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I still have most of mine, but two root canals in one year makes me ask if giving up the fight is smart. Have you gotten dentures? What are the pros and cons? My grandmother said that she loved them because she could eat ice cream without pain. But I wonder, do they reduce your enjoyment of eating?

I'm thinking that dentures would be cheaper over the long term, because once they are made and then successfully fitted, there should be no more expense except keeping them clean.

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From what i heard (not sure if your grandma is an exception) there is nothing like your own teeth so try to keep them as long as possible. My mom had the best dentures made but never quite mastered exactly how to chew with them which limited what she ate which of course was the point in getting them in the first place.
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my mom has her two front teeth out and we had a plate made. but she doesn't wear them, says food doesn't taste good with them in.
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Natural teeth can be a problem for those with dementia and bedridden at home for several years. How do you know when the patient's teeth are an infection problem, and if they are what do you do about it? The concern of not knowing is worrying. I am in that position and thankful that at least my wife has an upper denture. The lower natural teeth are now crumbling but as far as I can tell there is no infection . . .yet. If you anticipate the future may include dementia my advice would be to remove one's natural teeth before it's too late.
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It is always better to keep your natural teeth even though you have to get root canals and crowns. An upper denture can work for you if you have a good bone ridge, but I would definitely hesitate to get a lower denture because most people don't have good bone on the bottom which is necessary to keep a denture in.
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I know what my dentist says--keep your natural teeth! Dentures cause a lot of problems--your mouth changes over time and one set will probably not last more than 5 years. My FIL was constantly having problems with his.

Root canals, crowns--all part of the aging process. You don't say how old you are, but I have mouth full of root canals and crowns and I will do the work to make sure I never have to deal with dentures!

When daddy was bedridden and on a lot of pain meds and not cleaning his teeth well, we did have some issues. Mother finally realized she had to help him to brush and floss and the issues ended. Pulling all his teeth when he was only sort of aware of what was going on? Trying to deal with getting him accustomed to dentures? His dentist actually made house calls.
(Can you tell I was a dental assistant? Keep your natural teeth as long as possible---dentistry in the 40's and dentistry in this millennium are completely different animals!)
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There's nothing like your natural teeth. Dentures are not comfortable fir everyone and they can be hard to get used to. The best thing to do is brush twice a day, floss every day, and use listerine. Go to a good dentist who will give you a thorough exam and cleaning. But to have good teeth removed is just barberic. Not to mention painful. Not to mention that at a version age gum shrinkage prevents the proper wearing of dentures, so now you're on a diet of mush. Please do not do this. I've had 5 root canals and 1 implant. My teeth are beautiful and functional. Most important thing you can do if you don't already is floss every day.
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In my 30s I had avery painful root canal. When i needed another in my 40s, I told the dentist to just pull it. He refused saying he would not pull a healthy tooth. I said how heathy can it be? Twenty yrs later I have lost two different teeth for different reasons. Long way to say that root canal says nothing about overall health of teeth & an ethical dentist will not pull healthy teeth. But discuss your concerns with your dentist, see him regularly to keep your teeth, & address issues early before they get out of hand. I've read somewhere that healthy teeth are important for overalll health.
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Some 40 years ago when my grandmother was in her early 70s, she told me her dentist explained that even if one's teeth are crooked and/or ugly, they still are better than the best dentures.
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Jinx, I've wondered myself if the pain and expense involved in preserving out natural teeth is worth it.
My mom had a full upper denture most of her life and never had any problems eating. We have had more problems since she had to get a lower partial, they don't fit as snugly without adhesives. Since she now is on a modified diet I can't say if she would be able to eat real food or not.
I do know that her first set of porcelain teeth lasted over 20 years, her second set also lasted almost as long, but the teeth they make now seem designed to be replaced and repaired much more frequently.
I also wonder about mouth care once we are in a nursing home, it seems that when staff are overburdened oral care is one of the first things to go. I recall visiting an aunt who had food pocketed in her cheeks hours after any meal, it is no wonder that the teeth she spent so much money on and had been so proud of rotted away and had to be removed.
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Don't do it!! My mom went for dentures and she was never the same afterwards. She was embarrassed, her sense of self was damaged, food became stuck between the dentures and her gums, her speech was effected and as we age, even our mouth contour changes and the teeth never fit well.
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Natural teeth are always better. Root canals are painful, but necessary. When you need one, don't delay, as your whole face can swell if the dead root becomes infected.
Implants are expensive and take about four months to heal. But if you have good crowns made for the implant, your teeth will look great. Moreover you won't be able to tell the difference between your natural teeth and your implants,
I wish a manufacturer would come up with a good mouthwash for persons with dementia who can't brush any longer.
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I have my mom brush and rinse with Perogen. It's a life saver! Stopped her bleeding gums. It's a powder that you can make a rinse or paste out if by mixing with water. It clears up periodontal disease and tightens the gums. My mom is in a nh and oral care is spotty. I floss her teeth and have her rinse and brush with this every time I'm there. I see the difference in her teeth and gums. I bought it online at perogen. There's also peridex which is an antibiotic for the mouth. That requires a dentists prescription and they say it's not indicated for long term because it can discolor teeth or make them sensitive. Ask your dentist if the benefits outweigh the risks...
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I had my teeth pulled out and got dentures. I have regretted it big time. It changed me in more ways than I can count. I wish I had a do over!
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@Christine74. Thanks for telling me about Perogen. Will look into it.
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I love my dentures! I can not tolerate having another root canal. I am 69, and can chew fine. I do not want to have teeth filled, capped, or pulled when I am older or have dementia. My opinion only. My aunt cannot tell when she has cavities or cracked teeth, and I just made a dental appt. after her cleaning and check-up showed a cavity in gum line going into base of a capped tooth. She has had partials for ages, and remembers how to use and clean them. Will she if she gets new ones? Probably not. The tooth involved is an anchor for the partial.
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Natural teeth are THE best choice you will ever make. Take that from a person who had four implants misplaced, then the pain and suffering of removal, then time waiting to heal, and don't let anyone tell you dentures are better! If you have no teeth at all, then consider it.
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My daughter is a dentist. Her advice to me is to do whatever you can to keep your own teeth. As long as you don't suffer from a lot of bone loss you should be able to do that. Her other advice is to never skip flossing. If you have enough time for either brushing of flossing, floss. I have also seen what it's like for my mother in law and her dentures. For whatever reason they filed most of her lower teeth down and fit her with a partial that she can't use anymore. Her bottom teeth are now useless nubs, Her uppers don't fit well and she can only eat mushy foods. She'll sit and chew a little scrap of nothing all day long. At 97 with heart issues no dentist will touch her. My husband even has to take them out and put them in for her now. Not fun. Do what you can to keep your teeth. Visit a dental school for dental work if cost is an issue.
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Well said Booschmoop! I'll bet you are proud of your daughter too!
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Thank you ferris1 :-) I am proud of her! I must admit I have not taken care of my teeth like I should have over the years. Pretty embarrassing to be lectured by your own kid on these things lol She was nice about it though.
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This is a question I've been asking myself. My husband had to get his teeth pulled and then full dentures about 10 years ago because ruined teeth was one of the side effects of the chemo and radiation he had as cancer treatments. He was in his mid-50's. He tends to forget to wear the dentures because he likes to chew bubble gum to keep his mouth moistened (dry due to medications), but he's never said that the dentures were a problem in terms of how food tasted, etc. He gets his from the VA at no cost, but as long as they fit comfortably he seems to be fine with them -- he's had several pairs (due to dropping them and then stepping on them, losing them because they fell out of a pocket, etc.) and the current ones fit so well that he doesn't need to use an adhesive.

