy, and 5 being indifferently content, I'm probably around a 6.5 to 7.

While they could be better, they've been enough worse that I'm not complaining.
 
A few more days and things are going pretty well.

I'm actually looking forward to Thanksgiving dinner, so that's good enough for me.
 
2 of 3 Thanksgiving dinners down, one to go.

First dinner went well, but my gums got tired pretty early.

Second dinner was even better, I traded the powder adhesives on the lowers for a small amount of paste, which actually turned out being slightly more than I needed. I ate fresh celery and carrots, actually cutting them with the incisors. Big "win" there.

Tomorrow is the final family dinner. Really looking forward to it considering prior successes.
 
Okay, well this may be my last post in this journal, at least for awhile.

The holidays came and went with little involvement of the teeth... everything just pretty much works as it's supposed to. The most I thought about them was when family members pointed out how much better they look.

It's not like having my old teeth, in the good or bad way, but everything is entirely functional now and doesn't generally give me much trouble. So while I can't simply carve off a huge hunk of steak and grind it up aggressively with my teeth, I also don't have to concern myself with getting any of it jammed into open holes in my teeth or hitting the one that makes my eyes water if anything pushes down on it. The dentures can be uncomfortable but the worst pain they can cause are when I accidentally bite the inside of my lip or something (which my old teeth weren't even capable of doing).

And while it can be annoying to take them out and brush the adhesive off my gums each night, at least this way I don't have to make any effort to remember to take care of them... I never forget to take them out before bed, and cleaning is just part of that whole process so I'm actually taking much better care of them than I ever did with my old teeth.

So yes, there's a lot lost getting dentures when you compare them to natural teeth in good repair. No remotely sane person would suggest trading good teeth for false teeth. However, these teeth are a unquestionable improvement over my old, sick teeth.


I can't pick up a steak in one hand and chomp off a bite of it with my incisors, but the wife frowns on this behavior anyway (particularly in public) so I haven't really lost much.

Maybe once I get around to doing some implants I'll be able to dive into a stream in the far north and come out with a wiggling salmon in my chompers. But as the wife points out I'm not likely to be doing that anytime soon either. (Another thing she frowns on.)
 
dear lord..this was hilarious. your journey is pretty inspiring.. but jesus. i laughed out loud quite a few times. and i read all 7 pages in one sitting.

write a book. i want the first autographed copy haha.

and yay for your wife being mega awesome.

the way you describe yourself, i have peter steele mapped out in my head.
good luck with it all. seems your doing well.:cheers:
 
It was good to catch up with your progress, having been 'absent' for some while now. Just shows how you can get used to anything in time although as you know, however good the dentures are and no one else may know your 'secret' deep down you yourself know they are not quite the same as the old natural ones. I've had my permanent dentures now for 7 months and even, as some of you might remember, I had no particular problems with my immediates but since the perms were fitted, life really has changed. I was on the point of saying there's absolutely nothing I can't eat, as long as you take small bites. It was some months ago that I actually tried corn on the cob and thankfully succeeded. Not that it is something I would eat in public, not that I ever did to be honest because it is not something I could enjoy in public anyway because I have lashings of butter and am not exactly ladylike in the way I tackle the cob so it is better eaten in private!

But..just to share a little funny moment, I was in Tesco the other day doing my normal grocery shopping when someone walking around the store with a tray of sample chocolate on a tray - new product I suppose. As I felt a bit peckish I took a piece and without thinking popped it into my mouth. What a mistake. It was a new chocolate bar for the Slimfast people, rather like Mars. Tasty but immediately stuck to my upper palate and for a few minutes there I was all gooey, unable to speak, wondering if anyone could see my problem and it did take me some moments to 'unstick' myself. So, although most foods are off the menu, stay clear of the caramels and toffees.
 
I actually have written a book and have a several others fermenting in the old noggin, but nothing as yet has been published. I ought to get off my duff and track down a literary agent, but the biggest problem with the publishing industry is just the "you need to know people to know people" thing.

You need the agent because it's next to impossible to get published unsolicited without one unless you already know people in the industry, and of course it's not exactly simple to find a good agent since everyone else is looking for them as well making it wholly unnecessary for them to advertise... it's a whole "thing".

