Getting Dentures At A Young Age

My husband is 32 years old and he is thinking about getting dentures. Now do you think that is too young because he hasn't been to a dentist in about 6 to 7 years and his teeth are really bad and he thinks no matter what he should just go get dentures. He found a website called dental departures.com and he's thinking about doing one of their dental departures in Mexico. He can go down there and get a complete set of dentures uppers and lowers for $500. The other reason why he wants to do that is they have IV sedation. He cannot stand the lidocaine and novocaine they put in his jaw.

I really don't think that this is a good idea at 32 years old. If he wants to go to Mexico he should look into restoration. It may cost more but the results will be more satisfying, look and feel better.

I have had extensive restoration in Costa Rica by American trained dentists in a clinic that is as good as any I have seen in the US and highly recommend that course of action.

You are free to contact me by PM if you want to ask any questions.

I had a sports accident when I was 13 and lost several front teeth. The dentist treating me, fleeced my parents for every dollar he could, arguing for everything but a simple prosthetic plate. He got his way and this started a decades long set of ever expanding dental problems as bridges and glued replacement teeth were tried out. Nothing really worked adequately as replacement for the lost teeth and with every bridge that was placed, the adjacent teeth also wore down and degraded leaving me with a progression of lost teeth over the years.

Not only were all the treatments taken together expensive, they never really worked for long either. After a year or 2, or 3 everything would either come loose, crack or whatever and there I was with yet another series of dental appointments and treatments.

Finally I went to a dentist who showed more common sense than a love for money. He recommended a dental plate, which sounded horrible, but was ultimately the best solution yet.

32 is young indeed, but looking back it would have been better had I forgone all the treatments and simply gone for the simple solution when I was still in high school/college.

I also had a sporting accident as a teen and damaged several teeth. I had tooth troubles with my whole mouth following that and endured multiple root canals and crowns.

Last year I finally had enough - after losing another crown - I went to Afdent and had a full mouth extraction and "immediate dentures". They were able to set me up with a two year, interest free financing. Total coast was around $5,500 but included everything - including soft linings for the first year, followed by a permanent hard lining at the end of a year.

I had a problem with the bite alignment due to a crooked jaw (result of the injury) so at no cost, they remade a new set of dentures on my last visit. I get them permanently fitted tomorrow.

I don't remember any of the extraction process as I was sedated. Their service and quality has been wonderful. YES, false teeth suck - but for some it is better than the alternative of constantly degrading teeth. I eat much better now, without the constant problems of food stuck in and around crowns - and crowns breaking loose in the middle of a meal. I also have a great looking smile again.

Dentures require a lot of servicing and refitting during the first year. For that reason alone, I would be hesitant of not having it done locally.

Doug,

and another advantage - no more tooth aches. And as for eating - I too had bridges break or a crown come loose while eating or in school or in public. The embarrassment! And when you have crowns and such, there are many foods that pose a risk of causing damage - like biting into a fresh crisp apple, chomping on corn on the cob, nibbling on hard nuts, hard candy and so on ...

But what prices $5500.00! Egad. Once a certain age - I think 55 - people here are allowed a free set of (the lowest quality) dentures every 7 years or so. Most patients usually opt for a higher quality set and then pay the difference - last time I think it was around 300 euros.

Dental doctor around here will not give a person dentures anymore. They push you into have dental implants done, which are more costly, and puts more money in their pockets

Dental doctor around here will not give a person dentures anymore. They push you into have dental implants done, which are more costly, and puts more money in their pockets

The same happened to my wife, who, against my restrained advice, decided to get a combination implant with support/suction points to attach lower dentures to. It involved a general narcosis, cost more than 3000 euros (which is a huge atypical medical/dental expense in Belgium) and the end result was she could not stand the constant pain and unwieldiness of the implants with anchoring and therefore never really used her lower dentures.

Now, several years later, she will have to have another operation to have the implants removed before getting a normal plate. This will also involve a few thousand euros in expenses. And this will not be refunded because implants are considered (rightly so in my opinion) to be a luxury expenditure. That kind of thing is paid for entirely out of pocket.

But of course, dentists earn much more with complicated procedures and dental devices meant to pander to a person's vanity and fear of looking unattractive.

