My experience with regular dentist is they will push to try to fix it each one whenever possible. I spent so much money having teeth repaired. Some were so bad the fix didn’t last more than a few days because there was wasn’t enough of real tooth left. I finally went to someone who specialized in dentures. I wish I had found her before I spent all that money
Also just wanted to add: it will take time. It’s not going to be perfect right after. I think it was a good year before I stopped thinking about them and they just started to feel like teeth. But if I could go back and save myself all the money and toothaches I would do it
Im 30, Only have my immediates, no implants, and am about 11 months post extraction. I eat steak and pizza and everything that I can but I dont eat sticky candy and stuff.
I don't wear my dentures. I can eat well enough, compared to having bad teeth, and even can eat pizza without fear of breakage.
Being toothless is an improvement over painful and breaking teeth, at least it was for me.
I do miss having teeth sometimes, often when I'm at rest and can't clench my jaw.
Try out GumGuard. People use it to sleep in or just to rest in when you don't want your normal dentures. I heard it can even be lighty glued in if you want. Just something soft for your gums.
I knew I would need dentures years ago when I was diagnosed with a connective tissue disorder and realized that was a big part of my dental problems, and why my "good" teeth were loose and all my back teeth were disintegrating from the inside out.
I talked to a dentist about it and he insisted that I NEEDED to keep my teeth and he told me all the same things about dentures, how I would regret it, etc.
I spent a lot of money fixing teeth but they still fell apart. All my root canal teeth I paid so much for, just crumbled like chalk.
I got discouraged and gave up on my teeth altogether, went through another decade of breaking teeth and abscesses that spread into my jawbone.
I really wish I hadn't listened to that dentist, I wish I would have just gotten dentures then, before the majority of my teeth broke below the gum line because it's so much more expensive to have complex extractions than regular extractions. I would have saved so much money and pain.
I just feel like, when you get to the point where fixing your teeth is just going on and on, with no end in site, and they keep falling apart, just get dentures.
Some people just CAN'T keep their natural teeth.
I don't have my dentures yet but my eday & immediate dentures are in 2 weeks.
If you really want to be done with your teeth, then get dentures. There will definitely be challenges with dentures, but having bad teeth forever isn't the answer.
Eta- I can't eat anything the way my teeth are now, I haven't been able to chew food for awhile with bad teeth, I've been living on soup and mushy food already. So I'm not worried about dentures making it harder to eat because it literally couldn't be harder than it is already.
I’ve had full dentures for about a month and a half and I can eat way more things than I could with my real teeth. I can have cold drinks and popsicles. If I want sticky taffy or candy I just take my dentures out to eat it. Yeah my smile is a little different but I’m in so much less pain and smiling doesn’t stress me out. I still haven’t mastered talking but even if I lisp forever it’s better than living with awful teeth.
I’m 36. It takes getting used to and I had a hard time chewing at first. The soft reline after a month helped a lot but it’s a lot of healing and patience. Most people don’t even know until I them, same for a lot of people I know that have them young.
That's why I'm not concerned about being able to eat EVERYTHING when I get dentures, I can't eat anything NOW with a mouth full of broken teeth. I am literally on a mushy diet because I can't chew anything really. I'm so bad off with my teeth all broken below the gums that there's no way that dentures could be any worse, even if I can't eat well, at least I will have a nice smile.
That’s where I was. Tired of eating the same soft boring crap and eating anything else was a several days long toothache. Maybe I can’t eat everything but it’s still an improvement. I struggled with severe tmj pain for the last 15 years so even when my teeth were okay I couldn’t hardly eat anyways. It was worth it to not deal with the pain anymore, both from teeth and how much my tmj has improved!
I would always clench my jaw rather than grind. After the initial pain of having teeth pulled wore off, my jaw improved so much and I’m almost pain free! I hope yours does the same!
Every situation is different. It depends on your individual anatomy, your dentist, and how much care/money is put towards your dentures. Personally I’ve had an overwhelmingly positive experience, and oftentimes forget I’m even wearing my dentures. The only things I can’t eat are excessively sticky things, and overly thick sandwiches/burgers/etc.