My Mom who passed away about 3 weeks ago at age 96 had most of her own teeth but did wear a partial upper and a partial lower for many many years. Over the last 3 or 4 years, her natural teeth broke off and crumbled away in spite of good dental care, and she became sensitive about how she looked -- she worried about smiling with her mouth open, and some things became too difficult for her to want to eat. Minutes before she passed, she kept trying to close her mouth and could not keep it closed, so I placed a soft folded towel under her chin just enough to keep her mouth closed. She visibly relaxed and was breathing fine through her nose, and then in just a little while she passed over. I kept the towel in place for a while to prevent her jaw from relaxing and her mouth coming open, because it just seemed obvious to me that she didn't want to "go" that way and have everyone see her mouth looking ugly. She had been a really beautiful woman, but never vain about it, but I knew that her self-esteem was damaged by the breakage and discolorations of her natural teeth in these last years, and my heart went out to her over it.

So I think about that for myself ... I do need a partial for my uppers to replace molars. Maybe down the road in another 10 or so years, I'll opt to go for full dentures.
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My dentist teaches part time at UW, and has been saying that tooth-bud implants, to grow "natural teeth", are working their way down the pipeline...I can hardly wait!
Best to avoid needing dental work done. Don't allow any dentist to start shaving parts of teeth off to accommodate something like Booschmoop described, to fit partials or to glue on cosmetic appliances....years down the road, those have ruined good teeth. Good flossing and brushing are foundational for preserving teeth.
Dentures are not all their cracked up to be--they are simply the cheapest way to achieve something like teeth; they are troublesome for keeping a decent fit, for many people. Implants are a great idea, but can be higher maintenance, and, something most dentists will not tell about them: the body tissue cannot knit into the faux root implanted [often titanium]; therefore, that micro-space can be a conduit of infection; mouths are very germ-ridden, and those can migrate along that seam, into the body, particularly in those with compromised immune function or otherwise frail health.
Flossing, brushing, Oil-Pulling a couple times a day or more, and stop consuming sugars and sugar-producing starches, all can help preserve your natural teeth.
Science is also starting to wake up and try to 'tell the Emperor he's naked': to refute the government fiction that's been promoting of adding fluoride to water and other products. It's an industrial waste, in a form poorly compatible with strengthening teeth, and additive to other sources. Fluoride can cause gums to recede, and brain deterioration issues, among other things.
We've chosen to avoid it as much as possible; especially important for those living in certain geographical areas. See a brief map, more information, and numerous references, for starters: wikipedia
Bottom line: Take good care of your teeth!
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Thanks for all your comments! I'm 69 and take pretty good care of my teeth. The last upper molar I lost bummed me out, because there isn't really enough bone to do an implant without grafting. On the other hand, the dentist told me I wouldn't miss it in chewing, and he was right about that.