If you have bad teeth I think you should have them out. I did. My teeth were rotten from neglect and drinking too much Coke so I had them all pulled and now wear dentures. That was last year when I was 23. Dentures aren't like natural teeth but they are better than bad ones.

My teeth were rotten from neglect and drinking too much Coke so I had them all pulled and now wear dentures.

It might better be argued that bad teeth don't necessarily come from soft drinks and that the neglect part is more about not having decent affordable health care and dental coverage. I have read that some 50% of Americans do not have dental care covered in their health insurance ... seems like an awfully high percentage to me.

So of course if you have to pay entirely out of pocket for dental care, people are going to postpone and postpone dentist visits until it's too late for much of anything else but dentures ...

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 have soft teeth; my mother was diabetic and took medications that affected me . I have softer teeth than normal and my teeth have a yellowish tint . But I take great care of my teeth. I experienced a brutal attack in 1998 and lost three teeth, had a broken right orbit , a cracked skull amongst other injuries, I am thankful to be alive . Dental insurance is a joke . For me to get implants is astronomical. It is on my list of things to do. But it takes time to save money as well. I brush three times a day and my teeth are still fragile and I'm very self conscious . So it isn't always preventable some things happen in utero. I agree that if you are just lazy and negligent it is at your hands . I don't drink sugary drinks or eat many things without brushing or at least rinsing my mouth very well. It would be nice to get better dental insurance in the USA so that younger people aren't wearing dentures . I certainly don't want to be in dentures . Clean mouths are a big deal to me . I hate bad breath and lack of hygiene but even though I'm not perfect I have had orthodontia and do the best I can with what I've got.

For most of you, the following dental situations are not applicable, but many people living in Europe still carry the results of war-time, imposed rationing and the poor nutrition that results from being denied a healthy diet. And often, sadly enough, this nutritional deficiency ended up manifesting itself in babies conceived during this period.

So the German occupation and resulting rationing, was also the cause of a generation of bad teeth in newborns in many a country for people of my generation. Some countries even had to endure 2 occupations and rationing, although during the Great War, resulting bad dental health may not have been so obvious because of the relatively small percentage of the population being able to afford dental care beyond the utmost basic.

And during WWII, some countries had a relatively less worse time of rationing than others. The Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, all fell under more benign systems. Belgium and France were somewhat less benign, while countries in central and eastern Europe had an awful time of it.

Aside from this somewhat unusual situation, I am certain that dental health, as most health issues, is also affected by hereditary factors. If your parents or their families come from a history of bad dental health over the generations, it is sure to show up in some form or another.

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

Egad, that is the same refrain I have heard throughout my childhood with American dentists. Even when I once bashed my front teeth out against someone's head playing American football, the sourpuss who treated me still acted like it was all my fault, tsk-tsking himself, sighing deeply and making faces through numerous appointments and no doubt sending in a lovely bill to my parents. At least one of the advantageous of going to a European dentist when we moved was that they didn't indulge in the 'oh what a naughty boy who doesn't take care of his teeth' game. From historical experience, they knew that many people had bad teeth against their will. Now I am not saying they were all good dentists, they certainly weren't. But they never played the blame card, which made American dentist visits such an unsettling and embarrassing experience to 'look forward' to.

Aside from the matter of being able to afford proper dental treatments (which is by no means an obvious matter in the US) using those arguments is an easy way to shame patients into paying and also an easy excuse to ignore how health and dental care is set up as a system. If it is not affordable, you can blame the poor schmoes who cannot spare the money all you want. It still won't change much.

Here's a good article that says it better than i ever can:

https://aeon.co/essays/there-is-no-shame-worse-than-poor-teeth-in-a-rich-world?utm_source=Aeon+Newsletter&utm_campaign=03b5f6e106-Daily_Newsletter_5_August_20168_5_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_411a82e59d-03b5f6e106-68941117

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

I have been told that all my life! It's not just my teeth or lack of them. I am severely obese which is all my fault also...mainly cause I'm lazy and neglectful. You should lose some weight they all say. Funnily enough, I've tried it often.