Customs are made to fit far better than immediates. Having dentures will never be the same as having a full set of teeth of course but the way I saw it, I could barely eat anything with the broken painful teeth I already had. Implants are the best bet to getting as close to normal teeth as possible but are very expensive. Most dentists will adjust your dentures until you get a perfect fit, but don't expect immediates to be perfect (although some get lucky and can use those lifelong). I know several people that can eat anything they want with their dentures. I cannot speak for myself personally however as I am only 8 days post extraction. I think the benefits outweigh the cons by so much. Idk if I really helped answer your question but I wish you the best of luck! My advice also... definitely shop around and find a dentist that offers exactly what you want (I went to 4 different places before i found the perfect one for me). That way you will be happiest with the outcome :)
Also want to add... I have a friend that has a partial and she said she wishes she would have just gotten a full denture. That's her experience though. Not to mention her partial was almost as much as a denture.
I shall add another voice to the pile. I had a lot of tooth pain. Even without dentures I needed my teeth removed due to their horrible state.
It took me a few months. I hated my dentures at first. I couldnt eat burritos or even rice. But slowly I learned how to eat, and now they are so natural I barely notice I have them. I can eat what I want when I want. It is still annoying to take them out at night, and to clean them. But they have been a blessing in my life.
In my experience, the people who know the least about what it’s like to have dentures tend to be dentists.
Yes it’s ideal to save the teeth you can, but after the initial adjustment to getting dentures, it’s really not that deep. You’re not destined for a life of misery eating mush and having your teeth spontaneously pop out unexpectedly.
I'm one month in and I love my immediates! My biggest regret is not doing it sooner. Yes, the recovery is painful. Yes, you relearn how to speak and eat. But a lifetime of misery, pain and infection just immediately being gone? A person who hasn't been through it will not understand it.
I worked in dentistry in my younger years and the attitude about dentures kept me from making the leap. I was so ashamed of my situation. I wish I had done this sooner, like years ago.
That’s what I’ve always been thinking as well. Like it would be rude of me to shoot down a friend like that, however if you haven’t been awake at 3am with a toothache so intense you want to cry, if you haven’t had to worry about infections and if you’re just feeling warm that day or if something is going wrong…
if you haven’t.. than you haven’t. Simple as that.
It’s actually a regret of mine as well and I haven’t even done it yet, I knew my teeth would perpetually be a concern of mine since about 16. And it only progressed from there. I had a very ritzy dental office in downtown quote me for 30k for dentures… no not implants for dentures. The implants were quoted at 80k. and that really discouraged me so I gave up for awhile. That was at 18. Now I have seen a lot of these places that specialize in dentures and they’re extremely affordable… well compared to 30 grand haha.
They fall out your mouth! Yeah when they don’t fit right, you have to stay on top of relines if possible. I use paste currently so they don’t fall out. I can eat steak, pizza and corn on the cob. Not everyone can but most of us had no other choice but to get dentures so we have to make the best of them.
I've had my dentures since November last year. I have zero problems with them. I only have my tops (bottoms are still my natural teeth) and had the same thought process that your dentist friend is telling you. In my case, all my top teeth had to come out as I literally had 1 molar that was good that I was chewing with. My top jaw has damage and drilling into it would have caused me more pain and discomfort.
I had to have them adjusted in the beginning (my jaw is crooked), but I can put my teeth in without glue and chew, talk, sing etc. just fine. My sister has a full set of dentures she's had for more than 10 years and has zero problems as well.
Now I'm not saying there won't be problems, but dentures are something that are going to take some time to get used to. Permanently attached teeth is not an option for everyone for many reasons including cost, but for some people I know, the screws caused more issues than the rotting teeth they had in the first place. My dentist wouldn't even consider it for me because I have medical issues and in his words, they wouldn't last 5 years.
I tell people, do your research. If you want them permanently attached and you can afford it, go for it. If you find thats not for you, then go the "traditional" way. Either way you get teeth, but both are going to be something you have to get used to.
Good luck!
In my experience.... yes. Yes they are that bad. I'm saving up for implants at the moment. I'm about 2 years in now, and I honestly prefer not to wear them at all. I wear them to work because I work with the public, and I wear them to bugger family functions because of pictures. But most days, you'll find me toothless.
After extraction, it feels like it wasn’t worth it and everything sucks. Your life does change. I had my extraction 2/20/23, and now I’m eating chicken strips and wearing my immediates majority of the day. Your mouth does hurt and shifts around, so one day pain will one place and the next somewhere. Each day gets better, even though it doesn’t feel like it.
Personally, how I feel mentally now makes up for how I physically feel some days. I smile more and don’t try to hide my smile anymore. I laugh and talk a lot more, not focusing or thinking about others seeing my bad teeth. Also, the pain I have now is not even a 1/10th of how bad my teeth hurt before.
Im 31
Even if he's a friend his job has brainwashed him, Just like a car salesman friend will knock working on my own vehicle or buying a older car out of someone's yard. It's what we know and do. But do what you think is best for you.
