Immediate dentures
ladyloulou
Posts: 7,932 Forum Member
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Hi all, i am looking for a bit of advice. A brief history i had always been a regular visitor to the dentist and approx 7 years ago on a routine x ray a cyst was discovered, its hard to describe but it was at the back end of the jaw behind the teeth, in between the time of the xray and surgery it had trebled in size, the idea is if it had been left it would break your teeth as it pushes forward!:eek: Anyway i had it removed and it was benign, since then i have had 2 more either side, again removed sucessfully. When i say successfully on once occasion they "cut" through some nerves, this means i have a virtual constant pain like neuralgia. Solpadol (30mg codiene & paracetomol) are now my best friend:(. Anyway subsequent visits to hospital and dentist have failed to eliminate the pain, despite, root canal,. extractions etc, now i am left with 4 teeth at the bottom and 11 at the top, i have a partial denture for the bottom set, but there is a gap as two of mu own teeth have snapped off since i had the denture and due to all the trauma i have had at the dentist i am too scared to go back, (including one visit where they took an xray which showed the roots of a tooth wrapped round the jaw and still they attempted to take it out! The dentist was kneeling on the arm of the chair to get leverage! Upshot of that was i had to wait 5 days for the swelling to go down then had to have it taken out in hospital and ended up with 6 stitches!) Anyway i have now decided i cannot live for ever on painkillers and i am in fear that the next tooth that breaks will be one at the front that everyone will notice! As it is i can just about get away with it but as you can imagine i dont smile a lot! So to my plea for advice, i am planning to go to the doctor to get a hospital referral to maxillo facial / dental to get them all out, but i think i also need to go to a dentist as the hospital dont do dentures or do they? I would need immediate dentures as my job doesnt give sick pay, has anyone else had immediate dentures and can you help me? Apologies for the long and probably rambling post but i can assure you that it has taken more guts than i thought to actually post this and i hope someone can advise, many thanks xx
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Comments
I really feel for you, you must have had a crap dentist.
Sorry I can't give any more advice.
You may feel like you have done a few rounds with Mike Tyson afterwards, though it sounds like you feel that way anyhow !
i can empathise. I had all my teeth out except a bottom few in may. Im only in my twenties.
If you are having a large amount removed, i would strongly advise you don't get immediate dentures.
1: cost
2: after having many removed its quite traumatic. You won't want to put anything against your gums. After a day or two the bleeding will stop and your gums will start to heal. The stitches really are annoying and you can feel them work loose as they take nearly a fortnight to dissolve.
Then your gums will shrink over the next three months or so. Do not get dentures at this stage either. As your gums shrink, if you try to wear dentures they will move and cause mouth ulcers and far too much pain.
Use the three to four months after the op to get your mouth sorted. As soon as.you get out of hospital after having your teeth out, make a dentist appointment. One month in as your gums shrink you will notice gristel/bone poking through the gum. These need to be removed by a dentist otherwise you won't be able to wear dentures comfortably.
I had mine out in may and my gums didn't shrink properly till September. I am currently getting measured up for dentures and the last bit of dental work done.
0-2 week food: baked beans, soup
2-4 week food: pasta and any food you can cut up in to swallowable pieces
4 week +: you should be able to gum any soft food as your gums start to harden. You will notice there is some food like bread you will not be able to eat at all.
You will need one week off work after the op. The stitches really hurt at first and you will get bowel upsets as your body adjusts to a sloppy diet.
Any advise you need, questions, etc, feel free to contact me.
Lucky you. Partial clearances are far easier. Less shrinkage, less stitches and better fitting dentures with less movement.
Do you.know what i miss? A huge burger, or a juicy steak or even a bag of crisps.
Not everyone needs stitches, my wife didn't. I agree with the gum shrinkage though.
My wife has great dentures that fit perfectly. I doubt many of our friends even know she has them and she has complete upper and lower.
You could just suck the crisps:D:D
I've been waiting 5 weeks to have a tooth out, happened today, so i'll be back with crisps and peanuts next week:)
I imagine the OP will need stitches from the extractions described so far. I know each patient varies, but my roots were so tough and teeth so stuck in, the operation took nearly four hours instead of an hour or two. Felt like I had been whalloped in the mouth with a cannonball. Had stiches over nearly every root and cuts on the side of my mouth where the metal trap had been holding my jaw open. I was very sore for a good couple of days.
