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Getting dentures at 35 ... it becomes official in a few days

S

Sonicfan287

Junior member
Joined
Jul 21, 2024
Messages
8
Location
Connecticut
Hello everyone,

I've been a long time lurker on these forums, reading people's experiences either with dentures or other difficult dental procedures and struggling with the act of actually calling the dentist and getting that ball rolling. Long story short, I'm having all my teeth pulled in a few days ... it's been a long time coming. My front teeth are more or less completely gone (chipped off nearly to the gums) -- many other teeth are missing or damaged and have decay.

I'm so very very angry but not at the dentists, not at anyone else (everyone has actually been very understanding) but angry at myself for I watched my teeth decay for the better part of 3 years (I'd say I started to notice signs of wear in 2021, like serious wear). I never "loved" going to the dentist but I did it through my teen years and then once I got old enough and no longer had mom kind of "forcing" me to go, I just put it off. I'd maybe go once in a while and then once in a while became less and less.

After the Covid lockdown closed my regular dentist's office for a few months, I told myself I'd reschedule an appointment for a cleaning once they re-opened. Well, that never happened. I got a new full time job in late 2020 and focused on that. 2021 is when I started to experience some toothaches or light pain in the jaw. I ignored it, hoped it would get better. Then I started to see cracks in my teeth ... I ignored that too, I'm so very stupid ... I SAW it, I don't know if I thought it would go away or maybe it was a "trick of the light" -- any excuse to not go to a dentist.

Through 2021-2023, I'd see parts or entire teeth crack or wear down, mostly from acid reflux, poor care of my teeth, a combination of things. I wanted to tell someone, I wanted to call a dentist but I always made excuses. I'm a known procrastinator at a lot of things in life but this is not something you put off.

Finally in April of this year, I bit down on a pork chop and it happened. My front left tooth completely cracked off. I was in tears. I called my mom, I called a dentist. I was so terrified and hoped naively they could just fix the front tooth, maybe do some procedures on other teeth that were worn. Maybe a bridge? Some kind of partial denture? No such luck. The broken front tooth, while bad, was only a part of the problem. My teeth were deemed unsaveable (terminal dentition) and even though this wasn't a surprise, I've done nothing but curse at myself since.

This process feels like it's dragged on and on and I haven't even gotten to the worst part. I saw a few different dentists to get other opinions and yes, with my crippling anxiety, it was hard enough to see ONE dentist, let alone three. They were all very sympathetic and nice, so I'm not speaking badly of them but still, that pit in my stomach when sitting in the chair or waiting room just got worse every time only to hear the same diagnosis. It's either dentures or implants.

I can't afford implants, but I can (barely) afford to do bottom implant supported dentures with standard removeable tops (the bottoms will be removable too, but with implants but that's a long way off)

So the day is finally almost here. I've had no front teeth (the other one broke off about a month later) for over 2 months. I've gone from wearing face masks to hide it, to trying to speak with my upper lip pulled down to just saying screw it, and lately I just talk openly. I'm sure people notice the gap in my mouth but ... I'm almost to the end of this horrid journey or rather, to the beginning of what I fear will be an even worse one.

Wednesday morning, July 24, 2024 will be the last morning of my life I wake up with natural teeth (or remnants of them). I'm terrified of the procedure and even more terrified of what comes next. I've read the positive and negative stories about people who got dentures, the upsides and downsides and in some way I'm almost glad it's come to this because at least there will be SOME resolution. I realize this isn't the end but it's at least a step.

To this point, it's been getting impressions done, wax bites, all of that. They couldn't get me in for an appointment for 3 months from the time this all started. In those 3 months, I've been going to work, not in pain (strangely my teeth don't really hurt) but extremely bogged down with guilt, finding it hard to focus, supreme anxiety over this procedure even when it was a couple months off and now it's just a couple days away.

