• Dental Phobia Support

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But You're Too Young for Dentures!

I definitely recommend keeping any teeth you can. I can't say absolutely from experience just how much of a difference it makes since I went straight to full dentures, but I can tell you with certainty that anything to help stabilize a denture is a good thing (particularly the lowers).

That said, a properly-fitting denture will let you do pretty much whatever you want to do. If it's a wise decision with natural teeth, you can do it with dentures.

I crunch up ice cubes all the time (which isn't necessarily a smart thing to do, but I really, really enjoy eating ice). I eat corn on the cob, burgers, steak, whatever I want. I take smaller bites than I used to but that's not a bad thing.

People that say you won't be able to enjoy this or that are stupid. End of story. Dentures are NOT the worst thing that can happen to you. Having bad teeth and doing nothing about it is.


The ONLY valid concern in my opinion is romance. At some point in a new relationship you have to bring it up, and some people might be a little squeamish about it. My wife was with me through the whole process, was exceptionally supportive, and can attest to certain "benefits" of a relationship with a denture wearer.

So I can totally understand some fear about dating with dentures, but it's really just one more thing in hundreds of personal attributes that you're looking for someone compatible with.

And if I can do it, anyone can.
 
That's what my dentist said, because I'm so young full dentures would wear down in so many years whereas other teeth would stabilise them and would prolong their life....
I'm single after a bad break up but I don't see it being a huge problem in the future. I have zero confidence at the moment with my bad teeth so there's really not much worse than that. Anything has to be an improvement!
I wouldn't want to spend my life with the sort of person who wouldn't understand about my teeth ordeals so if they can't deal with it then it is only their superficiality, their loss!
Thanks for reassuring me about the practical side, I have been worried about biting etc with them. I'm looking forward to my first meal out with them now :)
I'll be back to update once I'm on to the next stage. I have more treatment this Wednesday, another 5 teeth are coming out then that should be it bar a filling or two to my existing teeth!
The extractions have been uncomfortable but no pain, its the stitches that have been driving me crazy! Never knew gums could itch lol!
Sarah x x x
 
My wife was with me through the whole process, was exceptionally supportive, and can attest to certain "benefits" of a relationship with a denture wearer.

Okay..that made me laugh. BUT........my husband feels the same way about my dentures. :giggle:
 
Glad to see you stopped in and updated, Spektyr. I'm also happy to see you're doing well and still satisfied with your dentures.

I couldn't agree more with this:

"People that say you won't be able to enjoy this or that are stupid. End of story. Dentures are NOT the worst thing that can happen to you. Having bad teeth and doing nothing about it is."

:thumbsup:
 
I'm glad my journey through this has helped and is helping others. One of the most annoying things for me when I went through it was that it seemed most people didn't remember or were too proud to document the minor annoying, uncomfortable, embarrassing or painful steps along the way.

I had been searching the web for a little over an hour... mixing up my search terms between eclectic variations of 'full denture permanent implants' as well as searching for 'reviews' and the tripe that you receive in the form of search 'results' were wearing on my nerves, to say the least. The last 20 minutes were spent just searching for a decent end-user review that wasn't posted as some testimonial on some hack site from India, Dubai, Mexico or some other dentist who all use the same cut and paste graphics and descriptions as everyone else and most likely fake their testimonials as well.

I was just looking for anything that resembled a realistic expectation of what I will have to go through that wasn't some commercial propaganda designed to get you visit one arse over another... and I was losing hope fast. Then I stumbled this site and shortly after found your journal.

Another egotistical and argumentative prick. Wow, I can relate all too well. Reading deeper into your blog reflected a lot of familiarity while providing more insight than I expected to find anywhere. This journal is exactly what I needed and when I needed it and I'm glad I found it. I cannot convey how much I appreciate this without bordering on homo-erotica, so I'll just firmly say thank you! :p


I'm 42 and facing roughly the same 'pull them all' so I can finally enjoy something like ice cream without reeling in one of the greatest pains known to man. And this is coming from someone who has wiggled and pulled a number of his own teeth because the cost of a single extraction would mean potentially sacrificing a month's utilities or food. Unfortunately the last half-decade has not been financially kind to me and am currently in-process of selling my home so that I can actually enjoy life again. One of the first things I will be doing is going for full upper dentures and whatever viable solution can be done with the lowers. I don't have high expectations, they'll probably all come out.

I really laughed when you were concerned that chicken or ham would distract from the 'flavors'. Yes, cheese and garlic are food of the gods. And, despite my fanatical love for coffee of which I only use fresh ground whole bean, my user name are my actual initials... I'm sure my parents couldn't have the foresight to realize that I would be a caffeine addict, but coffee is also a necessity of life. Strong, dark and lots of it.

