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Declining Gum Grafting/Living with a Partial/Dentures

T

thesmokinggum

Junior member
Joined
Sep 10, 2014
Messages
6
My dentist referred me to a periodontist because I have advanced gum disease. The periodontist pulled my wisdom tooth last week (which is bothering me, so I have to call and see if I can get an appt. today, but that has nothing to do with this post). Prior to pulling the tooth, he did a complete periodontal evaluation. He wants to do $6,500 worth of work to save my teeth (some are loose), but I am really hesitant to spend that kind of money and go through these extensive procedures.

He says I need to have my remaining two wisdom teeth pulled, undergo gum grafts, and have my teeth ground down to adjust my bite. I am okay with getting the wisdom teeth pulled and having my bite adjusted (he gave me a Rx for Xanax to keep my anxiety under control), but I really do not want to get the gum grafts. I have lupus, so I already have a high level of inflammation. I'm very concerned my overactive immune system would see the graft as foreign tissue (even though it would come from my own palate) and freak out about it. The periodontist also said there is a chance I could spend the money and go through all of the discomfort and still lose teeth.

I understand it is best to keep your natural teeth when possible, but I am really leaning toward declining the graft and just getting a partial if I lose a tooth. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?
 
Dental work...don't you just love how expensive it is?

If your main issue with it is about money, I think you should go through with it. You would regret not spending the cash to save your teeth, I think, if that was the big setback.

Now, if you're mainly uncertain because you're worried about inflammation which you mentioned and everything I would sit down and have a lengthy discussion about all of this with your dentist or someone who can explain everything to you in detail, what the risks are and all that.

im sorry about the lupus and the dental work you need done. I hope everything goes well and that you can figure out what you want to do.
 
Dental work...don't you just love how expensive it is?

If your main issue with it is about money, I think you should go through with it. You would regret not spending the cash to save your teeth, I think, if that was the big setback.

Now, if you're mainly uncertain because you're worried about inflammation which you mentioned and everything I would sit down and have a lengthy discussion about all of this with your dentist or someone who can explain everything to you in detail, what the risks are and all that.

im sorry about the lupus and the dental work you need done. I hope everything goes well and that you can figure out what you want to do.

I'd say it's 50 percent money and 50 percent concern about inflammation/complications. I told him this morning that I'd like to explore other options, and he was disappointed, but he didn't discourage me from seeking a second opinion. It also has to do with life expectancy. If I thought I'd live to be 80, I'd do it. But my kidneys are only at about 30 percent function, and I don't qualify for a transplant, so I kind of hesitate to spend my good years having painful procedures that may or may not work.
 
I'm sorry about the problems with your kidneys. I hope this year ahead of you and each one after it you get to enjoy to the fullest! I know you're probably a lot younger than her, but my father's mother has had an extremely low kidney function now for quite a long time and she's still going very strong.

I can see where you're coming from, and although I definitely don't think you should ever put an expiration date on yourself or anything, if you choose whatever alternatives are offered to you I would understand. Procedures like that aren't fun and I don't know if I would be up for it even in perfect health. Just see how you feel after you've explored all the options with your dentist and I'm sure you'll be able to make a move forward on what you're going to do.

keep us posted.:clover:
 
I'm sorry about the problems with your kidneys. I hope this year ahead of you and each one after it you get to enjoy to the fullest! I know you're probably a lot younger than her, but my father's mother has had an extremely low kidney function now for quite a long time and she's still going very strong.

I can see where you're coming from, and although I definitely don't think you should ever put an expiration date on yourself or anything, if you choose whatever alternatives are offered to you I would understand. Procedures like that aren't fun and I don't know if I would be up for it even in perfect health. Just see how you feel after you've explored all the options with your dentist and I'm sure you'll be able to make a move forward on what you're going to do.

keep us posted.:clover:

Thanks so much for your kindness! I'm really hesitant to do any surgery now that I had my wisdom tooth pulled. I believe the molar next to it may have cracked during the extraction (despite my severe gum disease, my dentist said my teeth are in great shape -- no decay, no cavities, no problems with the teeth themselves). I had no pain for three days after the extraction, but now the molar next to the extraction area has been hurting constantly since day 4. It hurts worse when I chew or if the tooth above it comes into contact with it for any reason (e.g. we hit a bump while driving the other day, and the upper tooth came down on the lower molar, and it hurt).
 
I have never done a gum graft on a lupus patient but I had one that I removed her top teeth, did multiple bone grafts from banked donor bone then placed 6 implants and did a large bridge. She did well. I did take it in small steps.
 
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