Oh no! I just looked up oil pulling! I brush and floss and go to the dentist. Do I have to start another health routine that I won't actually do?

I had two grandmothers who probably didn't do much of anything in the way of dental care. So their teeth were painful, and dentures were a big relief. My mother spent a small fortune on dental work in the last few years of her life, because they were crumbling. I'm sure she was pleased to die with her own teeth, not dentures.

I guess I will keep my teeth as long as I can. I use a battery toothbrush, which makes a big difference in plaque build-up. That's probably the only reason my AD husband still gets good check-ups. I dread the day I have to start brushing for him.
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Jinx4740, One G'ma took meticulous care of her teeth, simply 1. Floss, 2. brush, 3. classic Listerine...and a decent diet; she died prematurely after a fall, at 93, with all her teeth in good condition.
Mom, OTH, had to get all her teeth [well, what was left of them] removed in her 60's, due to poor care and bad diet. She also likely had some thyroid issues, which meant that there would be problems no matter what.
I've also had thyroid issues for a long time, that went unrecognized and untreated...it's hard to get that balance just right, and it affects teeth and everything else. But, mostly by 1. flossing, 2. brushing, and 3. using a really good mouthwash [I use Tooth & Gum Rinse, herbal, from my dentist], that has done very nicely to stave off much worse damage that could have happened.
Adding Oil Pulling, for me, has helped do even better at controlling dicey dental problems, like gum pockets, and infections that like to lurk around base of a crown, etc.
Because of my better dietary choices, I still have most of my teeth--which is far better than Mom managed. Sure, missing a couple by genetic default, and lost one molar from a toxic root canal. Broke another that had to have it's root pulled, and, broke another, which cracked in half. Could be far worse.
Will I make it to my 90's with most of my teeth? IDK...maybe. But only if I get more vigilant than I have been even today.
It'd be better if I did all that at least twice a day routinely...I don't manage that. I ..only manage Oil Pulling mostly once a day, unless there is a flare-up of a problem....then I ramp it up. And too often don't have opportunity to do other oral care, more than once a day. That won't help really preserve teeth...so I need to increase oral care...whatever it is you choose, do it multiple times daily.
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As a physician I can only echo what most other have said. KEEP YOUR TEETH. Take care of them with daily flossing. Your quality of life will be MUCH worse with false teeth.
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I'm a dental hygienist and I ,along with many here, say to keep your teeth and do the preventative home care to preserve them. Your teeth help preserve the bone around them. Once they are removed...there goes the bone to. The ridge of bone continues to resorb over time and makes it harder to wear dentures. You have no idea how you would adapt or function with dentures. Also no reputable dentist would ever extract healthy teeth. Look at it like this, if you had a couple of hangnails on some fingers would you cut off the fingers to prevent more? And then eventually cut off the whole hand and get an artificial limb? Of course not. That may seem silly but your teeth are important to function and looks. There has been recent research published linking periodontal bacteria to Alzheimer's. So that's a good incentive to brush, floss, watch your sugar intake, and see the dentist and hygienist.
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Well Jinx4740 far be it for me to tell or advise any Person, as all I can say is what works for me. All of my Life I had been plagued with bad teeth, oh fillings galore and extractions too to the point that I had nine teeth left on top and six underneath when I decided I'd rid myself of the lot. When my last tooth was pulled it was definitely the happiest moment of my entire life. I decided that dentures were not for me, so I'm managing well without. I am now 56 years growing bald and I survived three major brain operations and Life is good. I'd say choose whatever you are happiest with and makes you feel good.
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Natural teeth are BEST! Dentures can interfere with chewing (for me anyway) and at night I'm dying to remove them...I have badly fitted upper dentures.
On the other hand there's lots of talk about titanium implants and the relationship with cancer, there must be many other materials that will harm the body...but for those that are reaching the older years I guess the risk of those materials causing disease isn't as great since I don't see most people wanting to live past their non independant days; I certainly would like to part before that happens to me! All the best!
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Your answer is natural teeth. Dentures will never be the same! ABSOLUTELY DON'T HAVE ALL YOUR TEETH EXTRACTED OVER JUST TWO ROOT CANALS! Are you kidding me?
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If you can afford it, implants. Strong enough for chicharron and to peel a coconut.
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Eddie: I have 3 implants...my husband is in the process of getting 1. I agree; they're great!
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