I am a nervous wreck, but I'm also the kind of person who tries not to let that show. I have no idea how I'm going to return to work (I took about a week off) and act like nothing's wrong. People know about my bad teeth but I didn't tell them I needed dentures. My age makes me extremely embarrassed about it. Being 35, you don't expect to be telling people "yeah I'm having all my teeth pulled" and I realize that's a superficial worry when the medical worries should be more front and center, but yeah, it's going to be VERY hard for me to resume "business as usual" when it comes to going to work, maintaining a professional and positive attitude and having to address why my "teeth" suddenly look like they're made of plastic. My coworkers knew I was having my fronts pulled out (it's pretty obvious they're damaged) and replaced with a small bridge but again, not like they see ALL my teeth, so they don't know. Again, I'm just a very secretive person when it comes to stuff like that. I don't want to worry anyone. I can eat small meals at work, and kind of keep my talking to a minimum so from a practical standpoint, I can make it work.

That's to say nothing of my social life which was NEVER great to begin with and I feel like this just torpedoes my confidence further but more than all of that is just that burning anger I feel towards myself. I let this happen. Nobody made it happen. I didn't get punched in the face, no bad accidents, just ... neglect, nerves, anxiety ... a combination of things.

A periodontist told me I have periodontal disease and let's just the x-rays were ... ugly. I'm sorry in advance for how long this is. I've been holding this in for a very very long time. I really don't know if anyone can help me. The mouth may heal and the dentures may feel fine after a long time, but I don't know if my own self image of myself will ever be the same
 
Hello everyone,

I've been a long time lurker on these forums, reading people's experiences either with dentures or other difficult dental procedures and struggling with the act of actually calling the dentist and getting that ball rolling. Long story short, I'm having all my teeth pulled in a few days ... it's been a long time coming. My front teeth are more or less completely gone (chipped off nearly to the gums) -- many other teeth are missing or damaged and have decay.

I'm so very very angry but not at the dentists, not at anyone else (everyone has actually been very understanding) but angry at myself for I watched my teeth decay for the better part of 3 years (I'd say I started to notice signs of wear in 2021, like serious wear). I never "loved" going to the dentist but I did it through my teen years and then once I got old enough and no longer had mom kind of "forcing" me to go, I just put it off. I'd maybe go once in a while and then once in a while became less and less.

After the Covid lockdown closed my regular dentist's office for a few months, I told myself I'd reschedule an appointment for a cleaning once they re-opened. Well, that never happened. I got a new full time job in late 2020 and focused on that. 2021 is when I started to experience some toothaches or light pain in the jaw. I ignored it, hoped it would get better. Then I started to see cracks in my teeth ... I ignored that too, I'm so very stupid ... I SAW it, I don't know if I thought it would go away or maybe it was a "trick of the light" -- any excuse to not go to a dentist.

Through 2021-2023, I'd see parts or entire teeth crack or wear down, mostly from acid reflux, poor care of my teeth, a combination of things. I wanted to tell someone, I wanted to call a dentist but I always made excuses. I'm a known procrastinator at a lot of things in life but this is not something you put off.

Finally in April of this year, I bit down on a pork chop and it happened. My front left tooth completely cracked off. I was in tears. I called my mom, I called a dentist. I was so terrified and hoped naively they could just fix the front tooth, maybe do some procedures on other teeth that were worn. Maybe a bridge? Some kind of partial denture? No such luck. The broken front tooth, while bad, was only a part of the problem. My teeth were deemed unsaveable (terminal dentition) and even though this wasn't a surprise, I've done nothing but curse at myself since.

This process feels like it's dragged on and on and I haven't even gotten to the worst part. I saw a few different dentists to get other opinions and yes, with my crippling anxiety, it was hard enough to see ONE dentist, let alone three. They were all very sympathetic and nice, so I'm not speaking badly of them but still, that pit in my stomach when sitting in the chair or waiting room just got worse every time only to hear the same diagnosis. It's either dentures or implants.

I can't afford implants, but I can (barely) afford to do bottom implant supported dentures with standard removeable tops (the bottoms will be removable too, but with implants but that's a long way off)

So the day is finally almost here. I've had no front teeth (the other one broke off about a month later) for over 2 months. I've gone from wearing face masks to hide it, to trying to speak with my upper lip pulled down to just saying screw it, and lately I just talk openly. I'm sure people notice the gap in my mouth but ... I'm almost to the end of this horrid journey or rather, to the beginning of what I fear will be an even worse one.