Anyway, sorry for the wall-o-text. I typically don't do them unless I've been properly inspired.

BTW, another long-hair here. I have really long dark brown hair... if I tilt my head back, it easily touches my belt. Again, thank you for recording your journey... it feels far more peer-review than I expected I could ever find.

:cheers:
 
As always, glad I could be of some help. So much of this whole experience falls behind the curtain of what people seem willing to talk about. I ran into the same trouble finding answers to questions myself which is a big part of why I chose to document it as best I could here.

Just FYI, your post is far from a "wall-of-text". It's spaced out liberally and logically with double-spaced returns, and that makes all the difference in the world for legibility.

My current, and perhaps last mystery to solve is how to determine the actual quality/skill of a prosthodontist before paying them to build a denture.

I asked around here, twice, and one time got some advice that while it was very well-meaning wasn't really all that helpful. The trickiest part is you generally can't go around asking people if they have dentures, and if so who they recommend. Most other kinds of doctors you can solicit opinions on but people usually don't want to admit they have dentures.

Those of use who do can generally spot other denture wearers - there's a few common give-aways that while not 100% are pretty telling. But I've had people lie point-blank about having dentures even when they know full well that I do too.


Mainly I want to get a really well-built denture. Cost isn't a non-issue, but after a couple years with a decent but cheap set I'd be happy to spend a fair amount more for something built and fitted really well.
 
I'd like to offer great thanks, Spektyr, for this thread. After avoiding the dentist for years (10 or so, since my teens) I've reached the point of no return. TBH I fear the worst, and just reading your journal has helped put my mind at rest somewhat :)
 
Obviously it's been a few years since I went through the unpleasantness of having teeth pulled, but looking back it doesn't seem like there was very much reason at all for my fear. It was simply fear of the unknown, and of course some fear of the pain, but it seems a little silly in hindsight.

I strongly recommend not putting this sort of thing off. The sooner it's done, the sooner you get past it and move on with your life. That said, I fully understand the reticence to go to the dentist for what is - at best - an unpleasant process. It sucks, it gets done, and then it's over.

The most beautiful thing about dentures is that it is a one-time deal as far as the really scary stuff is concerned. If you're getting a filling or a crown or a root canal or any of the other painful/scary things done there's no reason to think you won't be right back in that chair with the horrible whining drill 6 months, a year, or however long after. Teeth only get pulled once and then you're done.

Can dentures hurt? Sure. There'll be a little pain now and then. That's life. It's nothing like the pain of a bad tooth, and the dentist simply can't hurt you like they could when you had teeth. Pulling your teeth pulls the teeth out of dental fear, if you'll tolerate the metaphor.

If you're relatively young, I do highly recommend giving a lot of consideration and budget planning for implants at some point. I haven't had it done yet myself, but it is being planned. The drawback with implants is that most current dental insurance doesn't really cover them. There's definitely some anxiety-worthy issues surrounding getting implants, they're not cheap, and they require some regular maintenance (implants must be cleaned). I'm closely monitoring bone loss with my dentist and I can afford to wait awhile in the hope that dental insurance programs will catch up with modern technology and provide coverage for implants before I can't really put it off any longer.


Quick update for me: I've gotten a new set of dentures. I did a bunch of online research and then went to the top three dentists (as best I could tell from checking them out online) for free evaluations. One dentist was much more expensive than the others, one was moderately expensive and a major league fear-monger, and the third one was reasonably priced and sane.

The second guy... what a nut. His dental tech tried to sell me a bill of goods about how I needed implants immediately because my bone loss was nearly critical, and told me a scary story about how her grandfather basically starved himself because he'd lost so much bone in his lower jaw that he couldn't get dentures that didn't hurt to wear. Then, while going over various options with the dentist, he told the exact same story.

The third guy I went to said that yes, there was definitely some erosion but nothing particularly alarming. He was hesitant to give an estimate, but said I had at least 5 and probably more like 10 years before I'd be at the point where a bone graft might be necessary to get implants. When you factor in the CYA conservatism he no doubt put into those numbers, it's probably more like 10-15 years.

So... shop around when it comes to dentists. Odds are you can find one in the right price range with the right temperament. The other thing that made me decide to go with this dentist is that he listened to what I said and actually heard me. They went the extra mile to get the style/size of teeth I wanted and make sure everything looks good. They even modified the upper canines to give them a more natural-looking point rather than the curved, almost rounded tip most denture canines have.
 