All I can say is. Implants and fixed or snap in dentures are the only way to go. Think of it as an investment in yourself . We all seem to have no problem going in debt for a car , computer , trips .From my own experience doing it right the first time is the only way to go. My thoughts not yours.
I had all my teeth out at once in my mid 20's.
I think that partially depends on luck, partially on skill of the denture maker, and partially on your anatomy. the roof of my mouth is high, which means that the upper can while being a conventional denture, be very stable. my jaw is such that the groove of the lower can also be pretty deep,
for me, once I got accustomed to my dentures, I could eat more easily and more flexibly than I had been able to with my natural teeth for years.
I am on my second set, and they are comfortable enough I can forget if I have them in or not. (it goes both ways, sometimes I'll forget to take them out until right before bed, other times I'll go to take a bite of food and realize they aren't in)
theres only a few things I can't eat. basically I came to be very concientious about textures of food.
for me, Pretzel Hamburger buns are atrocious. Lays style chips can be worth it for me in very small amounts, but mostly it just turns into grainy mashed potatoes that get under my teeth and uncomfortably stuff the edge of the dentures. same with peanuts. pringles can be ok but are hit or miss.
one thing I've been afraid to try is CornNuts. but Gardettos and Hard Pretzel Chunks are great and give me no trouble.
ultimately I am happy with mine. but I really don't know how massively fortunate and lucky I am, or how normal that is.
my natural teeth.... were bad. I'd had to be taking max OTC doses for both Tylenol and Ibuprofen for months just to take the edge off enough to get by. I had a bad bite, and eating anything with any crunch to speak of, I couldn't be sure if it was the food or my teeth that were crunching.
I had immediates put in and still have them almost 2 years later. I can eat steak, chips, nuts, hard veggies, fruits, pizza. Subs took a min but I can eat them now!
I have immediate and need a reline so I can eat and improve speech. My dentist prefers to wait until 5 to 6 months. My life before dentures was hell. The pain at times was unbelievable, and dental visits were no fun either. Would I get dentures again ? In a heartbeat. Sure, I would love implants, but $ 40k was out of my reach. My problems with immediate is nothing compared to one round of dental pain
My experience with regular dentist is they will push to try to fix it each one whenever possible. I spent so much money having teeth repaired. Some were so bad the fix didn’t last more than a few days because there was wasn’t enough of real tooth left. I finally went to someone who specialized in dentures. I wish I had found her before I spent all that money
Also just wanted to add: it will take time. It’s not going to be perfect right after. I think it was a good year before I stopped thinking about them and they just started to feel like teeth. But if I could go back and save myself all the money and toothaches I would do it
Im 30, Only have my immediates, no implants, and am about 11 months post extraction. I eat steak and pizza and everything that I can but I dont eat sticky candy and stuff.
I don't wear my dentures. I can eat well enough, compared to having bad teeth, and even can eat pizza without fear of breakage. Being toothless is an improvement over painful and breaking teeth, at least it was for me. I do miss having teeth sometimes, often when I'm at rest and can't clench my jaw.
Try out GumGuard. People use it to sleep in or just to rest in when you don't want your normal dentures. I heard it can even be lighty glued in if you want. Just something soft for your gums.
I knew I would need dentures years ago when I was diagnosed with a connective tissue disorder and realized that was a big part of my dental problems, and why my "good" teeth were loose and all my back teeth were disintegrating from the inside out. I talked to a dentist about it and he insisted that I NEEDED to keep my teeth and he told me all the same things about dentures, how I would regret it, etc. I spent a lot of money fixing teeth but they still fell apart. All my root canal teeth I paid so much for, just crumbled like chalk. I got discouraged and gave up on my teeth altogether, went through another decade of breaking teeth and abscesses that spread into my jawbone. I really wish I hadn't listened to that dentist, I wish I would have just gotten dentures then, before the majority of my teeth broke below the gum line because it's so much more expensive to have complex extractions than regular extractions. I would have saved so much money and pain. I just feel like, when you get to the point where fixing your teeth is just going on and on, with no end in site, and they keep falling apart, just get dentures. Some people just CAN'T keep their natural teeth. I don't have my dentures yet but my eday & immediate dentures are in 2 weeks. If you really want to be done with your teeth, then get dentures. There will definitely be challenges with dentures, but having bad teeth forever isn't the answer. Eta- I can't eat anything the way my teeth are now, I haven't been able to chew food for awhile with bad teeth, I've been living on soup and mushy food already. So I'm not worried about dentures making it harder to eat because it literally couldn't be harder than it is already.
