Getting Dentures At A Young Age

Teeth are a different kind of bone but still a bone. I try to take good care of my teeth but genetics plays a role in it.

Switchablesuzie, I don't know who told you that pregnancy doesn't do anything to your teeth. Yes, it can. I have had multiple dentist over the years that have told me that losing iron and calcium can cause damage to the teeth because they are bone. Also genetics plays a big role in your body to, people forget that. I took excellent care of my teeth. My birth mom had full upper and lower dentures at the age of 49. She has had 5 kids.

Teeth are a different kind of bone but still a bone. I try to take good care of my teeth but genetics plays a role in it.

I'm not going to debate on this topic, so here is my reply. Teeth are NOT BONE. Pregnancy does NOT cause tooth loss, caries (cavities) or periodontal disease (gum disease or pyorrhea). My father in law is a board certified periodontist and mother in law is a board certified oral pathologist. I think I have my information from good sources. 😎

What you are referring to is FOLKLORE and has no basis in science. Once the teeth are formed, calcium and other minerals cannot be removed from the teeth except by caries (cavities) which is actually a chronic bacterial infection that is the result of insufficient oral hygiene. Likewise, with very few exceptions, periodontal disease is caused by insufficient oral hygiene with the exception of some refractory cases.

The great majority of people are totally oblivious to the quality of oral hygiene they perform on a daily basis which is MUCH WOSRE than they believe.

You're both right, but you're making a semantic argument.

Pregnancy won't directly affect the teeth, but two other things can happen. First is that relaxin will also loosen the periodontal ligaments as it does with ligaments throughout the women's body. Second, bad nutrition may cause bone loss, including alveolar bone at the root of the tooth.

Loose ligaments and bone loss could lead to tooth loss.

There are hormonal effects, but they are CONTRIBUTING factors of susceptibility NOT CAUSATIVE FACTORS. The causative factor is bacterial in both instances.

@JenSchaefer, Based on your height and weight, your eating lots of carbohydrates and eating all day will certainly allow the initiation of caries, especially if "eating for two."

I would like to ask the same question. Surely it is better to have dentures than to have bad teeth with all the discomfort that goes with them. And if the end game is going to be dentures at some stage, it is better have them sooner rather than later.

I would like to ask the same question. Surely it is better to have dentures than to have bad teeth with all the discomfort that goes with them. And if the end game is going to be dentures at some stage, it is better have them sooner rather than later.

You are right. It is better to get them earlier than later. Due to a sports accident (me of all people) I lost my front upper teeth at 12. That meant an endless number of bridges and repairs and using teeth as anchors that later wore out and needed bigger bridges and so on.

But many people think of the 'humiliation' they'd have to go through with dentures. And don't think of the expense they incur with all the fancy dental work that is mainly done to stroke their egos and bolster their self-image.

Yes, you can't eat corn off the cob anymore and it behoves to cut apples in small slices before eating and so on ... but that is a small price to pay for never having a tooth ache again the rest of your life and not having to pay for expensive dental work. Get a medium quality set of dentures and they should last 10 years or more until they wear out.

You are lucky you needed an upper and not a lower denture.

Lower dentures are horrible to wear unless you have them held in by implants.

I got mine when I was 19, upper and lower plates. As a teen my teeth were terrible and I remember a day without a toothache the way most remember a day with one. If I had a day without a toothache I was in heaven. As soon as I joined the army they decided I needed new teeth at the age of 18 so they began removing the old ones while I was in basic training. The timing of the appointments couldn't have been better as I got bed rest for 24 hours after each one. That got me out of a forced march in the middle of the night, the famed confidence course, and one other dreaded exercise I can't remember. It was as if the dentists were on my side. That was in January and February of '59. When I was in tech school in May they called us all in for dental exams where they discovered they had forgotten to make my new teeth which should have been done before I left my previous duty station so they set to work making them. I finally got the new ones before finishing tech school and becoming an instructor. I had been gumming my food for at least 4 months so when I got the new ones I had to try eating everything. It was summertime in Georgia and buying a Coke at the post theater got you a full cup of ice with a little Coke filling in the empty spaces. I was in Heaven chewing all that ice. We had one vending machine at the school that had apples in it. I found I could eat those just like the big kids did. I had never been able to chew steak so that was a favorite menu item too along with corn on the cob. 59 years later I still like all those things. At first I tried those denture glues/powders and hated them so I never use anything to "hold them in". I find learning to use them does away with all that. The closest I came to being embarrassed was shortly after I got them I was teaching class when they nearly fell out which I attribute to being a newbie with them.