I have been told that all my life! I am severely obese which is all my fault also...mainly cause I'm lazy and neglectful. You should lose some weight they all say. Funnily enough, I've tried it often.

When there is no real solution to a problem like bad teeth or overweight, because of any number of reasons, genetic makeup or glandular disorders being the most untreatable, it is so easy to blame the person suffering from that disorder and wash your hands of it ...

Here is someone you can perhaps take comfort from. A Belgian politician who made it despite her weight.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maggie_De_Block

When there is no real solution to a problem like bad teeth or overweight, because of any number of reasons, genetic makeup or glandular disorders being the most untreatable, it is so easy to blame the person suffering from that disorder and wash your hands of it ....

That's just being an enabler for someone who has no self control. In short, that's bullshit.

People need to take responsibility for themselves.

Tough love.

That's just being an enabler for someone who has no self control. In short, that's bullshit.

People need to take responsibility for themselves.

What does self-control have to do with disorders and conditions that are in large part, if not entirely due to genetic/hereditary factors? DNA and genes make people what they are. And there are often defects that people are born with, whether they want them or not.

And yes, of course people need to be responsible. But that is also often a question of affordability. Healthy food is more expensive than a cheap diet, (dental) health care is expensive in countries like the US. Not everyone can afford it because of low wages and other more immediate and pressing high costs of living.

Sometimes I understand why so many people believe in irrational things like faith/prayer healing. It is often their only option when the problems begin to mount up and there is no way out.

And if every ill or sick person has only themselves to blame for their conditions because of lack of self control, then actually no one deserves to be treated by doctors for anything at all. Let the healthy and responsible survive on their own and all the rest can just suck it. That's Social Darwinism and eugenics combined with a vengeance.

For most people that haven't gone to a dentist in a long time, their teeth really are not as bad as they think. I once didn't go in 5 years and I only had a few cavities. Now I have been going every 6 months for the past 3 years because I have insurance and I did not have any more cavities or problems after that. I don't think most people have much to worry about unless they have genetics that gave them bad teeth or they do meth.

For the record, I am a fatty in my early 30s and love the living hell out of sweets. But for the most part, i brush and floss every day twice a day. Once in a while I will forget to brush and floss before bed after a night of partying and drinking, but I would say that happens at least a couple of times a year.

The only person I know who has bad teeth and could probably use some dentures is only unlucky due to bad genetics. She probably takes care of her teeth better than I do but she is always at the dentist. She is her 20s. Her mom had full dentures when she was about 19.

My mom had a partial already in her 20s. She used to take them out to scare us as kids. We grew up thinking that we would have bad teeth and get dentures by the time we were in our 20s, but we realized that the US was better at pushing preventative care than her home country (Japan) when she was younger.

Whether you choose implants or dentures, get recommendations of dentists from people you know that are happy with their dentures or implants.

I had upper dentures from 25 years old due to having infection and been given penicillin which i was coincidentally allergic to, i had already lost most of my top teeth due to falling off my bike and when i had the penicillin and i reacted badly i collapsed, i struggled with dentures and sometimes took them out to eat which in the end made it harder for me to wear them, i then had to have my bottom teeth removed as my jaw was off set and the teeth were digging in to my gums and side of mouth i then had full dentures by the age of 30 and i have been finding hard to say the least to get use to them, it got to the point that i no longer wear then and so yes i am 34 years old and i have no teeth in my mouth at all, i am happy with this decision.

I had upper dentures from 25 years old due to having infection and been given penicillin which i was coincidentally allergic to, i had already lost most of my top teeth due to falling off my bike and when i had the penicillin and i reacted badly i collapsed, i struggled with dentures and sometimes took them out to eat which in the end made it harder for me to wear them, i then had to have my bottom teeth removed as my jaw was off set and the teeth were digging in to my gums and side of mouth i then had full dentures by the age of 30 and i have been finding hard to say the least to get use to them, it got to the point that i no longer wear then and so yes i am 34 years old and i have no teeth in my mouth at all, i am happy with this decision.

That speaks volumes about the state of dentistry in some locales. NO ONE your age should go around without their own teeth or a good prosthesis.

You need to find the British equivalent of an American Board Certified Prosthodontist, Periodontist/implant surgeon to create a prosthesis you can wear.