Wednesday morning, July 24, 2024 will be the last morning of my life I wake up with natural teeth (or remnants of them). I'm terrified of the procedure and even more terrified of what comes next. I've read the positive and negative stories about people who got dentures, the upsides and downsides and in some way I'm almost glad it's come to this because at least there will be SOME resolution. I realize this isn't the end but it's at least a step.

To this point, it's been getting impressions done, wax bites, all of that. They couldn't get me in for an appointment for 3 months from the time this all started. In those 3 months, I've been going to work, not in pain (strangely my teeth don't really hurt) but extremely bogged down with guilt, finding it hard to focus, supreme anxiety over this procedure even when it was a couple months off and now it's just a couple days away.

I am a nervous wreck, but I'm also the kind of person who tries not to let that show. I have no idea how I'm going to return to work (I took about a week off) and act like nothing's wrong. People know about my bad teeth but I didn't tell them I needed dentures. My age makes me extremely embarrassed about it. Being 35, you don't expect to be telling people "yeah I'm having all my teeth pulled" and I realize that's a superficial worry when the medical worries should be more front and center, but yeah, it's going to be VERY hard for me to resume "business as usual" when it comes to going to work, maintaining a professional and positive attitude and having to address why my "teeth" suddenly look like they're made of plastic. My coworkers knew I was having my fronts pulled out (it's pretty obvious they're damaged) and replaced with a small bridge but again, not like they see ALL my teeth, so they don't know. Again, I'm just a very secretive person when it comes to stuff like that. I don't want to worry anyone. I can eat small meals at work, and kind of keep my talking to a minimum so from a practical standpoint, I can make it work.

That's to say nothing of my social life which was NEVER great to begin with and I feel like this just torpedoes my confidence further but more than all of that is just that burning anger I feel towards myself. I let this happen. Nobody made it happen. I didn't get punched in the face, no bad accidents, just ... neglect, nerves, anxiety ... a combination of things.

A periodontist told me I have periodontal disease and let's just the x-rays were ... ugly. I'm sorry in advance for how long this is. I've been holding this in for a very very long time. I really don't know if anyone can help me. The mouth may heal and the dentures may feel fine after a long time, but I don't know if my own self image of myself will ever be the same
Gosh that was a hard read, but a very honest well written account of a very difficult dental journey. You have my full sympathy and I really feel for you having to face such drastic surgery at such a young age.

Of course you are going to beat yourself up at the neglect that has led to having to lose all your teeth, but what is done is done. You can't change the past.

Instead you have to focus on the future and your new teeth and how much better you will look and feel when eating with a full mouth of teeth.

Good luck for your big appointment tomorrow July 24th, fingers crossed.......I hope it goes well.
 
Cannot really add anything to what @Tolkienista has said… except perhaps that it’s unusual (even when “neglecting” your teeth) for periodontal disease to progress this quickly, and there’s almost always a strong genetic component involved. So please don’t beat yourself up too much!!

Wishing you all the very best for tomorrow, and a speedy recovery :grouphug:
 
@Tolkienista Thank you very much ... I realize I wrote that when I was in a very dark place (still kind of am but starting to feel a little better) -- maybe I will forgive myself, it's a bit drastic to say I never will -- for now my main priority will be to get plenty of rest and just make sure this goes as well as it can. I'm nervous because I don't know what to expect but I'm as ready as I'm going to be. Thank you for your kind words
 
@letsconnect To that end, you are right, and even the dentists said it's extremely strange for someone my age who doesn't smoke or do anything super harmful to their teeth to have this rapid of a decay in such a short time, so it is likely there is a genetic element involved. That MIGHT help me feel a bit better in the long run but for now I'm just dreading this and wishing I had done more to stop it from becoming a reality. Thank you for your kind words. I'll let you all know how it goes
 
@Sonicfan287 You're definitely in the right place for support.
Everyone on here has been on their own dental journey.
You've done the right thing to share your story on this forum.
Good luck 🤞
 
I now have sparkling white dentures which look 10x better than my natural teeth ever did. I'm happy !!
 
Im
So happy for you. I’ve considered this. My teeth are a wreck. I’m so sick teeth, I’ve considered snap in dentures for a bit myself.
 
