False teeth.....any good?

I think you have to balance the comfort of eating with your own teeth with the appearance when you smile. Both are important, but if one outweighs the other then that's the route to go surely?

I know someone with her own teeth---they're like tombstones with a pickle-chaser in the front and so many gaps I wonder how she manages to eat. I'd have had them out years ago !
I think there are 4 in the front.

Does anyone remember the Michael McIntyre episode about his dentist failing to extract a tooth, and him having to be admitted to hospital? No doubt some exaggeration there, but as someone petrified of dentists after bad experiences in the past, it still makes me cringe.

If your dentist actually recommends it Chestnut, I wish you lots of luck and a great new smile, but if he doesn't seem keen, then I really would take his advice.

?*JaneA*. I can just visualise you with your knee in someone’s chest, armed with farm sized pliers and a road drill for back up . Would make a good cartoon

I had my four front teeth crowned over 40 years ago. About 4 years ago the remains of the teeth started breaking and my dentist said they would have to come out. the extraction was a bit hairy because it was difficult removing the crowns and then what was left of the teeth but I had an NHS plate, which also replaced a couple of missing molars and I've never looked back. I can talk, I can eat and I often forget them altogether.

being tied to the chair while a manic Dentist attacks me with pliers or a chain saw.

Just in case anyone is worried by this, or in any doubt, modern dentistry doesn't include the use of pliers or chainsaws.
Misinformation.

As Shandy wrote-
" If you have enough left to eat comfortably, I wouldn't recommend it".
I've heard people say that, it's so important to be able to enjoy your food when we get older.
Daughter's MiL had all her's removed some time ago ( not sure why) and was toothless for some time. She could only eat soft stuff. Recently she had most replaced by implants - but what torture!

honeyrose I know what you mean about looking better in reality. I hope mine do because I have a shock when I see myself caught unawares in a photograph or on a video call. I think that is what is driving me towards making improvements!

Chestnut - I know where you’re coming from. Cosmetic dentistry is a bit of a step into the unknown. I’m thinking it’s probably not the right time at the moment to consider any cosmetic dentistry at all, unless it’s absolutely necessary, because of the pandemic, but I expect you’re planning ahead. My smile is nowhere near perfect (one dentist said to me years ago that it’s “part of my charm” and he said that in a professional way). My teeth look worse in a photograph than they do in reality, if that makes sense. Best wishes with whatever you decide to do, but do look into all the options and don’t rush into a decision.

Yes Chestnut. I should have kept going back but unfortunately the surgery was a fair way from here and I don't drive so I had to depend on my husband to take me and after several journeys he was pretty fed up. It was also unpleasant to keep going as the dentist was a handsome young man and I was mortified to have him looking in my toothless mouth. Yes I know he's seen it all but still.

How awful Kate1949 and I suppose we need to check what they will do if we have such a problem. Can they guarantee satisfaction? They should if it's paid privately, and should keep going until they get it right.

Please be careful if having dentures privately. About five years ago I decided to go for a set at a practice that promised 'a beautiful, natural smile'.
I went along to this very plush dental clinic. I was promised the world. They cost me two and a half thousand pounds and I've never been able to wear the bottom set, despite going back several times.
Some can pray on your insecurities.

I think I'm past having implants. Maybe 10 or 20 years ago but probably not worth the expense and discomfort when you're older. I also think braces would not cope when the teeth are too crowded which my bottom ones are. They are beginning to go in all directions! The idea of having lovely straight white teeth is so appealing, but the process frightens me. It's a bit of a step into the unknown, but I suppose most cosmetic dentistry is.

Chestnut, would you be able to have braces fitted to improve your smile? I don’t necessarily think that braces are just for the very young. Dentistry has got a lot more sophisticated now and this may be an option. You’d probably have to go privately. Implants may also be an option, but very expensive - may be up to £2,000 per tooth. My DH has a set of dentures at the top and has never had a problem with them. I have 2 teeth on a denture to fill a gap where I once had a bridge (which kept falling out and was difficult to clean around properly). I didn’t fancy having implants - I considered it, but chickened out! I’m not the best patient at the dentists! I hated having impressions taken for the 2 teeth on a denture and thought I was going to choke, but I think there is a more hi-tech method available now - a kind of scan rather than waxy type impressions. All the best.

Well Chestnut You asked for advice from someone who has had them all out. I have mentioned on here before, that I had all mine taken out in one go when I was 11 due to neglect.

This was in the 1950s and it was a horrific experience. Living with full dentures all this time has been horrible. I realise this isn't the 1950s and the experience would be better but personally I'd try to look for another solution.
I'm 71 and am still embarrassed by my smile (well I've never smiled properly really). I'm sure if you go down this route, you may be happy with the outcome. I would think twice.

Hetty58 depends what you call 'healthy'. They are old teeth and I feel they have had their day. And if they can file them down for crowns and remove them for implants then what's the difference?

Chestnut, assuming you are in the UK, I think you'll find that no dentist (NHS or private) here will remove healthy teeth, just because that's what you want.

Therefore, rather than ask for opinions, discuss things with your dentist first.

No one has mentioned implants. Expensive but worth investigating? I had one over 10 years ago and have never had any problems with it. I’d certainly go down that route/root again if I needed to

My Mother had all her teeth out in Hospital in her late 20s. She’d been diagnosed with RA and it was believed something in the teeth caused it, so extraction would help! Utter Madness!
I’ve all my top teeth crowned, but the bottom are natural.
When DD was 30, she didn’t want a fancy watch - she asked for all her upper teeth to be crowned instead.

diygran I think a lot from that generation went around with no teeth rather than wear their dentures. I hope things have improved since then!

If I ask for dentures will that have to be done privately? Is that any better than NHS? I don't think NHS remove them unless they say they need removing, it's not your choice.

All of my mother and fathers family had terrible teeth and needed falsies.
It was really obvious they were false.
One uncle never got to grips with his and refused to wear them even on social occasions.

I just have upper plate. Teeth grew inwards and never looked good. But I wish I'd had a brace offered 50 yr ago. I'd say try and keep your own teeth if possible and definitely avoid both top and bottom falsies if given choice.

I 'be had a full top denture for the last couple of years and am very pleased with it. I had an impression taken and the dentist didn't take out the remaining teeth until the denture was ready. The teeth look really natural, though the dentist told me if I was bothered I should tell people I'd had implants, which sound a lot more impressive and expensive! I'm going to need a bottom set soon as gum disease is getting worse and I've got some really wobbly teeth.

Ginnytonic5 surely that's not the same as full dentures. I need people with full dentures to tell me what it's like having them all out!

My poor dear mother had all her teeth out in 1955 aged only 40. They said it was gum disease. I've seen pictures of her a year or so before that and her teeth looked fine to me. Such a shame, but 1950s dentists were very keen to pull them all out.

CHESTNUT don’t do it ! I have 2 dentures together on a small plate due to a bridge failure..I absolutely hate it and can’t get on with it ( I can’t get implants due to the shape and condition of the rest of my teeth ) I take it whenever I am not in company ( my poor Husband ?) it’s noticeable as it’s just off centre ...also I have to restrict what I can eat when out in a restaurant as I have had a couple of embarrassing situations !

I wasn't interested in my Dad's new wife, but my Mum kept in touch with my Dad and used to relay the odd story. Apparently my step mother had a full set and 'didn't know' you should use fixative. She worked at the airport restaurant clearing tables and apparently sneezed - and her teeth flew out of her mouth and hit the window. Can you imagine!