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Do you still have all your own teeth?

(105 Posts)
Kandinsky Sat 20-Apr-24 14:31:13

I’m 61 and just had my first tooth extracted.

I had an infection, and it was either paying over £800 for a complex root canal procedure or having the tooth pulled.

It feels really weird and wondering about dentures?

Grandmabatty Sat 20-Apr-24 14:35:52

I have most of my own teeth with a couple of gaps. Unfortunately one I have is decidedly wobbly so might have to go

Urmstongran Sat 20-Apr-24 14:37:03

I’ve got all mine. 😁
No palates, bridges, crowns etc.

Whitewavemark2 Sat 20-Apr-24 14:37:45

I do at 78 - but my mother had ALL hers extracted at 26😮.

Mind you she lived to be 101 and I suspect the fact that she never had bacteria from her teeth/mouth swimming around her body was a contributory factor.

grandtanteJE65 Sat 20-Apr-24 14:38:15

Hardly necessary to wonder about dentures, if you are only minus 1 tooth at 61!

I had a wisdom tooth extracted recently, and had all four of the molars that come in when you are about 11, before I was 20.

Apart from that I have quite a lot of fillings, and have had two teeth treated for infected root canals, at 20 something and 30 something and both teeth, plus a third crowned when I was in my forties.

I hope the rest of teeth intend to soldier on as long as I do, but who knows?

Whitewavemark2 Sat 20-Apr-24 14:38:28

Long life =no teeth😄😄

lemsip Sat 20-Apr-24 14:39:56

a 90yr old lady I used to visit would answer that question with ; yes all bought and paid for'

Kate1949 Sat 20-Apr-24 14:46:53

I had all mine taken out aged 11 due to parental neglect. It's been difficult to put it mildly.

Kandinsky Sat 20-Apr-24 14:49:53

Long life =no teeth😄😄

My parents had all their teeth removed and both lived to be nearly 90. So you’re probably right grin

Kandinsky Sat 20-Apr-24 14:51:06

I had all mine taken out aged 11 due to parental neglect. It's been difficult to put it mildly

Really sorry to hear that Kate1949

Cossy Sat 20-Apr-24 14:53:15

I’m 65 Have had two wisdom teeth extracted in 20’s and lost a molar 5 years ago, another molar capped almost 40 years ago and the one next to it very wobbly. Front teeth all good but I grind my teeth in my sleep and thus damaged some especially the wobbly one

Whitewavemark2 Sat 20-Apr-24 14:56:43

My two adult children at 51 and 53 still have all their teeth without a single filling.

Reason?

A really mean mother who only allowed sweet sugary stuff once a week on a Friday - either that or a book for mum to read to them at bedtime.

Sometimes they chose the book!

Kate1949 Sat 20-Apr-24 14:59:50

Our daughter was taken to regular dentists appointments from an early age. She is in her 50s and has a lovely smile. No way was any child of mine going to go through what I went through.

DollyRocker Sat 20-Apr-24 16:01:25

No! A bridge and implants for me. Otherwise I'd resemble Shane McGowan rip.

annsixty Sat 20-Apr-24 16:11:23

86 and one removed about 18 months ago as it became very loose but had no decay.
However I do have 3 crowns due to extreme teeth clenching when my H first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

RunaroundSue Sat 20-Apr-24 16:18:16

I have a condition called Sjogren's syndrome, dry eyes and dry mouth which means I don't have any tears or saliva. I have had corneal ulcers so using eye drops all the time and had to have all my teeth extracted as they were all disintegrating. I have had dentures now for 5 years and I love them. I was going to splash out and get dental implants but it meant having my jaw bone built up with other bone so I decided to stick with the dentures. The best thing is that the dentures make me look much younger than I am as they look perfect and you cannot tell they are dentures but all of my friends who still have their own teeth have found theirs to have gone yellow as the enamel has worn off, we are all in our 80's and I can smile whilst my friends cover their mouths with their hands when they talk as they are ashamed of the way they look. Because of my medical condition I was referred to the hospital for my teeth removing and instant dentures fitting rather than a high street dentist and the specialist did a fantastic job and it was free too.

I now have a private dentist as there are no NHS dentists around anymore and I just go for checks every year but so far my dentures still fit perfectly so should last me until I kick the bucket.

Germanshepherdsmum Sat 20-Apr-24 16:21:38

💐*Kate*. You are the mother that sadly you didn’t have.

I have had masses of fillings but only one back tooth extracted after failed root canal treatment. I am very lucky.

Casdon Sat 20-Apr-24 16:31:34

One missing, it had decay under a crown. I’m in the process of having an implant. Mine is second from the back, and I hate the gap because it affects the way I eat. Implant is an expensive process, but I was put off the idea of a bridge because over time it weakens the teeth it is attached to, and one is the back tooth so it is more susceptible to movement because there aren’t other teeth next to it. I may be wrong, but I don’t think a denture is an option for a single tooth, I was only offered a bridge.

TwiceAsNice Sat 20-Apr-24 16:36:57

I have all my own teeth I am nearly 71. I had one tooth extracted years ago so have one gap one side of my mouth but it’s near the back so not really noticeable. I go to the dentist regularly and just say to him “ please keep them in my mouth” . I have some fillings but not had any for a while now

Lexisgranny Sat 20-Apr-24 16:41:03

I am in my eighties but had four upper front teeth removed about 40 years ago. I had developed severe abscesses under my teeth and in those days extraction for this was quite normal. I can’t say that it bothered me.

Ilovecheese Sat 20-Apr-24 17:18:30

All my own teeth, only a couple of fillings. My children all have no fillings. I think it is partly genetic.

dogsmother Sat 20-Apr-24 17:37:46

A mixture in my mouth of crowns, fillings one implant but no actual denture as yet.

JamesandJon33 Sat 20-Apr-24 17:44:22

Yes thank you

Chestnut Sat 20-Apr-24 18:02:55

You've mentioned your teeth before Kate1949 and it always makes me sad. 💐

My mother had all her teeth removed in 1955 aged 40 which is still very young I think. We had been abroad so that was her first chance to see an NHS dentist. He told her they had to come out because of gum disease, but I find that very hard to believe. A photo of her shows she had nice teeth, I just think it was too much effort to treat her because the dentists had so many people requiring treatment. Since 1948 the NHS had been struggling to cope because so many people had not seen a dentist for years, or maybe never.

A bit of dental history from Wiki:
When the NHS was established in July 1948 dental treatment was free. Demand on the service was enormous. About a quarter of the dentists joined the NHS and by November 1948 83% had joined. Dental health in the UK was worse than that of Germany. In the first nine months of the NHS 4.5 million teeth were removed and 4.2 million teeth were filled. In 1950-1951 65.5 million artificial teeth were fitted.

kittylester Sat 20-Apr-24 18:20:23

The ones I have are my own.

Our children have only 4 fillings between them. We were quite relaxed about sweet stuff but not relaxed about when it was eaten (straight after meals) nor were we relaxed about tooth brushing.