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.

well... actually it could depend on a persons case. Some people have sucky genetics and it could save then some trouble in certain cases

For me(i'm 25), i defiantly have the short end of the genetic stick teeth wise. Both grandparents on my mom's side had dentures, mom is in her early 50's and has top dentures and is going in Monday to do the molds for new top dentures and to get molds for bottom dentures and she's hoping to get the bottom work done on Wednesday. Plus my aunt(grandma's sister) is also going in for top teeth pulling/immediate dentures on Wednesday.

Top teeth wise for me don't look that good but the bottom teeth are worse. bottom is a case of all EXCEPT maybe 2 teeth would need some sort of work including 3 crooked teeth.

Would not believe how tempted i am, if given the chance, to either get some sort of heavy duty oral sedative and get it done at mom's dentist or to get a referral to an iv sedation dentist and just get rid of the bottom suckers for good.

I know for the average joe(or jane) it sounds drastic and insane but with family history the way it is, it could actually be a big time and sanity saver in my case.

EDIT: ok, correction, it's 3 teeth on the bottom that appear to be in decent shape not 2, it's 4 crooked teeth and not 3, and correction to the top teeth. After brushing tonight, i discovered that a semi-small part of one of the back teeth broke off at some point(not painful, but bound to be a waiting game). might of been one of the things that got swished out of my mouth
 
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No offense, but you simply supported my statement rather than offering any qualification or refutation of it.

I said that no one would suggest trading good teeth for false teeth. You said that it could depend on a person's case and then (presumably) sought to prove that by offering your personal situation (not good teeth) as an example that proves the exception.

Except that it's not an exception. If your teeth are not in good shape and cannot be reasonably expected to be repairable, it absolutely fits my statement: that dentures are a definite improvement over living with teeth that are in bad condition.

Now if you could explain some situation where someone with perfectly healthy teeth could reasonably and sanely prefer to have them all removed and get dentures (and the not inconsiderable consequences of having dentures), that would be a situation where my statement would be only conditionally true based on someone's case.
 
As always, glad I could be of some help. So much of this whole experience falls behind the curtain of what people seem willing to talk about. I ran into the same trouble finding answers to questions myself which is a big part of why I chose to document it as best I could here.

Thank you! I am so scared at the prospect of dentures. I was told yesterday that my dentist at ASPEN is not prepared to do any work on my teeth and that dentures are the only way to go. This was an emergency appointment because my font upper left tooth fell out, after being filled by them. I spent the rest of the day in years and then sleeping non stop until now. I googled "young people with dentures" and this forum came up.



[/QUOTE] My current, and perhaps last mystery to solve is how to determine the actual quality/skill of a prosthodontist before paying them to build a denture.

I asked around here, twice, and one time got some advice that while it was very well-meaning wasn't really all that helpful. The trickiest part is you generally can't go around asking people if they have dentures, and if so who they recommend. Most other kinds of doctors you can solicit opinions on but people usually don't want to admit they have dentures.

Those of use who do can generally spot other denture wearers - there's a few common give-aways that while not 100% are pretty telling. But I've had people lie point-blank about having dentures even when they know full well that .... [/QUOTE]

I have an associate that said she has dentures and I seriously didn't even know. They look amazing. And she boasts to still be able to crunch corn nuts! Lol I would LOVE something like she has. Oh, and before reading this forum, I didn't even know that they make the dentures just like your real teeth used to be! Lol So I really know very little about dentures. I do know that I'm mad at the way Aspen treated me...like a naughty child who shouldn't have eaten candy. I'm unsure of what to do next. My parents see how upset I am, and being without medical insurance are willing to help me. Will I have to go without teeth for a while whilst the gums heel? How will I eat? Can I still smoke? Will I ever get married? Can people that kiss you tell they are dentures? I'm in such a state. God bless the person who created this forum and god less all of you who joined it and are reading this. Xx Emily :jump:
 
You can get "immediate" dentures where they pull the last remaining teeth and send you home with a set of dentures the same day. Those will suck, be almost impossible to enjoy, and basically make you fear that you've made a terrible mistake. To my knowledge, no one can make a denture that will fit well at all until after you've healed up for several months. The ones you start with are just to get you through that gap.

I have a pretty thorough account of my experience here, it answers most of your questions. As far as kissing goes... unless you're REALLY going at it there's basically no chance they're going to know.

With proper-fitting dentures you can eat pretty much anything. I can eat many foods without adhesive holding my teeth in but they'll try to shift of me and generally make it more work than I like so I almost never do that. Harder, crunchier foods are actually easier than dense, chewy foods (or sticky stuff).

I eat Gobstoppers the same way I did before dentures: I chew them up. That should give you an idea of how you can eat with dentures: I routinely pop a Gobstopper and immediately crunch it down to powder. Cheese puffs? Easier to eat with dentures because they CAN'T lacerate your gums. I can eat corn on the cob and bite into an apple, but the latter of those two is pretty challenging and I like to slice them up with an inappropriately oversized knife anyway.