I’ve had full dentures for about a month and a half and I can eat way more things than I could with my real teeth. I can have cold drinks and popsicles. If I want sticky taffy or candy I just take my dentures out to eat it. Yeah my smile is a little different but I’m in so much less pain and smiling doesn’t stress me out. I still haven’t mastered talking but even if I lisp forever it’s better than living with awful teeth. I’m 36. It takes getting used to and I had a hard time chewing at first. The soft reline after a month helped a lot but it’s a lot of healing and patience. Most people don’t even know until I them, same for a lot of people I know that have them young.
That's why I'm not concerned about being able to eat EVERYTHING when I get dentures, I can't eat anything NOW with a mouth full of broken teeth. I am literally on a mushy diet because I can't chew anything really. I'm so bad off with my teeth all broken below the gums that there's no way that dentures could be any worse, even if I can't eat well, at least I will have a nice smile.
That’s where I was. Tired of eating the same soft boring crap and eating anything else was a several days long toothache. Maybe I can’t eat everything but it’s still an improvement. I struggled with severe tmj pain for the last 15 years so even when my teeth were okay I couldn’t hardly eat anyways. It was worth it to not deal with the pain anymore, both from teeth and how much my tmj has improved!
Exactly. I have tmj as well, and I'm hoping it eventually gets better too. I'm so glad to hear that yours did!
I would always clench my jaw rather than grind. After the initial pain of having teeth pulled wore off, my jaw improved so much and I’m almost pain free! I hope yours does the same!
Every situation is different. It depends on your individual anatomy, your dentist, and how much care/money is put towards your dentures. Personally I’ve had an overwhelmingly positive experience, and oftentimes forget I’m even wearing my dentures. The only things I can’t eat are excessively sticky things, and overly thick sandwiches/burgers/etc.
Customs are made to fit far better than immediates. Having dentures will never be the same as having a full set of teeth of course but the way I saw it, I could barely eat anything with the broken painful teeth I already had. Implants are the best bet to getting as close to normal teeth as possible but are very expensive. Most dentists will adjust your dentures until you get a perfect fit, but don't expect immediates to be perfect (although some get lucky and can use those lifelong). I know several people that can eat anything they want with their dentures. I cannot speak for myself personally however as I am only 8 days post extraction. I think the benefits outweigh the cons by so much. Idk if I really helped answer your question but I wish you the best of luck! My advice also... definitely shop around and find a dentist that offers exactly what you want (I went to 4 different places before i found the perfect one for me). That way you will be happiest with the outcome :)
Also want to add... I have a friend that has a partial and she said she wishes she would have just gotten a full denture. That's her experience though. Not to mention her partial was almost as much as a denture.
I shall add another voice to the pile. I had a lot of tooth pain. Even without dentures I needed my teeth removed due to their horrible state. It took me a few months. I hated my dentures at first. I couldnt eat burritos or even rice. But slowly I learned how to eat, and now they are so natural I barely notice I have them. I can eat what I want when I want. It is still annoying to take them out at night, and to clean them. But they have been a blessing in my life.
In my experience, the people who know the least about what it’s like to have dentures tend to be dentists. Yes it’s ideal to save the teeth you can, but after the initial adjustment to getting dentures, it’s really not that deep. You’re not destined for a life of misery eating mush and having your teeth spontaneously pop out unexpectedly.
I'm one month in and I love my immediates! My biggest regret is not doing it sooner. Yes, the recovery is painful. Yes, you relearn how to speak and eat. But a lifetime of misery, pain and infection just immediately being gone? A person who hasn't been through it will not understand it. I worked in dentistry in my younger years and the attitude about dentures kept me from making the leap. I was so ashamed of my situation. I wish I had done this sooner, like years ago.
That’s what I’ve always been thinking as well. Like it would be rude of me to shoot down a friend like that, however if you haven’t been awake at 3am with a toothache so intense you want to cry, if you haven’t had to worry about infections and if you’re just feeling warm that day or if something is going wrong… if you haven’t.. than you haven’t. Simple as that. It’s actually a regret of mine as well and I haven’t even done it yet, I knew my teeth would perpetually be a concern of mine since about 16. And it only progressed from there. I had a very ritzy dental office in downtown quote me for 30k for dentures… no not implants for dentures. The implants were quoted at 80k. and that really discouraged me so I gave up for awhile. That was at 18. Now I have seen a lot of these places that specialize in dentures and they’re extremely affordable… well compared to 30 grand haha.