And I won't even go into the issues surrounding "good" agents and not so good ones and the various qualities of publishing houses.

To answer the next questions, I write Sci-Fi with a touch of Fantasy on occasion and no, I don't let people read what isn't published (which is currently everything).


Back on topic... I tried paste adhesive top and bottom the last couple days and I'll be doing it today again. I've been having some issues with stability in the uppers from the natural recession of the bone ridges and the paste is better for filling in the gaps and locking everything down when the fit isn't perfect. It's actually a fair amount of work to get them out at night sometimes.

I'm thinking that in a few more months, maybe around May or so, I might get a true Permanent denture made. Partly for vanity because these "permanent temporaries" have very small teeth, and partly to try to get a set that fits properly from the start. And at some point down the line I definitely want to get some implants.

Like you said, scaredstiff, I can eat pretty much anything I want to I just have to make sure I've got a good hold before some things. And I can't take bites the size of my head anymore which, while satisfying in a very male way, isn't particularly healthy anyway.

The sticking to the upper palate thing is a n n o y i n g. I get it a lot with bread, but also with chewy candy like you said. When it happens to me I generally just mash the candy as flat as I can and kind of just leave it there to dissolve slowly.

Certain things stick to acrylic like glue and it seems that trying to fight it will just frustrate you more. Just thing though - that stuff is that sticky, imagine all the places it would get stuck in your real teeth that would be near-impossible to clean later!

Our teeth are invincible in that regard.
 
THANK YOU!!!! I also have a lower income and celiac associated teeth problems. Then you add that i am a recovering meth addict. That has been clean and sober 5 years. That all combined my teeth were in terible shape i had them pulled 1 week ago today. the first few days were just fine with the dentures but then the sore spots showed up on the bottoms. today they showed up on the tops. i had run out of the pain medication with out realizing what time it was and could not get any more tonight. i was at wits end thinking how much life would be better if it just ended then i found your journal and a light apeared at the end of the tunnel. i only have 2 more hours till the dentist opens and i will be waiting at there door to remedy the sore spots and for a pain medication refill as i am a huge wimp with pain. I thank you with all of my heart. you gave me hope. instead of calling evryone i know looking for meth to dull the pain i sat here reading your journal. you saved my life and sobriety thank you. sorry i am awefull at spelling at grammer. you will probly never know what this has ment to me :respect:
 
Don't forget that you can always just take them out once you've passed the initial swelling phase. There's the concept of wearing them as much as you're "supposed" to but it's ultimately your decision.

I remember waiting tables at this little bistro years and years ago where the dishwasher was this kind of Popeye-esque old man. By this I mean more his attitude and vitality than the eating spinach and beating up Brutus part. He also had no teeth and refused to wear his dentures. He looked a bit weird but didn't care and didn't listen to any of the "you can't eat _____ without your dentures" stuff people told him. He did it anyway because he was just determined to prove them wrong.

Wearing them is certainly better for you, but when mine are bothering me I'm pretty likely to take them out.

I'm actually going in tomorrow for a reline - hopefully the quick "while you wait" kind.

More advice:

The adhesive type you use depends a lot on your denture fit.

Powder: My favorite way to glue them in, it's clean, doesn't require a lot of scrubbing to get off, and is bogglingly cheap. However, it doesn't work well if your dentures aren't pretty snug.

"Goop": The pastes that come in tubes are good but the biggest hassle to remove. If you notice that your denture will wiggle lose using powder the goop will give you a far more secure hold (often the most secure of all). It also fills in small gaps and corrects minor looseness very well.

Pads: I've used the Seabond pads the last few months as my dentures have gotten a little loose. The advantages are that they're very easy to clean up - peel them off, toss the pad, and a few swipes of the brush and everything is good. They also fill in a pretty good sized gap in your dentures so if they're a little loose the pads can put off your next fitting for quite awhile without sacrificing stability and so forth. It's about $12-13 a month for pads, however.

I'm anticipating that once I get the reline my dentures will fit too snugly for the pads, so I'll go back to powder. As the fit loosens I'll progress to paste and then back to pads, finally repeating the process with another reline.
 
Okay, went in today to get the reline done and lucky me, I get the dental tech that doesn't speak English well.

