I have a friend with stained teeth and other dental needs that are quite costly. Are dentures the best option

Question

She has crowns and bridges that are about 15 years old and they too need to be replaced. Instead of doing this and most likely ending up with dentures in a few years she is considering getting them done sooner rather than later. How annoying are dentures? How embarassing are they? Can everyone tell that you have false teeth or have they improved over the years and she will be making the best decision to see a qualified dentist that can work her up for this solution to the multiple problems she has. She is a young looking 50 year old and her teeth have kept her from smiling all of her life.

Answer 1

Hi! I've been in dentistry for over 25 years and the answer is No. Dentures are a last resort. They often do not fit properly, move without dental adhesive and are self demoralizing to a women. Please don't so this. The look fake and take time to get use to. And they limit what you can eat, and because they are made of plastic, sit on the ridge of the gum and can hurt. No one wants this. PLEASE do this. Have your friend sit down with a dentist and discuss other options. Even a partial and keeping the front teeth are better than a total denture. Bridges and crowns can be replace with beautiful teeth and most dentist will work out a payment plan. NO ONE should even consider a denture unless it is a last resort. Losing the root struture causes the face muscles to fall, the jaw bone to recede and they age very quickly. And this causes a lot of heart ache. I would rather my patients pay 1/2 and keep their teeth then lose them and look 20 years older and be miserable and unhappy. Anyone wearing dentures can not eat any of the good foods they like. Anything chewy, sticky or difficult to chew like steak is a no-no. And why would you put plastic in your mouth and feel miserable if you can replace bridges and crowns and look great. YES it does cost monies, but in the long run how much is happiness worth? A 6000. vacation 2-3 years is well worth the sacrifice to eat, smile and feel great. In fact 20k plus is worth that in my opinion. Please don't be so quick to think dentures are so great. They are not. And most people hate them. They hurt, you can not eat the foods you really like and they fall out or get loose easily. How would you like that? A friend of mine met a great guy, dated for a month and spent the night with him. Woke up with his denture under her shoulder. Guess how that helped the romance? So please listen to me and have her have a heart to heart with a dentist and make the payment arrangements. THIS is such a better option then dentures. I promise you that. M

Answer 2

Boy do I disagree with Marie. I feel for your friend because I had the same problem. I finally decided to get dentures 5 years ago now and it has been the happiest I have been in years, finally I can smile and also I can eat almost anything I want even corn on the cob. The only thing that I can't eat is caramels and gum. Not much of a sacrifice I'd say. They do take some time getting used to but I was eating fried chicken just 4 days after I got my dentures. The most important thing is to make sure they are fitted properly, My dentist kept adjusting mine for almost an hour before they were right and I haven't had to have them adjusted since I got them. In my opinion I think some of these dentists try to discourage you from getting dentures because once you have them done that's it, no more dental bills. Please tell your friend to go for it and finally have that smile she deserves. Marie says that she won't be able to eat many of the foods she would like but what is she able to eat now? Good luck.

Answer 3

It sounds as though the denture is ill fitting causing noise when he is talking and becoming loose. If he hasn't already paid the Dentist my advice would be to consult a different Dentist. Front teeth are the most crucial to get right and he shouldn't settle for anything less than a perfect fit. Depending how many teeth he lost maybe a bridge would be an option.