M
Menopausal Magpie
Member
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2009
- Messages
- 52
OK, so having seen my own dentist not half an hour ago, I have a rather more serious question.
Dentures.
I have an abscess round an upper canine (for which I've been given antibiotics), but she did an X-Ray, and the bone loss round that particular tooth is so severe that, she says, I can either wait till it falls out by itself at some point (how long that might be, she can't tell - clearing the infection will help, but the bone isn't going to regrow)...or have it removed and have a denture. She says it will stay in, but I'm not even sure how that works.
How DOES a denture for a single tooth work? And are there any alternatives for a single missing tooth? (I assume implants aren't feasible with bone loss - if I could afford them, which I can't - the practice is Bupa and NHS, and I use the NHS part, but I would consider paying for the Bupa side if there's an option they offer which I COULD afford.)
I think I have an issue with dentures because of my mother...by the time she was the age I am now (early 50s - when I was in my early teens, in the 80s), she only had four of her own teeth left (I'm missing two back ones, plus two wisdom teeth). She was super critical, and she had a habit of coming into my room at night before bed - after she'd taken her gnashers out - and telling me off in that gummy voice. And I HATE the idea of ever sounding like that. Sounds daft but that's how I feel. Plus it's a kind of 'you are officially OLD!' milestone. And I never liked the look of her false teeth, either - I thought they must be really uncomfortable to wear. But are modern dentures different?
And I feel so GUILTY, too. Like I've been trying so hard with the flossing and brushing - she's said at my last few check-ups that everything was fine. But she says sometimes, bone loss just happens whatever you do.
Looks-wise, I'm not actually THAT bothered about a missing visible tooth, and this one would have a narrower than average gap anyway since I have overcrowding, and both my top canines stick out a bit. But would leaving the gap be bad for the teeth on either side?
OK, that's actually a ton of questions, but I hope someone can advise me...
Dentures.
I have an abscess round an upper canine (for which I've been given antibiotics), but she did an X-Ray, and the bone loss round that particular tooth is so severe that, she says, I can either wait till it falls out by itself at some point (how long that might be, she can't tell - clearing the infection will help, but the bone isn't going to regrow)...or have it removed and have a denture. She says it will stay in, but I'm not even sure how that works.
How DOES a denture for a single tooth work? And are there any alternatives for a single missing tooth? (I assume implants aren't feasible with bone loss - if I could afford them, which I can't - the practice is Bupa and NHS, and I use the NHS part, but I would consider paying for the Bupa side if there's an option they offer which I COULD afford.)
I think I have an issue with dentures because of my mother...by the time she was the age I am now (early 50s - when I was in my early teens, in the 80s), she only had four of her own teeth left (I'm missing two back ones, plus two wisdom teeth). She was super critical, and she had a habit of coming into my room at night before bed - after she'd taken her gnashers out - and telling me off in that gummy voice. And I HATE the idea of ever sounding like that. Sounds daft but that's how I feel. Plus it's a kind of 'you are officially OLD!' milestone. And I never liked the look of her false teeth, either - I thought they must be really uncomfortable to wear. But are modern dentures different?
And I feel so GUILTY, too. Like I've been trying so hard with the flossing and brushing - she's said at my last few check-ups that everything was fine. But she says sometimes, bone loss just happens whatever you do.
Looks-wise, I'm not actually THAT bothered about a missing visible tooth, and this one would have a narrower than average gap anyway since I have overcrowding, and both my top canines stick out a bit. But would leaving the gap be bad for the teeth on either side?
OK, that's actually a ton of questions, but I hope someone can advise me...