Now let me be clear here - I don't have a problem with people that haven't learned a particular language. I do, however, have an issue with people who are responsible for my health care being able to communicate effectively with me. Furthermore, I would fully understand if the language that stood in the way were Spanish as that is by far the most commonly spoken language among the clientèle of that particular dental office. But no. I get the lady from "he uuuuuuh... looka lika man!"

Yes, I realize I'm going to hell. Regardless, it was annoying to try to explain what I wanted done without sharing a full vocabulary in a common language and not particularly faith-inspiring. Considering this is also the same clinic that hosted the "third time's the charm" previous reline, I'm not about to start tossing wild cards about.

Now if I understood her right (and she understood what I was asking in the first place) the relines they can do in the office while you wait only last about a month. Which to me hardly seems worth doing. And since I'm taking my father out to dinner this weekend for Father's Day I can hardly risk another fiasco with bungled relines.

So I've rescheduled for Tuesday, bright and early, with the promise that they'll be able to get them back to me the same afternoon. (And all this is free what with the craziness they did on the last reline.)

All this for a set of so-called "immediate permanent dentures". Whatever, it's free.

I'm still considering getting a new set made from the ground up, properly measured and everything. I'll have to look into costs and insurance coverage to know for sure. I never have really liked the look of the teeth in my current set, they're just a bit on the small size for my mouth.


Anyway, to anyone looking at their own journey with trepidation, let me just tell you this: The worst day with dentures is still better than the best day needing them but not having them. Whether you've still got the bad teeth or you've recently gotten your dentures and are afraid you may have made a terrible mistake, you haven't.

I ate corn on the cob not two days go with my ill-fitting dentures and, while not the easiest task in the world it was not some major struggle. When they fit properly you can do pretty much anything you'd normally do.


I'll update after this next reline to let everyone know how that goes, but I'll probably be a bit scarce after that.
 
Okay, this should effectively be the "final update". I'll probably be around for some time yet to come, but I'm not expecting any further insight into the dental process beyond what I've already learned and shared.

I got another reline yesterday. I'd classify this as a "decent" fit. It took a lot of adjusting (reshaping the teeth, which I don't really like) to get the bite right again and I still have a lot more bite on the right than the left. This will probably end up being my last trip to the ultra-cheap dental clinic, and my last reline on these "immediate permanent dentures".

I can wear them without any adhesive, but eating would be a challenge like that. Powder adhesive works fine for the uppers - it can be tough to get them out without them pinching me pretty good when they finally come loose. The lowers I'm using paste on to help correct the bite imbalance, and it just sticks them down better anyway. I get a very good strength of bite at the incisors without having to think about how I'm biting - I can pretty much just bite into any vaguely sane food without stopping to consider how best to attack it to minimize slippage.

So the grip is good enough to let me cut through thick sub sandwiches and the like.

As far as dental phobia goes, what I had is gone. It's hard to be afraid of the dentist if he can't really hurt you anymore.
 
Can't thank you enough for writing this journal, Spektyr! I'm just over two weeks out from my oral surgery and immediate dentures. It hasn't been easy but I have no regrets. You've given me hope of eventually eating corn on the cob again!

nosmokin2
 
SPEKTYR...Its now Aug 30 2009 and I just finished reading your journal. I have to say its been wonderful!!
I have my oral surgery Sept 18 and I will have the titanium rods to keep the bottom dentures in. I will be having 18 teeth extracted and will be IV sedated, as this will be the only way my mouth will open for a dentist :)
Again thank you journal..its been a hoot and informative.
Marcelle
Arkansas
 
I just signed up for this forum within the last hour because I found this journal, and I have to say, it's very helpful. I'm only 23 and already need full dentures. I have an appointment with the local dental clinic on the 6th of October to have full mouth extractions without immediates. While I think I would prefer immediates, unfortunately, the dental clinic does not offer them.

I'm hoping that what's going through my head as "the upsides to no immedaites" is somewhat correct. While reading your journal, it seemed to me that part of your pain came from both the immediates and the multiple extraction visits (unless I read that incorrectly)

At the moment, I'm thinking the pain and embarrassment of going 7 weeks with no teeth, then getting temporary dentures fitted cant be anything worse than what i'm dealing with now. Currently I have more exposed nerve and dental pulp than actual teeth remaining including a highly decomposed, partially impacted wisdom tooth with a fully exposed nerve. When the pain strikes it's to the point that the doctor has me on Dilaudid for pain which is a heroin derivative and is supposedly 8 times stronger than morphine and still gives minimal relief and constant infections throughout my mouth.