All right, enough! Stop blaming us for not taking care of our teeth! I have a full upper denture since I'm 52 and I'm sorry that I didn't do it sooner! My Father had a dentures by the time he was 29. He said it was from Piareah? but now my sister is having problems. There evidently is something genetic and we get periodontal disease. She has had several episodes and takes very good care of her teeth, but age 50 she is beginning to lose a few. I evidently had the same problem. I spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on my teeth. I saw countless dentists. Some good some real bastards! I had root canals and crowns, "You'll never have problems with that tooth again!" BULLSHIT! There is a reason dentists wear masks! I finally said. ENOUGH! how long can you throw good money after bad! I went to an oral surgeon who is also a licensed anesthesiologist. Make darned sure you go to a licensed Knocker outer! Gas and shots aint cutting it! I woke up with a full denture in place, I went right over to my dentist, a hell of a good guy! Who took me right in and checked the fit. He then told me I want to see you every day for the next 2 weeks. Because as my gums healed they shrank. He would check every day when I came and make adjustments. I've never had a soar spot. Everything healed just fine. I have a great fit. I sleep with my teeth in and only take them out to brush and clean. I wanna tell you these teeth look as good as they did 5 years ago. No one but my closest friends and some family know that I wear a denture. The choppers look great and not fake. I eat anything that comes down the line. I still have my 6 front and center lower teeth. I can eat corn on the cob with the best of them! My only complaint is that I have a bridge for the lower teeth but there is nothing to fasten it to on the back so trying to eat with it is a bit of a problem. Go to Mexico? HELL NO! find a good dentist at home, find a good oral surgeon. Go Seepy bye! and when you wake up it's all over. I never took anything stronger that a few tylenol with codeine for 2 days and then advil, by the end of the first week I was good. I never saw anything heal as fast as my mouth healed. People told me I'd be sorry to lose my own teeth. I have never regreted it! Tooth ache sucks and so does being ashamed to smile. I feel great! So if that's what you need to do then go and do it!

No one should have trouble (pain, parts falling out or off) with their crowns or dental implants. IF they are having this problem, it means the dentist/oral surgeon is not competent. Same thing if your fillings come out. It was not done by a competent dentist.

Implants - Same thing. They should not hurt or come lose if they were properly done. I've had several close friends who had full sets of implants without any pain or problems. (They were in their 70s when they got them and were exchanging the for the dentures they'd had for years and years.

My mother had a bridge anchored to two teeth that had damaged the anchor teeth after many year years.

Her dentist suggested getting a bridge anchored by implants and sent her to a terrific oral surgeon. Painless other than the first day. Once the implants healed, the new bridge was installed via the implants and to this day, she has not had any more problems and it has been over 20 years.

Me - I cracked a molar and had to have it extracted. I was given two choices - bridge or implant. Implant about a third more. I chose the implant, went to the same oral surgeon and 18 years later, no problems at all. The oral surgeon is in the Palm Desert, California area and still practicing.

On the other hand, my aunt went to one in the Seattle, Washington area and had a slew of problems. How competent your dentist and oral surgeon are really truly matters. Truly!!

The problem with dentures and crowns is that they allow the jaw to experience bone loss due to the lack of strong/high bite pressure. The bite pressure is what causes the jaw to remineralize. Implants are better at keeping the bite pressure high which in turn, allows the jaw to remineralize.

Ask around for oral surgeon referrals by people. Look them up on Yelp and Health grades. Google them. Look them up on the state board in the state in which you reside. You can look up professional licenses and see if they have any lawsuits or complaints for free. If you're not sure how to do this, PM me. I'll help you.

Good luck!

While implants are a wonderful solution, there is more to their long term success than the surgeon or restoring dentist. The patient plays a big role.

If the patient lost their teeth and had periodontal disease (bone loss) they are more likely to have problems with their implants also having bone loss due to the make-up of oral bacterial flora. If they did not have periodontal disease and lost their teeth purely to decay, they are likely to have a better long term result with implants.

