I have had massive trouble with my teeth since I was a child. It seems every year I max out my insurance and still spend thousands of dollars. My dentist is as frustrated as I am and recently suggested that I just have all my teeth pulled and get dentures. I’m only 38 and the idea of that absolutely makes me want to cry. Is this my only option?
Carol
Dear Carol,
Please bear in mind that I have not examined you nor have I seen any of your diagnostics. That being said, I would first get a second opinion about which teeth can be saved. Some dentists are better than others at the effort they are willing to put into saving teeth. However, natural teeth are a better option than even the best tooth replacement.
Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that your teeth cannot be saved. Even if that is true, removable dentures are the worst solution for you. When your teeth are removed, your body immediately begins to resorb the minerals in your jawbone in order to use them elsewhere in your body. It does this in an effort to be as efficient as possible with your body’s resources. The downside to that is in about ten or so years you will no longer have enough jawbone left to retain your dentures. In dental circles, we call this facial collapse. You are 38 at the time of writing this. So, before you even turn 50 you could be forced into a liquid diet. Not only that, you will look decades older than you really are. The good news is there is a way to prevent this.
Instead of removable dentures, you can get implant-supported dentures. This will place between four to eight dental implants in each arch, depending on your budget, and then anchor the dentures to them. Not only will this prevent facial collapse, but your quality of life will be significantly better than it would with removable dentures.
This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.