Your wife has my sympathy though on the bottom teeth. Note to the OP; if you can leave even a few bottom teeth in at the front, try to save those. Upper complete dentures can be fitted with little movement using the roof of your mouth to make them nice and snug. But if you have a complete bottom clearance, the dentures can move around more depending on your tongue size, etc etc.
It is remarkable how natural and well fitting they look. Not as bad on price as I was expecting either! Only £204.
I can on doritos and pringles.
But crisps like mcoys and "man" crisps, cant be sucked or swallowed easily and are like sandpaper.
Ahhhh hope it's feeling alright? I hate having tooth work done. Toothache is the worst pain anyone can endure!
My goodness! Do you mind me asking why you had to have so many out? You must have seriously neglected them!
:mad: :mad::mad::mad:
That is quite a nasty assumption to make - I looked after my teeth but had 2 pregnancies when I vomited almost continually all they way thru both times - I cleaned my teeth after I was sick every time and that is where the damage occurred - when you are sick there is acid in what you vomit and it softens the enamel on your teeth - so the natural reaction to brush your teeth causes thousands of tiny scratches on the enamel which in turn causes the teeth to decay much quicker - I used to grind my teeth whilst asleep and wake up in the morning with a mouthful of tooth bits - I had all my teeth removed over several appointments - the back top on each side then the bottom on each side and then finally all the front that were left both top and bottom were removed the same day and immediate dentures put in - I had no stitches but quite a bit of pain for the first couple of days and my speech was a bit strange - it is essential to keep everything clean and rinsing with warm salty water was wonderful - taking them out and in was sore for a good few days but once everything settled down it was bearable without painkillers - I managed soft food - not pureed or liquid but things like scrambled eggs.
Once I got my permanent dentures I never looked back and can now eat anything I want including steak which I could never even contemplate eating before.
In my area it is very very difficult to get on an NHS dentist list and unfortunately through no fault of their own there are many folk I know who have dental problems - there are emergency appointments available at the hospital but basically all they do is remove the offending tooth which when you are in agonising pain is all you want done.
It must be wonderful to have a set of lovely pearly whites that you can call your own but some of us are not so lucky but then again I have no pain, no bills and no-one is any the wiser unless I tell them and then they are surprised at how realistic mine are - go for it - if you have had enough of the pain and hassle you won't regret it
Im worried about how comfortable they will be, but it will still be better than agony all the time.
Do yours rub or cause any ulcers? How long did i take you to get used to chewing with them comfortably?
Ive heard a few opinions before, but the more the merrier.
Nahhh I dont mind Hugh. I dont mind talking about it at all and even help a few friends who have young kids to frighten them to brush their teeth when they're not, by showing them my mouth. Not that I completely agree with that, but that's up to the parent.
It is a common misconception or housewives tale that peoples teeth rot because they dont brush them. Plaque and saliva to some extent protect teeth. Usually bad dental problems are caused by an underlying health problem. Very rarely would peoples teeth rot so quickly and early just for a lack of brushing. However people should brush and I always have (except for nights where I was in agony as things got worse). I can see modingle's point, but I honestly dont feel angry at that viewpoint as I can see why people would think that, based on what we are told when we are younger.
My problem is similar to Modingle's. Except Im male so Ive never been pregnant.
Before I was 14, I used to get a burning/itching anus as a little child (nice!). I never had this correlated until recently, that it could have been the acid in my fecal matter causing the issue. Anyway, to my teeth:
From the age of 14, the dentist first noticed I needed fillings behind my two front teeth. I used to brush all the time (my parents even used to give us disclosing tablets when we were younger to encourage us to brush for longer) and at that point, didnt have a sugary diet, living out in the countryside away from junk food franchises. The dentist blamed a lot of fruits in my diet. At this age, I had the occasional bout of diahorrea, but at that age, didnt think anything of it.
My top teeth started getting worse till I was 20. My bottom teeth were OK, yet dentists still blamed a bad diet even though I told them this wasnt the case. I even went on a cabbage soup-esq diet and the rot still got worse. All they did, was crown my teeth, had three or four at one point. From the age of 18 I was told I had IBS as I had stomach cramps, etc. Makes me sound like a wuss, but it would double me over to the floor until I got used to it. Like having a smal ninja kick you every few minutes.