There are people I see every day who have known me for 40 years or more who are surprised to learn I have false teeth. The only way they find out is usually when we are discussing dentures in the coffee shop or something and I rattle them around with my tongue for fun. The reaction is usually "I didn't know you had false teeth". So from my personal experience I see no reason to fear getting them. To me embarrassment is out of the question as they are a common appliance for someone to have. Would you be embarrassed if you dropped your glasses?

To me embarrassment is out of the question as they are a common appliance for someone to have. Would you be embarrassed if you dropped your glasses?

I wouldn't be embarrassed at all if I dropped my glasses.

I would be very embarrassed if a denture popped loose (I have all my teeth) and I think the vast majority of people, especially under 50 or 60 would be.

Switchable said:

You are lucky you needed an upper and not a lower denture.

Lower dentures are horrible to wear unless you have them held in by implants.

I agree the lower one is more difficult but your tongue is trainable and that's what holds it in place.

I found most dentists/denturists like to make the lower skirts too long and the muscles at the back of your mouth tend to lift that plate. As soon as they are through making the free adjustments to get rid of the canker sores and I feel I am in full ownership of them I get out the Dremel tool and fix that along with the top part in back of the back teeth which they like to leave too long also. They argue that all the "gum" portion of the plate needs to be long to create enough suction to hold it in. There IS NO suction that holds the lower plate in place, just gravity. Anything that tends to lift it as you eat needs to removed.

You are lucky you needed an upper and not a lower denture.

Lower dentures are horrible to wear unless you have them held in by implants.

I ended up with both lower and upper. No big deal as long as you don't let your ego get in the way of common sense. Of course it does make sense to ask around about competent dentists and their reputation. I was lucky and found a very good one, very skilled.

My wife ended up needing a lower denture when she was already quite ill. She caved in and got a set made with implants (suction-based or something). But she was never able to wear them because of other health problems related to her osteoporosis.

So, that was several thousand euros down the drain for no return at all and an operation under general anaesthesia and lots of pain and discomfort ...

I would be very embarrassed if a denture popped loose (I have all my teeth) and I think the vast majority of people, especially under 50 or 60 would be.

Want to know one of the (guilty) pleasures to be had with dentures? Standing in line at a supermarket with young kids in front of you and you loosen your plate and let it slide forward so it looks like you're either some kind of simpleton or movie monster. The looks on some of those kids faces is priceless ... ha ha.

Of course, never let the parents or other grown-ups see this ... 😁

From the answers it seems that, if you have bad teeth, it is better to have them out sooner rather than later. Dentures are a better alternative. Am I right?

As I said earlier, If people would only brush and floss properly, their dental needs (short of traumatic injury treatment) would be close to zero.

The need for dental treatment of "rotten teeth" described by most posters in this thread is completely preventable.

Lazy, neglectful people get what they deserve. People must take responsibility for their health.

I can't argue with anyone who doesn't want to save parts of their body.

As I said earlier, If people would only brush and floss properly, their dental needs (short of traumatic injury treatment) would be close to zero.

The need for dental treatment of "rotten teeth" described by most posters in this thread is completely preventable.

Lazy, neglectful people get what they deserve. People must take responsibility for their health.

I can't argue with anyone who doesn't want to save parts of their body.

Hey Susie ----- pbrrrrrtttt!