Dentures!

[Patsy]

7 years ago at the age of 53 I plucked up the courage to visit the dentist after many years as one of my front teeth felt slightly loose and was causing me a lot of pain. I knew that rest of my teeth were in a pretty poor state and for years I've not felt comfortable smiling in photographs and avoiding eating toffee, nuts, hard rolls etc but could live with that. The dentist took a look at my teeth that day and told me, there's nothing that can be done to save them and you'll have to have a full set of dentures, he was brutal in his delivery and told me cause I was nervous I'd need to be sedated...I left his office in total shock, not only feeling totally not ready for dentures, by this time the toothache had disappeared of it's own accord so I never returned. Since then my teeth became worse, a couple fell out (luckily not in obvious places) they became looser, thankfully didn't get any more bouts of toothache but I muddled on the best I could. Early this July the literally took a turn for the worse over night and I knew..ok now's the time I'm gonna have to get this sorted. I went to the dentist but because I'd not been for 7 years they'd removed me from their patient list and of course I was NHS. They told me that they weren't taking on any NHS patients at the moment and the waiting list is 6mths to a year! I even offered to go private as I have savings and they told me there was also a long waiting list. The receptionist suggested that I look up to see if there are any surgeries taking on nhs patients and to ring them up . I did that and the first two I rang were recorded messages saying there's a 6 month waiting list but the third one someone answered the phone and could offer me an appointment the next month. I have a horrible 3 month + but to cut a long story short I've been fitted with what they call immediate dentures which allow you to have something to wear on the day of the extraction and for a few months before your mouth has settled to a state where you can be fitted with permanent dentures with a more bespoke fit. I had them done on Monday, early days, but I have to say I'm struggling. I mean don't get me wrong they look great, but they're unstable and I can't use adhesive for 2 weeks cause it upsets the healing process, and they rub quite a bit so I'm on liquid/soft diet and many painkillers. I just cannot wait to get them out of my mouth at night...and my god I look about 90 years old without them in...very depressing. Anyone here admit to dentures? If so how did you get on..thanks x

I've got partial dentures due to not getting all my second teeth. I still had three baby teeth at 40!!! the dentist said I had Hypodontia.

 

[Patsy]

I'm getting a range of emotions from positive to despair. Right now I'm thinking that I may've well bought some teeth from a joke shop for the good these are at the moment. I was told that it would take 6 months to be able to be fitted with permanent dentures but 'cause I still work, and my job is customer facing I didn't feel able to go toothless for so long hence agreeing to go for "immediates". From what I've been reading people have had far far worse problems than I've been having so far but the fact that they're only functional on the basis of how they look is obviously not ideal - I've got a life to live. After being in the doldrums for over three months I wasn't expecting it to be an instant fix and that I'd be straight back to my bouncy old self, though I did dare to dream a couple of times. I will have to tell my boss I'm gonna need a fair while off work as the tooth routine is not compatible with an 8 hour day at work. Having to eat like a baby, taking the teeth out to rinse them cause food is trapped on, in and under them, trying to get them in the right position where there's nowhere private to do this, the fact I sound like a ventriloquist's dummy when I try to speak. So ok I could go into work, toothless and masked up and try and find a corner where I can sup a meal replacement shake or a yoghurt and of course I'm feeling as miserable as sin right now and still suffering with a bit of pain, though funnily enough today I haven't felt the need to take any pain killers (yet). I do have a follow up appointment lined up in the next 2 weeks but I'm still waiting for comfirmation of the date..obvs things will be clearer after that. My main problem is with the lower set..the uppers are much better they seem to want to stay put, but the bottom ones feel like they're floating around despite pinching my gums and causing pain. If I try and eat with them in the movement from the lowers disturb the uppers so I'm in a proper pickle. Any liquid with the same consistency as water is fine, but anything thicker is a problem. Thankfully I can still swallow tablets ok. Of course even though I feel hungry my appetite is shot to bits and I cannot afford to lose any more weight I'm a size 8 as it is!
The other thing is I'm dreading catching a cold with this lot - Coughing and sneezing doesn't bear thinking about! I wish my friend could be more open with me, it seemed one minute she had protruding, crooked and discoloured teeth to having a set of perfect teeth and eating and talking and doing everything normally, yes she did have the work done during covid but even so a bit of insight would help...not just you'll be fine, it's nothing!

 

[Patsy]

I’ll admit to it!

I tripped over in 2017 and, because I was carrying something, I had no time to put my hands out to “save” myself. I hit the road face first and the brunt was taken by the top of my mouth. Result? I put my top teeth through my bottom lip and the top front teeth were knocked backwards. I rang my dentist as I was in Yorkshire at the time, but due to leave that night, and he told me to go to his surgery the following day.

When he saw them he confirmed that they would have to come out. Two of them were still “squiffy” but not as bad as the other two so the really damaged ones were removed. I went back the following week for the other two to be extracted. I had a temporary plate after a few days because the four that I lost were already crowns which were on pins into the jaw which is why they bent rather than snapped off. My son did some shopping for me because I stayed in until I got the temporary plate. The dentist did say I could have false ones pinned into the gum again, but I opted for a plate after what happened to the others although I’m not planning to face plant a road again - hopefully. Once everything had healed I got the permanent plate and have never looked back. Initially I lisped for a couple of days but now you’d never know that I wear a plate. The colour is matched perfectly with my bottom teeth and the rest of the top ones. I’ve never had an issue with eating anything and they’ve never fallen out or dropped down when I talk. I did buy some fixadent but have never needed to use it. I remove the plate when I clean my teeth and I sleep in it. Teeth in a glass by the side of the bed doesn’t appeal to me.

Even though I’m now approaching a 4 stone weight loss since February, the plate is still as secure as it’s always been which surprised my friend because her sister’s plate got loose after a weight loss.

My dentist is private and the total bill was £2000 but I got some of that back because they put in a claim under their insurance.

It is early days for you merryone, so hopefully your mouth will soon heal completely and you’ll be in the same state as I am …… happy with your teeth.

When I got my first set I was advised not to wear them at night due to the risk of getting Thrush.
Mine are left in the bathroom at night.

 

[Ant7t]

I've got partial dentures due to not getting all my second teeth. I still had three baby teeth at 40!!! the dentist said I had Hypodontia.

If you read my previous bit about my dentist visit. She actually thought I still had my baby teeth, coz they were so small. She said that to me.

 

[Patsy]

If you read my previous bit about my dentist visit. She actually thought I still had my baby teeth, coz they were so small. She said that to me.

Mine were definitely baby teeth. I had x-rays and no wisdom teeth or any other teeth were in my gums.