Then, around the age of 22, was my last treatment (drilling, etc) at a traditional dentist as I developed a sensitivity/immunity to local anesthetic. They tried all different kind of shot mixtures, but it got to the point where the nurse had to pin me in the chair as I screamed in pain while being drilled out with no pain relief. My top teeth got to the point I didnt have any whole original teeth. Then the bottom back molars started to rot over the next year or two.
My stomach and bowl conditions continued to worsen. Often blood speckles in the stools and I started vomiting every morning, acid gushing up. It got so bad, I lost a job as I was delayed every morning or rushing off to the toilets. Took a couple of years to convince the doctors this wasnt just IBS and got put on acid-inhibitors (until then, I had to work later day/evening shifts when I wasnt vomiting). Even though I still got rising acid, I could control it a lot better now and at least get up in the mornings without being violently ill. However ever since then, I have had a constant taste of acid (like a dull metal) in my mouth which has never truly gone away. Things havent tasted the same to me since before 14. It happens so gradually, you dont notice. It was only when trying a jolly rancher as an adult that I noticed it tasted totally different, like lichen off a rock and not sweet and dreamy like a syrup apple that I remember as a child. Never been overweight (very slim in fact) and these problems started before I smoked regulary or drank alcohol regulary. Ive stopped smoking before and it hasnt made a difference. Excessive alcohol can aggrevate it for a day or two as it stops everything digesting, so I dont really drink copious amounts all the time. So all that doctor advise was rubbish and didnt help at all. Looking up other things to cut on internet support forums, I cut down carbohydrates in my diet and that made a HUGE difference. However I still get bloated and my ribs are sensitive to embraces.
After I was 23, I managed to get registered with another dentist (ughhh @ waiting lists), as my previous one refused to acknowledge that local anesthetic wasnt working. It's still taken over 5 years to get to this point. Trying to get a referral for hospital dentistry or work under gas was nigh on impossible. Constant bad referrals where I got passed to the wrong person. Only this year, after refusing to be fobbed off by the PCT complaints procedure or the dentist, did I get two incorrect referrals, but luckily in one of them, one knew the maxillo surgeon personally and finally gave me the correct referral.
During those five years, my teeth rotted away that could have possibly been saved, I was denied/not offered flouride toothpaste or painted coating for the teeth. Only in the past year have I been offered both of these treatments. If only I could have had it earlier.
Dentists just never wanted to acknowledge there could be another issue apart from diet and brushing. Even when I tell them of my acid reflux now, after they mistakingly tell me about brushing, they just shrug, apart from one or two dentists in my life. The pattern of rot in my mouth is textbook for rising acid, as it rises up the roof of your mouth, hits the back of your top teeth, falls, then rots your bottom molars, while your bottom front teeth are protected by your tongue.
As for my acid reflux/IBS/etc, all they have done is keep me on acid-inhibitors to limit the amount of acid my stomach produces and just kept upping the dosage. They prescribed medicine to get my digestive system working as sometimes it stops and backs up like a blocked drain and causes vomiting but the pills are very expensive (50p-£1 a pill, even under prescription, only get a week or twos supply max) so I save that for when it gets bad or if I am going out for a pint. The only other thing I have had a test for is a bacteria known to cause stomach problems and had a endoscopy (camera shoved down my throat) which ruled out zollinger syndrome/dissolved gullet flap/valve on the top of the stomach.
Since then, I have been rebounded by the hospital and doctors for over three years as im told they have lost notes, etc etc. Had to end up complaining to the practice manager and PCT again, to try and get them to give me some form of diagnosis, as acid refulx is just a symptom just like IBS, it doesnt tell you why you are having these problems and what is causing them.
As another thing to try, at some point, Im going to go for private allergy testing as they wont give it to me on the NHS which would pinpoint something like coeliac disease. However Ive saved my time and money over the years and been more worried about other family members health issues.
However, this year, I just refused to be meek and mild, so while still being polite, have continued pushing them to investigate further as medication doesnt always work and Im fed up of this lifestyle. I just want to know what is causing the digestive problems and the excess acid and how to go about rectifying it.
