Dentures-tell me the truth!

[NoEffingWay]

I’m mid 40’s and have teeth that are prone to decay. This visit to the dentist I’ve been told they are impeccably clean but because of having some extracted over the years, it’s time to look at dentures.

Part of me thinks that this would be great, and my smile would be restored. It would just be an upper partial, as the bottom teeth are in great shape.

The possibly more vain side of me feels sad that it’s come to this, I always thought it may happen when I was much older. I also worry that it’s the least sexy thing ever, keeping your teeth in a jar overnight!

Anyone else suffered the indignity of being told your teeth are doomed and it’s time to get the dentigrip on the shopping list?! Can everyone tell they aren’t your own teeth? Will they fall out at odd times? Do I need to take them out at the gym?

Why can’t you have them root filled ? I would only go for extraction if you have explored all the other options.

I lost two teeth to Trigeminal Neuralgia (as in they were thought to be the cause of my extreme pain and taken out... nope.. two good teeth lost)
I had a valplast flexible partial... they are very good, and you baarely know it's there.
Unfortunately I managed to lose mine (twice) so now have a bridge as I can't lose that, but I can genuinely reccommend Valplast. (And no they don't fall out and you can wear them at the gym!)

The ship has sailed re: extractions! I can’t afford inplants, and would need about 6 of them, so dentures are the best way forward. I’m not exactly ecstatic about it, but having gone down the fillings, crowns, root canal route for most of the now missing teeth perhaps it will be a bit easier overall!

I’ve had top dentures for years. Same problem as you with the 2 front teeth and had root canal, kept,getting infections. So had extraction and never looked back. They look good and no they don’t fall out, I don’t use any fixative. You shouldn’t need to if they fit properly. Why would you need to take them out at the gym? Yes I take them out at night as I get in bed but not a problem. Go for it.

Dentures are not a replacement for teeth , they are a substitute for no teeth.

They require patience and practice to wear successfully, top dentures are easier than lower dentures . Some people never get used to them but most people will with time.

Most people will not know you have dentures , they can stay in except when cleaning, at night time and if playing contact sports.

Dentures are much easier the more of your own teeth you can keep . So look at your diet , keep sugar attacks to meal times. In other words inbetween meals even if it’s just a sip or a bite of something it should not be sugary or starchy , that includes smoothies , energy drinks , protein shakes, flapjacks, dried fruit , plant based milks , fruit juice . Every bite of something sugary or starchy and your teeth are under attack for an hour afterwards . Do not , even if you brush your teeth afterwards, drink or eat anything sugary/starchy just before bed.

If you have dry mouth , because of medications , then discuss with gp changing them . If you have dry mouth because of eg Sjorgrens then discuss with your dentist being orescribed high fluoride toothpaste and saliva substitute .

If you control your diet , you control your decay , you keep more teeth and wearing a denture will be easier.

I have upper and lower partial. I don’t take them out at night. I have lost no jaw shape. I use no fixative. They don’t fall out. No problem. Do it!

I had bad teeth in the end i got fed up with having fillings and root work i told them to start taking them out.
I now have a full set top and bottom of pearly white dentures.
They are very comfy no one can tell they are fake i can eat drink like others nothing of limits.
I thought of implants but thought nope ive had to much pain and trouble with my teeth im sticking to the fake ones.
I love them im not even 40s yet.

Especially if you have some of your own teeth you really should be taking your dentures out at night . Your gums don’t get a chance to “breathe” if you leave them in, you are much more likely to get Candida infections which , although painless, long term will affect fit of denture , and you are much more likely to get gum disease and decay around your remaining teeth.

I went to Budapest and got implants they are fantastic, and fairly reasonable price 10 implants and one bridge was 7k

Don't be afraid to ask for adjustments I had a part that was poking in my gum they blitzed it off filed it down and it's more comfortable now I might honestly need full dentures at some point I will invest on the more flexible ones if I do plastic is fine but I tend to suck on them so I dry my mouth out even more

Not ideal

I have a partial denture for 2 top teeth, you can't tell as the colour is carefully matched, and I was advised I could wear them over night which I do without problems

I went to turkey for implants 3 yr ago, 1 st day bk in u.k teeth moving, i,ve had 3 yrs of hell, 1 implant to be removed monday,3 years and constant toothache and ruined life, dont go abroard,also no dentist here would see me,destroys ya mental health when theres no help, dentist who finally took me in has charged 17 grand and still problems, sod vanity and dont do implants, they fail xxxx

OP could you have bridges? Don’t have dentures unless there is no other solution.Dentures should be the very last resort. You could try All on four which are dentures attached to 4 implants- they don’t come out at night!