Again, thank you for this journal, it has given me a great deal of confidence in getting my dentures at 23 years old
 
Globby...This forum is full of good advice and wonderful encouragment. I am to have my oral surgery with immediates put right in on 18 Sept.
The journals folks have written of their own experiences has really helped me big time. Keep reading!! Please keep us updated as I know I'd like to know how you are doing and coping with the soon to be procedure. I know our futures are going to be just wonderful and we'll have no pain and embarassment about our mouths.
bigggg hugs..do post more please...
Marcelle
 
I'm glad that my experience can help others.

I've still got something of a love-annoyance relationship with my dentures but there is absolutely no comparison between having them and what I had before. Would healthy natural teeth be better day to day? Without a doubt. There's pro's and con's to both sides. Plenty of reasons exist to keep natural teeth whenever possible, but there's enough upside to dentures that it's certainly not the end of the world if you have to go that route either.

The important thing to remember is that once you get past the extraction phase and are healed up from that, the worst day with dentures is better than the best day with bad teeth.

Dentures can (and most certainly will) be uncomfortable some of the time. They won't bite as hard as your natural teeth nor will they cut through food as simply. But this isn't your grandparent's day of dentures - even a halfway decent fit will let you eat anything you really ought to be eating. Back when my teeth were healthy I used to chomp right through fresh Gobstoppers just to make people cringe. That's about all I can't do now.

I don't take giant bites of steak like I used to either, but when someone tells you that you'll never really enjoy a steak again after you get dentures they either don't know what they're talking about, haven't ever had properly fitting dentures, or don't know how to enjoy a steak.

I thoroughly enjoy steak even now. I can't pick it up and tear off bites with my teeth, but then again I'm not exactly Neanderthal man either. I get it properly cooked (medium rare) and cut smaller bites and I do just fine. In fact, I eat slower now than I used to and I feel this allows me to enjoy my meals even more.


In fact, the biggest problem I have with food since getting dentures is things that are very sticky. Sandwich bread (inevitably adheres to the upper palate), caramels, chewing gum - even the stuff "for dentures"... those give me more trouble than anything else. And the bread issue isn't enough to make me give up on sandwiches, I can live quite happily without gum, and I take my dentures out to enjoy caramels.

Easy.

Oh and globby - just get yourself a food processor and you'll be fine without teeth for a few weeks. Use my old standby food - eggs - a lot. Pop a couple raw eggs in there with anything or everything else you like (vegetables, meats, you name it) and puree it. Fry it up like scrambled eggs or however you please.

I still do that with or without my dentures. (When I'm feeling too lazy to put my teeth in I'll do that kind of food.)

Food processors are a must. If you get a decent one it makes a lot of difference. I've dropped whole slices of pizza, crust and all, into them and they'll chew them for you.

Protein/breakfast shakes are good too, for when you need to get some food in you but don't really feel like eating.
 
Spektyr, I'm glad you came back and updated. Your journal gave me the extra kick in the butt that I needed to face the extraction and dentures.

I'm glad you've visited again so that I can thank you properly.

THANK YOU! :respect:

That said, I'm glad to find you're getting along better now. I've still got some healing to do, but your story has given me enough hope to keep trying.

I hope you'll continue to stop in and update your journal for those of us following behind you.

:cheers:
 
I just want to echo what Cielo said, Spektyr. You are another one who inspired me prior to oral surgery.....and now 3 weeks after the fact, I still go back to your journal and read it again. So glad you stopped by to give me even more hope that things will only get better!

Sally
 
SPEKTYR....I am so glad you posted an update. I was wondering if I find out how things are working for you now.
I am counting down my days till my surgery..your journal and Cielo's and nosmokin2 has been a blessing for me.
I hope to do as great as you guys have..
Again Thank you ever so much..please keep your journal updated..its been a help more than I think you are aware of.
:grouphug:
Marcelle
 
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