Was this common place?

[User2941]

DM has false teeth (dentures) and has done ever since I can remember.

Recently I asked her how she came to have dentures and she said in her 20s (50+ years ago) she had an abcess which worsened and the teeth along one side of her lower jaw were affected.

The dentist she saw basically said we'll have to take them all out. They pulled out all her teeth, top and bottom, and gave her dentures. I asked her what she thought about it and she said it was a bit off and she went to see a different dentist the next time who said they hadn't needed to all come out.

Without wanting to sound dramatic, I was practically traumatised by this story, imagining the horror of having all her teeth taken out - it's like some kind of bad dream - but she seems pretty stoic about it.

I was wondering about dentistry practices about this time, whether her experience was typical or if she had an awful dentist.

I don't know why this in arts and crafts. She didn't keep the teeth .

No idea why arts and crafts [grin
But it was fairly common. Both my GPs on one side had false teeth, whole mouth. I think because dentistry was expensive, if you had problems, then whipping them all out and having non-decaying false ones was the way to go.
I'm afraid I was too young to ever enquire before they died when they'd had them done...but I got the impression (both died by the time I was seven) that they'd had dentures their whole adult lives.

We're moving this thread over to the Chat topic for the OP - it seems a better place for it than Arts and Crafts

My Gran had all her teeth taken out in her 40s - I think it was probably fairly common when teeth started to need a lot of work, to advise that as the best course of action.

My Mum remembers her coming home and sobbing for days in her bed.

It's unimaginable now!!

My grandad was bought his teeth for his 21st. The teeth had to all come out then they had to wait months for the gums to recede until the new teeth were fitted. My granny had this done in her 30s -cheaper in the long run?

Didn't people used to get all their teeth taken out as a wedding present?

Yes this happened to my mum too when she was in her 30's around 1965 I think. I can't imagine the pain and horror of having all my teeth removed at once .