I am not making anecdotal statements. I know what I am talking about. My father in law is a board certified periodontist and places about 900 implants a year and teaches at my alma mater. I have gleaned a lot of dental knowledge in the last 25 or so years of dinner conversation. My mother in law is a pathologist, so there was never any shortage of medical discussion at the dinner table. I'm sure that's one of the reasons my husband went into business instead of medicine or dentistry.

@switchablesusie

I partially agree with you. If someone has periodontitis "gum disease" and it is caught and treated quickly, they will not necessarily experience bone loss. But, if they are still have it, fitting and wearing dentures will be as much of a problem as getting fitted for implants. Why? Because their gums will be sore and usually slightly swollen You cannot fit dentures or implants with the disease being active. Well, you could dentures, but they aren't going to fit well nor are they going to be comfortable due to the disease.

If they have had a lot of bone loss due to not getting treated, you are right, they might not be able to have implants or they might. They can do bone grafts which is what they did for my mom.

But note, they will also have troubles with getting fitted and wearing dentures with bone loss because the jaw ridge has deteriorated.

Close family friend who is a dentist taught at Creighton and cutting edge techniques in dentistry is one of my fav topics until recently. Well, it is still a fav subject, I just can't chat with him any more because he passed away.

One place I do fully agree with you is that if dental hygiene isn't strictly maintained people can continue to have problems whether they get dentures or implants. Implants stop bone loss from occurring, dentures do not. And that is why they are pushed more. It's not about money.

I am 39 and had to get an upper denture. It is not because I did not take care of my teeth. It was because when I was pregnant with my 2 boys they took so much iron and calcium from me, that it severely damaged my teeth.

It was because when I was pregnant with my 2 boys they took so much iron and calcium from me, that it severely damaged my teeth.

That's what they call an "old wives' tale."

There is no truth in that.

Pregnancy doesn't take anything out of the teeth.

I again have to side with Sue on the post before hers. Pregnancy causes tooth issues as much as saying that putting butter on a burn is a smart idea. Old wives tale. Your teeth are some of the most protected and strongest things in your body. It actually takes a lot of neglect and abuse to cause your teeth to fall out or what not. I more than anyone know how embarrassing it is to have teeth missing. I was in a karate tournament, dropped my hands and got kicked in the face. I lost one tooth in the moment, then lost the one above it 6 months later when we discovered it was cracked after all and the scan missed it. Lucky for me they are in the back so no one can see that. They are getting fixed in the next few months finally. Yay!

If pregnancy caused severe issues with our teeth, to that extent anyway, the extra weight we gain during pregnancy would cause the bones in our legs and pelvis to break. Teeth and bones are made out of somewhat similar material, it's different but similar, but teeth are stronger than bone. So if a baby pulls so much out of you it causes issues with your teeth, I'm guessing you are probably already in the hospital on an air mattress or a sand mattress because you have multiple broken bones. And with the new nationwide push to eliminate pain meds, and because pain meds cause issues with a fetus, it would be 500 mg of Tylenol every 6 hours or so. It would be more beneficial to bite on a bullet. Life would really suck balls I would guess. Then because of all the broken bones, moving would be next to impossible which would cause blood clots which would eventually break off travel to the heart and or lungs and kill you. Basically what I am saying here is that if pregnancy really did cause issues as have been mentioned, the human race would have died off a long time ago.

God knows I am super anal about my teeth. I brush them all the time and do so for several reasons one of which is because I smoke, another is because I am a nurse and deal with the public, and yet another is because American's are, from an early age force fed that, "we only get one set of permanent teeth, our smile is our future, and people will judge you on your oral hygiene. And guess what, it's true.

Education can be a beautiful thing.

Mashie

I lost all my upper front baby teeth at the age of four. My grandmother could not stand it and had me dentures made. It hurt like bell in the beginning but I soon got used to it.

I had to get rid of the dentures when my permanent teeth started showing up. It was a sight for sore eyes in the beginning. I looked like a little vampire but soon I had all my "big teeth" and I felt pretty again.

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.

When my wife was pregnant with our first when we were in uk we got an NHS exemption card.

It is given to all pregnant women there so don't pay for prescriptions which I knew about, however also free dental treatment during pregnancy and the first year for the mom.

Was tons it was due to pregnancy having dental related issues. Don't know if they still that but wasn't that long a go.