There's some bad days ahead. That'd be true whether you were getting dentures or not. Now you just know the why behind some of those coming bad days. Read up here, see what I went through and how I got through it, and rest assured that each and every crappy step along the way is temporary.

You get past it. And then you've got teeth that'll never get a cavity, need a root canal, and so on.

People that doom-say about dentures either don't have them or just aren't happy unless they're scaring other people with evil stories. They aren't really any worse than reglar teeth.
 
Things my cat can tell me for free ... Spektyr you are very funny!! And you write very well.
 
Hello! I don't know if you still happen to pop in now and then, but I just wanted to say "THANK YOU!" I've read your posts throughout my journey. I am going in this morning to get my last 3 uppers pulled & obviously very nervous about the immediate I'll be going home with. This feels a bit odd to say to a stranger (ok, more than a bit), but I couldn't have done it without you! Your journal has not only been a source of knowledge, but comfort. Priceless. Thanks again.
 
I know all too well how much having extractions or new dentures can destroy your sense of hunger, so I thought it'd be good to point out a couple of my favorite recipes designed to pack as much hearty nutrition into a dish as densely as possible.

yup. after i got my upper and lower partials, i was basically living off of baby food and a ramen noodle/hot dog/veggie mash for a while.
 
So to answer one of the previous questions, yes I do wander by from time to time. I don't always post when I do, but I'm still "around" a bit, now and then.

I haven't had much development since my last post, which I consider to be a good thing. I have the same set of dentures - they've been relined once about a year after I got them, and I've had them for about 3 years or so. They still fit great and anymore I hardly use adhesives at all.

Yeah, you read that right, I eat just about everything with nothing more than good fit. Now if I want to bite into something like an apple or a really thick sandwich, that's going to make things come loose, but generally-speaking I can still eat those things without adhesive (though it's difficult). I'll glue them in for social gatherings where I don't want to have to worry about them shifting on me and making me self-conscious, but that's not the norm.

I also wear them pretty much 24/7, which I'm not going to say is a good thing, it's more of a lazy thing combined with some paranoia. I read somewhere that the change in the support for your facial muscles caused by the absence of teeth causes you to appear older, sooner. I have no idea if that's actually true, or to what extent, but as a result of that I don't like having my dentures out even at night when I'm asleep. I do take them out and soak them for several hours often enough to keep them clean, but that's usually while I'm doing chores around the house.

Because the fit hasn't changed significantly in the last two years, I'm telling myself that I haven't lost much bone in that time. There's a very slight reduction in how tightly the molars meet, but if I bite down as hard as possible I don't get an uncomfortable amount of pressure focused in the front specifically. (As bone loss progresses, dentures get too "thin" top to bottom which results in the front teeth meeting too early as the jaw closes.)

I should definitely get implants soon, but as we know they're quite expensive and difficult to get insurance to cover. When that next step begins, I'll document my experience here. My wife and I just built a house and we're starting a business, so "extra" money is something of a punchline at the moment, but since I'm sleeping with the boss I think I have some good influence over our dental plan.
 
Spektyr,

I want to echo those who posted here and said thank you for sharing your story! So... THANK YOU!

I get the last of extractions and my immediate dentures on Monday and your story has helped align my expectations. I have visited a number of forums which, by their nature, attract people who are looking for answers to problems. Some of their stories are absolutely horrifying and it was really starting to scare me. I have come to the conclusion, after reading your story and watching some video journals on the YouTubes, that many of their stories are the outliers. (Not to minimize what they are going through.)

Eight years on and your story is helping people! I am sure a lot more people have read and been helped by your story than have replied here. I just wanted you to know that you efforts were not in vain!

:jump:

God bless you!

Peter
 
Not sure why this was at the top of the journals page today, but am sure glad it is. I had 22 teeth pulled and temporarys put in on March 11. Your story has really helped me feel better about what I have done, and what to expect. Thank you very much.
 
Hello, after suffering with dental problems for the last 10 years I have finally decided to get this sorted out.

I'm 24 and I need all but about 8 removing, the reason I have put it off for so long is that i'm 24 and always thought I was too young to have them.

After reading the thread though I have decided to finally get them taken care of.

Would you be able to offer any advice?

FYI I plan on asking about implant supported dentures and see if I can finance them.
 
It’s been 10 years since this journal was started but I want to bump it up to the top because it’s one of the best writings on here. It’s helped me immensely and I know it will continue to help for years to come!

Thank you, Spektyr, for your honesty and humor! I hope you’re doing well and that your business is successful! If you pop in, please do let us know how you are and if you’ve gotten your implants!
 
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