Been losing mine over the last few years starting with the top ones - initially started off by a couple of horse riding falls & once a couple go the others will move a bit into the gaps which can loosen them, and so on. So gone through different partials then full over the years

Had a full denture top for years now, no problems at all with it, and had the last couple of teeth taken from the bottom just this morning so will move from partial to full there too. I agree with the pp about the Valplast partials, they are fab. Mine go in first thing in the morning & I take them out before bed to soak in Steradent over night

Regarding colour your dentist will have a massive range of fake teeth in different shades, so you do colour matching with them (like paint colour matching!) to ensure the ones in the denture look natural compared to their neighbours.

Until about 60 years ago, there were still some areas in the UK where removal of all teeth and replacement with dentures at about 20 was considered a prudent thing to do, as you'd save a fortune over the years with dental work not having to be done!

Forgot to say, regarding implants. A friend of mine had implants done overseas, and they all had to be removed shortly afterwards. You need excellent bone density for them to "take", and if you do or used to smoke that impacts the density quite badly. It's also a long procedure with waits between stages (when done right) and can be very expensive

You shouldn’t use steradent on valplast dentures as it hardens and damages the material. You should use a specialised cleaner of which there are several .

Valplast dentures have quite a short lifespan and not using the correct cleanser will shorten it even more.

The general advice is not to wear dentures at night because of problems discussed above https://www.nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments/dentures/

I’m losing my back teeth one by one and I can’t find a dentist who will give me options other than implants which I refuse to have. I’m done with dental procedures. I never even thought about dentures. What should I be asking for? It’s only my back teeth at the moment.

Sorry, should have been clearer. The Valplast was the top denture when it was a partial, and yes I used the right cleaner for that. The Steradent is for the full (non-Valplast) one.

I’ve had an upper denture for about 3 years now, and wish I’d got them sooner.
I’ve got my smile back, i can laugh properly and i don’t dread photos which used to show the gaps (one each side) on my teeth.

Because ive one missing each side, I would have had to pay for 2 bridges so the denture was the cheapest alternative. Nobody knows I have them, only close friends and family who I’ve told.

I’m 50 this year if that makes any difference.

Pay private (this is only my opinion to anyone who has NHS). There is no comparison between the two.
With good quality, well made, well matched dentures no matter how many teeth or top or bottom, or both no one will be able to tell the difference. So long as you don't get turkey teeth which can be seen from Space.
They take a little getting used to. Need looking after. Are not cheap. Do not last forever. May occasionally need realignment. But can be life changing.
Also make sure you have them put in when you have the teeth taken out. Straight away.
I've heard weird stories of dentists telling patients they need to wait till their gums heal otherwise the dentures won't fit. This isn't true ( you may need an adjustment or maybe not).
A good analogy is that NHS dentures are like a wooden leg. They will do the job but only just compared to Private being like a titanium blade.
Price difference is a lot as Private is over a thousand pound per plate but well worth it. Don't know your circumstances but dentists do payment plans that can help.
Good luck.

You need a partial plate and a new dentists imo, as it sounds like they are just after the money.
Implants are extremely expensive and not everyone is suitable even if you can afford it.
A good dentist should be advising of all your options.
You don't say why you are losing your back teeth but if you have say 2 or 3 left that in the future you will lose ie gum disease then have them removed also.
Sounds extreme but there is no use having a plate made and getting it fitted and getting used to it then 12 months down the line losing more back teeth and paying for the plate to be altered or remade.

For most people the bone and hence gums shrink for 3 to 6 months, on average , after having teeth out .

For most people any denture fitted as an immediate , ie directly after having the teeth out , will need adjustments and relining , at extra cost , and a new denture once the bone has finished remodelling because the immediate denture quickly becomes ill fitting.

Immediate dentures are normally done when front teeth are taken out , but patients are warned they often won’t fit well as the technician has to guess what shape your gums will be after the teeth come out and they will need replacing in 3 to 6 months .

Actually dentures are quite difficult for many people to get used to and the more of your own teeth you have left the easier it is to get used to the denture.

For many people having a denture made with as few teeth on it as possible is a good way to get used to denture wearing and then having teeth added on at a later date is easier to get used to than having a large amount of teeth out and dentures all at once.

Did you need multiple appointments for that or was it done in the one visit?
I've had 2 implants done in the UK but need a third and my bank account is telling me no...