Coping with no teeth - HELP!

It’s a short spell of time and it will pass. Even just eating soup knowing that you are going to have a wonderful set of teeth is worth going though. Good luck.

Thank you everyone for the responses, advice and support.
I hope the responses have also helped anyone else going through similar and let's hope we'll all be OK in the end. 👍❤️

GrowingOldDisgracefully a 91 year old member of my sit class only has a couple of teeth and never bothered with dentures but it's never stopped her talking or eating what she wants. She is a marvel and just gets on with living her life to the full ,6 children,numerous grandchildren and a couple of great grandchildren. She laughs she has pensioners as children her oldest is 70.

It's not your teeth that would stop you talking it's only if you have no tongue as we need our tongues to talk. Even people who have part removed through cancer can still talk but have to have speech therapy to pronounce some words.

My uncle hardly wore his teeth as he says he didn't want to wear them out this was 20+ years ago.

I have only a couple of teeth missing but because of a rare hereditary neurological condition I have problems with chewing so my daily diet is porridge ,homemade soup and homemade stew of some sort either chicken or Quorn mince, chicken pieces or sausages (cut into 8) .

Hope you get your dentures soon. If it was me and my husband was alive he would laugh his socks off and call my gummy but he was like that the devil.

Others have given you plenty of good advice. So I hope they have relieved your worries . 😊

TurtleDove I will have to go and have a look at those videos.

I had all my teeth removed due to an illness that causes teeth to rot. They just gave me injections in my gums and then had to dig out my teeth as they were crumbling. They sewed my gums up and then stuck semi-permanent dentures into my mouth. I had them for 6 months and then was fitted for permanent dentures. I love my dentures and they have made me look much younger. If I could afford them I would have the screw fixed ones done, so if I win any money I will go and buy some.

Even though I was awake while they pulled out my teeth and then sewed up my gums, I didn't feel any pain.

You will be just fine. It is the fear of the unknown. If you go on You Tube there are thousands of videos telling you how to get used to your new teeth. I watched hundred's of them.

Nothing like as bad as your situation GrowingOldDisgracefully but I was ringing for an ambulance for DH early one morning when the bridge holding all my top front teeth fell out! It had sat there perfectly happily for about 15 years! I tried fixing it with one of those repair kits, but one of the teeth supporting it had broken off and the repair would only hold for a few minutes at a time. I had to spend most of the day in A&E with DH while I tried not to talk to anyone. The silly thing was that I didn't mind strangers seeing me as a mad old woman with no teeth, but the hospital was full of staff I'd known for years and I was horrified at the thought of any of them seeing me.

If you made a sound like a motorbike as you got near the shops, it would make it all more authentic. 🤭

MissAdventure that is encouraging to hear, as I've been suffering similarly for a long time, so hopefully won't be in pain once everything has mended.
Moonwatcher and Silverlining, I hope you will be mended soon, we can be partners in misery! Hope the useful suggestions people have kindly been making are of help to you too.
Petra, they are private ones. I hadn't heard about problems with accessing NHS dentures but why am I not surprised.
Kittylester, although that could have been an option, I was 'steered' into this course of treatment as being better in the long run.
I guess I will just have to grin (or should that be gurn?) and bear it - grinning with my mouth closed, of course!
Actually, I have just thought of a cunning plan: as I'm a biker, and have an assortment of neck buffs usually worn pulled up over the face to stop the helmet visor steaming up and to keep the flies out of your teeth, if I go everywhere in my bike clothing, complete with the buff up over my face, maybe that's a way round escaping from house arrest? Just trying to find the funny side of this!

I would have thought you should get immediate dentures until your gums have healed.

Many good suggestions already.
Liquid food supplements are available too. These may be useful when your gums are sore immediately after the extractions.
Good luck.

