False teeth.....any good?

I have just one false tooth right at the front and I hate it. I am conscious of it all the time, not looks-wise but my tongue won't leave it alone and gets sore. I would not want any more unless it was absolutely necessary!

I always had terrible teeth. I don't know why as my sister (identical diet and cleaning routine) had great teeth. By the time I was 30 I had all the top ones out and a denture - a year later all the bottom teeth out and a bottom set. I can honestly say I have never had any bother with the dentures at all. They were relined after 6 months as my gums had shrunk, but have needed no other attention since. I still have the same set, which only leave my mouth for a few minutes for twice daily cleaning.

As I am dental phobic, I count this as the best thing I ever did - no more nightmares about being tied to the chair while a manic Dentist attacks me with pliers or a chain saw. Meanwhile my sister, still with all her own teeth, is forever at the dentist for on-going treatment. I do not envy her

I’ve got one at the front and one each side at the back, top plate, it doesn’t bother me at all. I was going to have an implant at the front but the dentist discovered damage to my jaw bone caused by a badly fitted crown post.

But, I would not have dentures unless absolutely necessary either.

Granny23 - I’m going to make an appointment tomorrow ?I am dentophobic - I need to go for a checkup ,but can’t find the nerve to pick up the phone. Any wonder I dont have the best teeth in the world ???

My husband had to have false teeth due to advanced gum disease and then they started dying because of so much stress in his job. If you have enough left to eat comfortably, I definitely wouldn't recommend it. My teeth are also becoming more crooked with age and the dentist called it 'late life crowning'. I hope to see him once lockdown is over, my two front teeth seem to be wonky now. Our smile is so important isn't it.

If you did want to have your teeth removed, the dentist will remove all of your remaining teeth in one go which was brutal to watch and even worse for my husband to experience. They just left 'one' as a form of anchor.
Once the teeth are out, they immediately take a mould of both top and bottom gums, I thought he was going to suffocate.

He had to wait two weeks for his teeth to be ready, and wouldn't go out, this was thirty years ago so things have probably improved. When he starting wearing the teeth he had a very sore mouth and speech difficulties for a while, and it took him a long time to be confident enough to eat nuts etc. He always used fixative, but by late evening it had worn off and they were loose, we had to eat our evening meal around 7 pm.

We didn't tell the kids but as people say they see and know everything! I was watching the Snowman with my two year old daughter, when the Snowman looked at the teeth in the bathroom, she said 'Daddy'!

As you say Shandy57 our smile is important. It isn't just about eating. If you don't feel confident to smile you end up looking miserable, and if you do smile you frighten the horses!

But your description of the removal process is frightening! I am feeing scared just thinking of it. Imagine all my teeth gone, not sure if I can cope with that.

My husband had all, most were remaining, removed five years ago, he was beaten up badly in his 20’s which also left him with damaged nerves, hence no or very minimal pain. He waited 24 hours to have full dentures fitted, they were checked and slightly readjusted a couple of weeks later, he’s never looked back.

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!

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 !

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.