What is it like getting dentures???

Im getting top and bottom dentures due to having a bad gum disease from childhood and my gums wont hold onto my teeth anymore, I have to get 9 out at one time. Im not too worried about getting the teeth out but how is it have dentures??

It is very hard to describe exactly what wearing dentures is like. If you have never had any type of removable dental appliance before- this will be a totally new experience.

You kind of have to break it down into the components of what is going on. First off- you will have undergone what amounts to major surgery in your mouth. You need to recover from that and all surgery requires time to heal.

If you are getting immediate dentures they too are something new being introduced into your mouth- the place that just had surgery! They will feel bulky and awkward for a while. You will have all sorts of unnatural feelings. There will be the pain associated with the extractions, the discomfort from the new dentures being placed on top of the wounds in your gums. Take all the pain meds they give you and follow the dentists directions to the letter.

Speech will be off for a bit, eating, chewing and all other things that your mouth used to do without you thinking about it will require thought. All of the normal actions will return but you need to give it time.

Then there is the initial emotional shock of seeing yourself without teeth for the first time. I advise you to get this process over with early in the game- get to know the new you- inside and out. You will need a good support sytem to help you cope with this aspect of getting dentures- a spouse, trusted friend or family member must be confided in to help you. Tell them about your experiences, show them things so they can better understand and support you.

And above all, take it one day at a time. Keep in touch with the dentist and go in as often as you feel you need to.

Sandy

feel free to contact me off the board if you wish.

Honestly Dentures are very hard to wear but people do it when they have to. if you have any back teeth left you may be able to get a cobolt chrom denture which has a metal piece at the back of a denture that hooks around the back tooth to hold on keep the denture secure. if you do not have back teeth you might want to look into having implants to give you back teeth. Also denture cream that make the dentures more secure are very useful. Good Luck

In todays world with the great skills and the modern materials your denture like mine will be more than ok But keep in mind make sure that first mouthful is not too hot as your dentures can hide that also only take smaller mouth fulls because when you talk you can discharge some crumbs that you do not feel on your teeth but all round they are great and well done ~~

Dentures take some getting used to. You need good neuromuscular control and even then the efficacy is less than natural teeth. Also you have no feedback nerves to tell your brain how hard you are biting. Also once your teeth are extracted, your bone will be remodeling significantly for 6 months following.

-Alex
www.lacosmeticbraces.com

Most people do OK with upper denture lower are usually a little more difficult to get used to .Start slowly with soft foods work your way into more chewy things .You may get sore spots where your dentures rub these will need to be adjusted and as the bone heels and contours to its normal shape you may notice the dentures do not fit as well as they did at first that's because the bone has changed but the dentures have not you may need a reline or new dentures at this point usually 6 months to a year after extraction before complete healing .