I have been living on soft food for 4 weeks since my jaw suddenly locked. I have to use a spoon to slip though gritted teeth and a straw to drink because swallowing strangely is uncomfortable.
Can’t chew meat but suck it to bits if I can, and manage very well with mince meat, fish, mash potato and soft veg. Rice etc works too. Ice cream….a treat.
I would imagine that it won’t be long before your gums start to heal and hope that all goes well with the new gnashers. .
My mum had her teeth taken out at 24 when the dentist told her that false teeth on the new national health would be much better than her own ones.
Good luck.

Is it a private denture or NHS. If it’s an NHS one there is a problem with the labs making them.
The labs aren’t earning any money on NHS dentures due to cut backs.

Growing Old Gracefully I've had a complete top denture for a years and gradually lost a lot of my bottom teeth until last week when I had 4 of my remaining 6 teeth removed. Like you the dentist left my last two for the bottom set to anchor to. I can't wear the new top set as they hurt so will have to go back to get them sorted. She put the bottom set in straightaway and my gums and jaw were so swollen I had to take them out. I put my old top ones back in but now I can't put the bottom set in until the swelling goes down and the stitches have dissolved. I had soup the first day and soft food (cottage pie) Saturday. Yesterday I had mash potato, peas and chopped roast chicken. I don't know how I'll manage tomorrow as we have to go out shopping. My chin is all yellow with bruising and still slightly swollen. I might do what you said and wear a mask.
I had lovely teeth for years and had regular check ups but in 2008 was diagnosed with underactive thyroid and one by one lost my teeth. I know just what you are going through.
I'm trying to think of what to eat but don't want to live on mash potato. Pasta is soft so I'll try that with mince and a sauce.

I am sorry for you and very sympathetic. I have a partial lower denture after losing teeth biting on a baguette! I have got used them now but don't like having to take them out to clean them and wonder if they are in before I leave the house.
I am reminded of the Pam Ayres poem.
I wish I'd looked after my teeth.

A mask is a good idea and a liquidiser!

Just grit your.... erm.... gums....
My friend said it was the best thing she had ever done, after years of infections and abscesses.
She looked great with the new ones in, too, and could eat anything.
She had to do the school run, too, all through it.

Thank you all for your helpful comments and support. Knitandnatter I will certainly check out Wiltshire Farm Foods, thank you for that information.
And yes, to answer the questions about no teeth, that is the scenario and I had a somewhat feeble laugh with the dental specialist about there was something positive about covid afterall in that masks were more accepted than prior to that!
The reason for the no teeth is that in the long run apparently I will have better fitting teeth than going through numerous adjustments for a temporary set which I won't be keeping at the end of a similar time spa anyway, and they will have the most accurate impressions if taken once all the shrinkage in my gums and jawbone have finished.
However, I have to say that the probable end cost (not had a final sum of money quoted yet), might well mean we can't afford to eat much anyway......

I too am very surprised you’ll be left with no teeth and I’d double check.
I know someone who had this done a couple of years ago and they had a full set of teeth within 48 hours, they had to be adjusted, but that was it. It was private.

My friend could eat things like shepherd's pie, and didnt need to puree food.

At least no one will comment if you wear a mask! My sister in law broke her jaw many years ago and survived for six weeks ‘eating’ through a straw. I think nowadays there are plenty of options…including puréed baby food. Good luck.

My friend, who was only in her early thirties, was left with no teeth after having all of hers extracted.
I was the only person who knew, and took in supplies to her.

If she had to go out, she covered her face, and said she had extensive dental work being done.
She did manage to eat almost properly, after a couple of really painful weeks, but that was more to do with her gums than teeth, or lack of.

They don’t usually leave a patient with no teeth. They will provide you with a temporary set.

Alternatively wear a face mask?

Sorry you're going through this. Just to say, I had all of my teeth out at the age off 11, 64 years ago. To say it was horrendous is an understatement. I have had dentures ever since.
Even back then, I was given temporary dentures. In this day and age, I can't imagine them leaving you without teeth but I could be wrong. Have they told you you will be without teeth? Good luck.

Have you considered ready meals? - I know that Wiltshire Farm make a special range for people who are unable to chew their food. Everything is pureed and easy to swallow - at least you would get a balanced diet for the healing period. Good luck.