Full dentures - terrified!!

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kittylester

All dentures are 'made to measure', Sarnia. That's why you have impressions.

The only difference between NHS and private dentures should be the look and quality of the teeth - not the fitting.

As a professional person, a dentist should take as much care over the impression taking for both of them.

I had 2 full sets of NHS dentures and neither were a patch on the private ones. I could see why because although I had fittings, the attention to detail was not there nor did they use the cutting edge machinery that the private practice had to ensure the dentures were a perfect fit. 5 years on and they are still perfect and stay in place by suction and not adhesive. The difference in cost was huge so I suppose like many things, you get what you pay for.

I want to thank you all for your comments. I'll keep you all updated

Thank you so much everyone for replying to my post - the comments have made me feel positive about taking the plunge and making an appointment with the dentist. I'm very scared at the thought of extractions but I know it'll be worth it and I'm looking forward to being able to smile without being conscious of how my teeth look. It's good too to have the possible fitting difficulties flagged up so that I'm aware should I run into any problems on that front. Thank you again for your replies.

I am (a year on) still struggling to get used to them so be prepared for it to be not instantly familiar. There has been a whole catalogue of things which didn't go well so I sincerely wish you all the best.
Regarding cost, I had to go privately and in total for extractions and all the other processes, I paid £4,000. The temporary teeth I was never happy with, and am now part way through the rigmarole of getting the permanent set - a further £7,500!. As I don't want a set of Hollywood teeth, the dentist is using photos of my own quirky teeth before they had reached their best-by date, and so far getting what looks more like my own teeth is looking promising.
However, and hopefully things will improve with next teeth, I have problems with eating anything too solid so be prepared for possibly that happening.
Best of luck with it, I'm sure we're all rooting for you (dreadful unintended pun - sorry!).

I've got a partial plate and got used to it very quickly. Most of the time I forget it's there.

My DM (91) had partial dentures (upper and lower) a few months ago. Only her front teeth are still her own. Apart from some difficulties in getting used to putting them in and some initial discomfort, she is really pleased. She can eat normally again, and she is really pleased with how they look.

Imagine having them from 11 years old.

I’ll end up there, at the moment I have a partial, I don’t wear it often, comments noted and I’ll start tomorrow.
However, MrJ wears full dentures, has done for nine years, he wears them 24/7, cleans them once a day, eats everything he wants to, I should learn by example.

My friend was asked for a photograph from when she had all her teeth and they made them exactly like that, no-one would ever know they are dentures. I have several gaps and are now considering part dentures, I had a clip on plate, but it constantly wobbled so I stopped using it and now it does not fit any longer. As someone else said, you have to keep wearing the dentures or your gum changes.

How do they get a good impression if your teeth are all over the place and nothing like they were. Just curious.

All dentures are 'made to measure', Sarnia. That's why you have impressions.

The only difference between NHS and private dentures should be the look and quality of the teeth - not the fitting.

As a professional person, a dentist should take as much care over the impression taking for both of them.

I have never enjoyed going to the dentist so when cardiac medication destroyed my gums I was faced with having a total extraction.
I opted for having them all done in one go under general anaesthetic. I just couldn't face 4 visits to have a quarter of the teeth removed each time.
I am going to be honest. You need to persevere. It feels weird having false dentures in to start with and they feel too big for your mouth but just follow instructions regards the length of time wearing them and their maintenance. It will be trial and error with food too but you will get there.
I had NHS dentures to begin with and they were never a decent fit. I had to use adhesive like Polygrip (avoid Superglue ) to keep them in. As soon as I could afford it I went to a private dental technician who made me a top and bottom set made to measure. What a difference.
They are wonderful. Well worth the money. If I had to evacuate my home in a hurry I would make sure I had my dentures. Very good luck. In time you will love them.

Once you get used to them , you don't even know they are there. But they can take a good while to break in. You'll be fine.

Even if they should be slightly uncomfortable to start with, perserve.

A common mistake is to take dentures out if they are uncomfortable or you find eating difficult with them.

If you do so, you risk the structure of your gums changing, so the dentures never fit well.

So if you should have difficulties, contact your dentist or dental technician immediately - don't wait and see how it goes. It is far better to have a professional check that the dentures do actually fit, then try to soldier on disregardless if there are any problems.

I paid just under £5000 total , dentures were just under £2000, they’re temporary ones but they’re very good so I’m not sure about getting permanents. The rest of the cost was extractions. So it will depend on how many teeth need removing. Check the dentist websites for an estimate of pricing.

I have 2 partial dentures for a couple of years now as my own teeth have always been very soft. I haven’t had any problems with them. Fortunately I had a dental insurance plan that covered most of the cost.

I did manage to break my top plate, but was able to get the plate repaired the same day. The NHS now charge £58 for a repair to a denture, but the technician my dentist advised me to go only charged me £40 and did the job within an hour.

Thank you crazyH. Some things are hard to deal with aren't they?

Kate1949 - when the subject of teeth/ dentures come up, I always think of you 😘

I paid £4,000 (including extractions). But it would probably be more expensive in London.

I have to steel myself as my (remaining) teeth are either broken, loose or bad so I know I need to pluck up courage to face the inevitable. Can anyone give me a rough idea of the cost of a full set of dentures plus extractions? I’ve no idea what to budget and there’s no available NHS dentists in my area. Also, how long do you have to wait after extractions for the dentures to be fitted? Would be very grateful for any information.

I'm.65 at the end of the month and I have a partial denture, just 2 teeth, but they are comfortable and look just like my own.

I lost my teeth through illness. My dentist was fantastic. He made my new teeth very similar to what they'd been like before I lost them. This was many years ago - and they're still going strong! I clean them twice a day, stick them in - and then forget about them and eat what I fancy. I was rather scared too but it paid off. It took a while to get used to them but worth every penny.
Good luck!

I took a photo of my teeth before they were removed (my phone lets me hide pictures so I don’t click on it accidentally). So if I felt any regret, I haven’t, I have a reminder of why I got rid of them.
I have watched YouTube videos of people’s experiences. Some of them have been really helpful.

I’m 62, so a similar age to you