I have a partial denture top right hand side and at first I struggled a lot with the sensory side to it as I have autism. I was crying but when I went back too the dentist she altered it for me and now I hardly know it’s there and I love it ! I actually wish they would have taken all my teeth out so I don’t have to keep going through what I am. I’m fed up of mine

Hope it all goes well for you
 
So here's the update as of now ...

The extraction was July 24, 2024 -- as I detailed, I was extremely nervous and usually I "try" to put on a strong face, I am not ashamed to admit, I pretty much repeated "I'm so nervous" to the person who was in charge of numbing me up and getting me sedated. Like I was somewhat uncomposed, especially for a 35 year old male but I ... yeah. In retrospect, I'm sure they've had worse and it's over now. Long story short, it wasn't "pleasant" but also not the end of the world. Extraction went fine. It was obviously jarring to see myself without teeth for the first time.

I've been with dentures (temporaries) for a few days now. They have their moments of discomfort and soreness but generally, they fit "fine" -- I can even talk like my old self for the most part. Eating is still an issue but it's so early on in the process. Already had a "reline" done and helped a bit. I know a lot of changes are to come in the first couple weeks and I have my first follow ups (one with the oral surgeon and one with the dentist in charge of managing the dentures) in a couple weeks and will hopefully have even better news by then because as of now, nothing bad to report and in fact some positives. Even though I know they're "fake teeth" it's kind of surreal to see myself with a good looking smile.

I appreciate any and everyone who took the time to read through my emotional trials and tribulations pre-op and while I NEVER want to do that again, it feels like a huge weight is off me just to be at this point even if it's not the final goal.
 
Omg, so I had all my teeth out on the 24th as well! I’m awaiting implants. I don’t have dentures in yet because my pain was too much right away so we refrained till later but I’m currently on day 8 of having no teeth and it’s been a hard week. Next appt is Tuesday. I have a lot of bone fragments sticking out feeling like they’re gonna break skin so that’s been hard but I’m just keeping the faith that it’ll all heal together nicely.
 
I didn't have my dentures right away and it was a relief, one day at a time. The fragments will all surface and then that will stop, salt water rinse is soothing. Take the time to rest and be by yourself, it's good for the soul.
 
Yeah I’ve been dedicating to my healing in all the ways, just hoping these fragments smooth out soon so I can start wearing them!
 
So quick update ... and what a difference a little over a week makes. I'm not in a perfect situation but I had so many dreadful expectations in my head that I guess I was willing to put up with intense pain, discomfort and whatever else if need be. Thankfully I haven't had to, aside from some pinching here and there on the bottom denture. I have my follow ups next week so a bit nervous for that. I know it'll be a simple matter of my oral surgeon examining the gums, seeing how the bone graft is taking and then a reline but I'm still a bit nervous they might find something, maybe the gum isn't healing properly, I don't know ... I haven't felt any signs of that but my anxiety puts thoughts in my head like that and as for the reline, I'm looking forward to it on one hand if it can make these even 10% more comfortable but also worried they may (unintentionally) mess up something that's working. Like the top denture has (for the most part) been a dream. A little shaky here and there but it's fit pretty well. Bottom denture seems to fluctuate from day to day (likely a result of swelling subsiding and maybe returning briefly) and that's where I'd like the most adjustments made but again, I worry that it may get messed up ... again, an unreasonable fear but still a fear. I should be fine though ... the worst is over to this point. Hoping for good news on my follow up!
 
Omg, so I had all my teeth out on the 24th as well! I’m awaiting implants. I don’t have dentures in yet because my pain was too much right away so we refrained till later but I’m currently on day 8 of having no teeth and it’s been a hard week. Next appt is Tuesday. I have a lot of bone fragments sticking out feeling like they’re gonna break skin so that’s been hard but I’m just keeping the faith that it’ll all heal together nicely.
Best of luck in your healing process! Crazy that we had the same E-Day and it sounds like yours didn't go as well but I hope it continues to get better -- everybody heals differently and experiences different things. That's why they have follow ups and hopefully you'll get reaffirmation that what you're experiencing is normal and healthy. It'll be tough for now but the end results will have you feeling healthier and more confident! God bless and stick with it!
 

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