On a side note, my experience is why I am a strong advocate for affordable private healthcare and the NHS to be abolished and run as a business, rather than a bottomless money pit. It isnt really free anyway as mass amounts of each persons taxes go to support it. The waiting lists are ridiculous, for example on an unrelated injury, I needed an MRI and couldnt walk properly so was on a priority list. Had to wait for a year and travel a couple of cities away to a university MRI machine.
The US system isnt perfect either, but many people I know there, get an MRI the same day, treatment and effective diagnosis, etc etc and are shocked by the poor health system we have here. The canadian system is nice, but still not perfect.
While it may be expensive without insurance, if I could have had all this picked up properly in my teens and a doctor who would actually listen to their patients then I would still have my teeth and had far less illness from work, so I would have been able to work more. The annoying thing is it wasnt just one incompetant doctor but I have moved around and had numerous since my teens.
Anyway, feels a bit of a shame reading it all back, I wish I had been able to be more assertive an individual in my youth and had a doctor pick up on the symptoms and work with me to resolve it and insisted they had. I would advise anyone similar not to let your doctor pascify you with pills and really push aggressively when you know something isnt right, try stamping your feet even!
not everyone who has dentures has neglected their teeth. as a child i had measles and mumps as my adult teeth were coming in. as an adult i had 6months of chemo. All this has seriously nackered my gums and given me infections and gum disease leading to loss of teeth and partiial dentures.
i would like to thank everyone that has replied, when i read this through to my hubby last night i actually burst into tears, part i think was that i had finally realised that i have to do something about it and part because of all the support from here. I am going to the docs tomorrow and will get the hospital referral, i am tempted by the idea of doing the top then the bottom although that would mean 2 ops rather than one but i will go by what the doc says, in reply to another post about the stitches, i told my husband it was like have little wire spiders running round in your mouth! It was the best way i can describe it! I am so grateful to you all I will let you know how i get on tomorrow xxx
If so, the surgeons will be very unlikely to agree to remove the teeth over 2 separate ops due to the risks associated with GA procedures - it would be all out in 1 op.
If you want dentures to replace the missing teeth - particularly immediate dentures - then seeing a dentist is inevitable, and this would need to be done well in advance of the operation as the dentures would need to be completed and ready by that time (bare minimum 4 weeks, possibly 10-12 weeks to make full dentures if done properly).
Immediate dentures will typically need relining or replacing completely within 1 year due to the gum shrinkage which occurs with healing, so that will need to be factored in to your plans & costs.
This is my professional opinion based solely upon the information provided by the OP and my training and qualifications as a general dental practitioner. This should not be considered a definitive diagnosis, and you should arrange a formal examination & assessment with your regular dentist.
Awww thank you. I just wish things had worked out differently, but hey. While ive had no teeth, the shame and embarresment has mainly been me thinking "oh my god, did anyone just see my gums, mental note, dont smile" which just makes you feel like rubbish.
You know, when society associates hair loss and tooth loss with old age, so you cant help feeling ashamed a little and people presume, ones teeth should never get so bad they need them all out at once. Thinning hair is another thing freaking me out at the moment!
Aww, group hug! Just remember although it may hurt now and the op might make you nerveous, afterwards you wont have to suffer from toothache, its like a release from jail!
Hope it goes ok. For me, my dentist made the referral. Hope you get it sorted.
Just IMHO, I would do the same again and have the op all done at once. Once the op pain went and I got used to re-adjusted diet, as I said above, one of the hardest things, was how I look to others and the paranoid thoughts of what other people must think. Not something you want to go through multiple times to be honest.
Go for it - you will then look like this ->
many thanks, yes i was thinking of a GA, now all i have to do is find a NHS dentist, think thats going to be the hard part lol
Can I ask, how long did it take for you to get used to eating normally with them? Since I will get them in november, is just over a month enough time before tackling something as big as xmas dinners?
Been out at the dentist (specialist gas one) today, so got my appointment sorted for restoration work and my denture fitting appointments start this next monday. Sooo fed up so cant wait!
PS: That's one thing I liked TBH, the collapsed cheeks. Makes shaving difficult but makes me look thin with defined cheekbones
He would certainly recommend them, although as he's private they weren't cheap.