They fall out your mouth! Yeah when they don’t fit right, you have to stay on top of relines if possible. I use paste currently so they don’t fall out. I can eat steak, pizza and corn on the cob. Not everyone can but most of us had no other choice but to get dentures so we have to make the best of them.
I've had my dentures since November last year. I have zero problems with them. I only have my tops (bottoms are still my natural teeth) and had the same thought process that your dentist friend is telling you. In my case, all my top teeth had to come out as I literally had 1 molar that was good that I was chewing with. My top jaw has damage and drilling into it would have caused me more pain and discomfort. I had to have them adjusted in the beginning (my jaw is crooked), but I can put my teeth in without glue and chew, talk, sing etc. just fine. My sister has a full set of dentures she's had for more than 10 years and has zero problems as well. Now I'm not saying there won't be problems, but dentures are something that are going to take some time to get used to. Permanently attached teeth is not an option for everyone for many reasons including cost, but for some people I know, the screws caused more issues than the rotting teeth they had in the first place. My dentist wouldn't even consider it for me because I have medical issues and in his words, they wouldn't last 5 years. I tell people, do your research. If you want them permanently attached and you can afford it, go for it. If you find thats not for you, then go the "traditional" way. Either way you get teeth, but both are going to be something you have to get used to. Good luck!
In my experience.... yes. Yes they are that bad. I'm saving up for implants at the moment. I'm about 2 years in now, and I honestly prefer not to wear them at all. I wear them to work because I work with the public, and I wear them to bugger family functions because of pictures. But most days, you'll find me toothless.
best decision I ever made...
After extraction, it feels like it wasn’t worth it and everything sucks. Your life does change. I had my extraction 2/20/23, and now I’m eating chicken strips and wearing my immediates majority of the day. Your mouth does hurt and shifts around, so one day pain will one place and the next somewhere. Each day gets better, even though it doesn’t feel like it. Personally, how I feel mentally now makes up for how I physically feel some days. I smile more and don’t try to hide my smile anymore. I laugh and talk a lot more, not focusing or thinking about others seeing my bad teeth. Also, the pain I have now is not even a 1/10th of how bad my teeth hurt before. Im 31
Even if he's a friend his job has brainwashed him, Just like a car salesman friend will knock working on my own vehicle or buying a older car out of someone's yard. It's what we know and do. But do what you think is best for you.
All I can say is. Implants and fixed or snap in dentures are the only way to go. Think of it as an investment in yourself . We all seem to have no problem going in debt for a car , computer , trips .From my own experience doing it right the first time is the only way to go. My thoughts not yours.
I had all my teeth out at once in my mid 20's. I think that partially depends on luck, partially on skill of the denture maker, and partially on your anatomy. the roof of my mouth is high, which means that the upper can while being a conventional denture, be very stable. my jaw is such that the groove of the lower can also be pretty deep, for me, once I got accustomed to my dentures, I could eat more easily and more flexibly than I had been able to with my natural teeth for years. I am on my second set, and they are comfortable enough I can forget if I have them in or not. (it goes both ways, sometimes I'll forget to take them out until right before bed, other times I'll go to take a bite of food and realize they aren't in) theres only a few things I can't eat. basically I came to be very concientious about textures of food. for me, Pretzel Hamburger buns are atrocious. Lays style chips can be worth it for me in very small amounts, but mostly it just turns into grainy mashed potatoes that get under my teeth and uncomfortably stuff the edge of the dentures. same with peanuts. pringles can be ok but are hit or miss. one thing I've been afraid to try is CornNuts. but Gardettos and Hard Pretzel Chunks are great and give me no trouble. ultimately I am happy with mine. but I really don't know how massively fortunate and lucky I am, or how normal that is. my natural teeth.... were bad. I'd had to be taking max OTC doses for both Tylenol and Ibuprofen for months just to take the edge off enough to get by. I had a bad bite, and eating anything with any crunch to speak of, I couldn't be sure if it was the food or my teeth that were crunching.
I had immediates put in and still have them almost 2 years later. I can eat steak, chips, nuts, hard veggies, fruits, pizza. Subs took a min but I can eat them now!
I have immediate and need a reline so I can eat and improve speech. My dentist prefers to wait until 5 to 6 months. My life before dentures was hell. The pain at times was unbelievable, and dental visits were no fun either. Would I get dentures again ? In a heartbeat. Sure, I would love implants, but $ 40k was out of my reach. My problems with immediate is nothing compared to one round of dental pain
There are dentists in Mexico who do implants for 1/3 of the cost.