My grandfather stated that having all his teeth pulled and getting dentures was the best decision he ever made. He was an older man when he had children and I never had the chance to speak with him about this. The story is that had all his teeth pulled out in one sitting. My teeth have caused me pain for a very long time. I have been using Sensodyne toothpaste but it is losing its effectiveness. No one else in my family has decided to have their teeth pulled out despite discomfort and expensive dental work. My motive is mostly driven by pain but there might also be a financial benefit. So my questions are: Do dentures cause you pain or discomfort? Do you have to go back for new dentures or re-fittings? Any recommendations relating to getting teeth pulled and getting dentures?
I imagine dental tech in that area has come a long way from your grandfather's day. I'm sure there will be useful answers here, but there is a "Reddit" for everything. Try reading through the threads there. https://www.reddit.com/r/dentures/
Obviously you need to think about this very carefully as once they are out then they are out forever! I know some people find dentures a bit irritating when first fitted but get used to them. Dentures can become loose eventually and do require re-fitting. How often depends I assume on individual circumstances. However, having all your teeth pulled is a drastic measure - but understandable if you think it may eliminate the pain you are suffering from. Much tooth pain, especially sensitivity, is due to gum disease and not the actual teeth. It is because the gum recedes and exposes the sensitive part of the tooth. Some people rub 'Colgate Pro-Relief' into the area just above the gum line as little holes can be present there which cause the sensitivity - they do not use it as a toothpaste, although one can, but as a means to fill the holes. I can only advise very strongly to talk to more than one dentist before undergoing full extraction, to seek alternatives - but if that is the end result and you wear dentures then it is something millions live with. Seek advice but make your own decision based on your needs, your pain, your best interest. And good luck in your process.
I have had upper dentures for over 20 years. I used to have extreme pain in some front teeth. My dentist recommended the procedure and I had it done. The extraction and placement of denture was done on the same day. The doctor said the dentures act like a bandage. Your gums are sore for about a week and eating is a problem at first, I stayed mostly on liquids. Once the swelling went down I went back in for the fittings and adjustments. A few fixes and I was fine. You do lose some taste, since the taste buds on the roof of the mouth are now covered. After a while you don't notice it. The initial dentures were a good fit for a little over 20 years. They got loose and it hurt to eat and chew harder food items. I went to Premier Dental and she immediately refitted the old ones and took a cast for a new set. Went back two or three times for final adjustments (never charged for those) and now all is good again. No more pain and I think it was indeed a good thing to have done from just a quality of life aspect.
Thank you @Notmyrealname for the advice to rub the toothpaste directly on the teeth. I think I might take that a step farther and apply it to a mouthguard overnight. Thank you @Happy Camper for your perspective based on experience. 20 years is plenty of time between fittings. Glad to hear it was a "good thing to have done from just a quality of life aspect."
Thank you @TheDude for the reddit advice. I checked out reddit and found mostly the same stream of consciousness type posts we have been struggling with here. Reddit would be another site that could benefit from a wiki like feature. It does have sub comments and ratings with the ability to sort based on ratings. Most of the comments are from younger people who have just gotten dentures. Little historical perspective. It would be a good place to post this question. Thanks
If you have a good dentist? I went with implants, they drill into the bone and put pins in and then attach the implants to the pins. You can get one tooth done or the whole top and bottom. Takes some time to get the adjustment done but for me is was a good deal. I have had them now for about a year. My dentist let me make payments on the procedure because it is a bit expensive. But I am happy with them. My jaw got broken when I was in the military so I ended up with a really bad TMJ problem, both sides of my jaw would lock up and I grind the he!! Out of my teeth at night. They also helped reset my TMJ and stopped the locking by moving my bite forward which took to pressure off. There are a lot of new ways to go! Tooth pain can be the worst pain in the world to deal with, even worse when you can’t eat!!! Good luck and look around to find the right dentist to take care of you! Most will give you a package deal, so to say? And tell them you need to make payments and they will usually work with you, if they are a good place! Goose out