Dentures???

I need 4 Root Canals and 3 fillings just on my bottom row of teeth. I take a medication that is causing my teeth to deteriorate (It isn't an option for me to quit taking it). I am 25 and am sure that after I get these fixed, the medication will ensure that I will need more work. I would like to hear from a few people that have had dentures to give me some advice. Thanks!

Dentures???
I had all of my teeth extracted 2 months ago and received full permanent dentures last week. Although I still have some pain with my lower dentures due to bony prominences (the dentist will file them down next week) it is nowhere near as bad as many make it out to be (and most of those who are giving nays are the ones lucky enough to keep their teeth).





I would keep at least 4 teeth on the bottom to help anchor your dentures, they can be unstable on the bottom, and try to save your teeth. However, I doubt you can with the meds you're taking. My teeth came in bad at 3 years old and had to be capped in the hospital (baby bottle rot, bulimia during teen years and my mother had to take tetracycline during her pregnancy). I'm having mini-implants done next year to help prevent bone loss and to anchor my dentures. I was told to take a full year after I got my dentures to stop smoking, and make sure I wouldn't relapse so the implant system wouldn't fail, so I'm working on quitting smoking.





By the way, I'm only 23. It's not fair to have guys say "Everything is pretty about you BUT the teeth...". I'm still self-conscious about the acrylic taste in my mouth, I'm sure I won't be kissing anyone for a long time, but as for dentists and assistants who will no doubt answer your question, they cannot give their diagnosis without actually seeing your teeth. My family dentist tried for years to save mine, but it wasn't going to happen, so he opted to pull them all. Follow your dentist's advice.
Reply:Dentures should be a last resort and if possible get ones that are like permanent,a little expensive but would be worth it.When you have your teeth removed you lose a lot of bone structure in your face(jaw area)...causes premature lines and wrinkles also...
Reply:Do not, under any circumstances, lose the lower teeth! if you lose all the lowers, you need not only full lower denture, but full upper as well. uppers work ok; lowers do not. I would sooner saw my left foot off and get a fake foot that full lowers. I do them all the time and NO one likes them!





the better solution is to save the more reliable lower teeth (say, 6-8 of them...even 4 maybe) and do a lower PARTIAL denture. WAY more stable than a full lower.


Or, save just a few ROOTS of the teeth ; the dentist can put an attachment into the roots that has a trailer-hitch kind of doo-hickey (sorry; i'm trying not to lose anyone w/ technical terms!) and that can anchor a full lower.


A variant on THAT is to do a few lower implants and use those to hold the full lower.





I've given these treatments in increasing order of cost...a lower partial is about $1200-1400 dep on where you live; custom attachments (plus the root canals needed) would tack on 2-3000 and the implant/denture apparatus would total about 7-8000 i suspect.





just DON'T lose all the lowers! it sucks; you will NEVER be happy w/ a full (conventional aka tissue borne) lower denture!





i'm curious what medication you take...? if you have any other ?s let me know!
Reply:i agree with dr swanson keep your lowers if possible
Reply:Instead of repeating history at the dentist the rest of your life and causing undue trauma to your mouth. I vote you have them all pulled, 'cept the ones necessary for anchoring in a partial.


I have attempted to rid my mouth of metal and amalgam twice in the last 7 years, only to end up with metal anyway, a huge amount of unbearable trauma and $7000 later.


I really wish now that I had chosen dentures 7 yrs.ago.





Good Luck, my heart be with ya.