Hey there, thanks 
Yeah, I’m going in tomorrow or Tuesday to have them take a look at them. I’m going to tell them to make an adjustment on the top ones. I have a small mouth as it is, and it does feel like it is hitting a little too far back for me.
I think the youngest person I knew with dentures was something like 16 - she lost all her teeth to some sort of infection (I actually met her years after all this happened). You are not the youngest person to get dentures, not by a long shot.
I said something like this way earlier in thread - if you your mouth is healthier after extraction of bad teeth than it was before you are better off with dentures. Decaying teeth can affect not just your mouth but your entire body. No one wants to lose their teeth, but if your teeth are causing you pain every day or making you ill what good are they?
Good on you for facing some tough decisions and taking control of a health problem. I’m sorry you’re having a rough time adjusting, but you can get through this. Once you get it sorted out you’ll not only feel healthier, you’ll BE healthier, you’ll be able to eat better, and you’ll have a great looking smile, too.
yes the youngest person I made dentures for was 23. Former heroin addict. Guy I worked for made some for an 18 y.o.
I definitely know this is better for me in the long run, for sure, hands down. I guess it’s just a tough adjustment for now, but I know it will get better, by seeing what many of you have written in here. It helps to hear from you all and hear some positivity with this… I know this is not easy for anyone, but it is an overall better decision for me health wise.
I just have to keep my chin up and try to get through it… the crying and panic attacks are less today, and I’m trying stay positive with everything.
My dear friend is still in the hospital from a recent bout of endocarditis, an abscess around his heart valve and hundreds of vegetative emboli that broke off from the infection in the heart that created stroke symptoms in his left side, vision and language processing centers of his brain. He spent more than a month in ICU and had two heart surgeries to replace and repair heart valves and several brain surgeries to relieve the pressure and restore blood flow in the brain, as well as a tracheotomy. He survived, but faces at least 6 months of intensive therapy and we don’t know if he’ll ever be back to normal.
Probable cause: infection in a tooth that went to the heart.
You did the right thing.
Hang in there. Once they get everything adjusted, it gets better. Took my husband about a month after the last adjustment to stop noticing that there were Things in his mouth all the time. The more you wear them (taking them out at night as directed by your dentist, of course) the faster you get used to them.
Thank you. I actually got an infection in one of my teeth a few months ago… my whole face got huge and puffy and I didn’t look like myself anymore… that’s why I knew this was something I would need to into unless I wanted to go to the ER again.
I think we as a society sometimes belittle how disturbing even minor surgeries or “procedures” can be to someone but really, a tooth extraction is a form of trauma, dentures are a definite change, and a permanent one, to one’s routines and habits, and while not on the same level as an organ transplant it’s still something serious.
What I mean is - it is OK to be upset, frightened, cry a little, and a little freaked out. It’s OK. In fact, it’s even normal to have that sort of a reaction. You’ve pain, you’re body is trying to heal up the damage, you’ve got adjustments to make.
And, as you’ve already noted, some time will help with all that. Be a little extra good to yourself in some way or other.
This is so true! When I got all my teeth pulled I knew it was what I wanted, it worked out for the best and years later I love my dentures…but the first couple days I felt emotionally a little crushed. I felt hideous and awkward without my teeth in. Like a young man in a senior citizen’s body.
But my smile WITH my teeth is incredible! I saw a picture of me a couple weeks before getting dentures and jesus christ! I looked like a fucking junky! I was missing one of the teeth next to my two front teeth, and all the rest look yellow, flecked and damaged. Despite being in great physical shape I looked in poor health.
It will be emotional at first but in the long run it is amazing. And about the gagging - I had that with my temp. The best advice I can give you is to relax. You will get the feeling sometimes and when you do remind yourself that you aren’t choking, you are in no physical danger, just relax. It will subside quickly.
I just want to say thank you to everyone. I’ve been trying really hard to stay calm, relax, and know that this is all for the better. The feeling of gagging is subsiding which is good 
I go back in tomorrow for my post-op, and hopefully it will help to get some of it trimmed up to fit a little better in my mouth.
Talking to others that can relate has helped so much, beyond anything I could have imagined. It’s this type of support that is really helping me get through this right, so again, thank you all so much.
For those of you with dentures, did you ever feel that the teeth were too big for you mouth? I have a small mouth, and maybe because I was missing some teeth in the back… but I feel like the teeth are too big for my smile, if that makes sense?
Will this go down in time?
My husband’s teeth certainly looked too big to me at first…because I’d only known his with broken crumbling small tooth stumps. That first grin and I thought, “oh no, that looks weird!” But in time I adjusted, as much as he did. They actually are the right size for his mouth and face, I just had to get used to them as much as he did.
Follow the link in post #94. I think you have to join to read posts but chances are good that any questions you have will be addressed there. It is a very helpful site.
Thank you!
Hey, I have a question. Does getting teeth pulled and wearing dentures forego the possibility of getting implants in the future? Just wondering because I know someone who started a GoFundMe for implants, and I thought that was a bit over the top. But if going with dentures for any length of time could cause bone loss or something that would prevent implants in the future, maybe that’s where her mind is? I was thinking the state of deterioration was a bigger contributor to bone loss than having healthy, healed gums, but I don’t really know.
If I were in her position, honestly, I would have gotten the dentures by now and I’m trying to figure out whether I should try to gently approach the subject with her. I think her life would improve so much if she were able to improve her dental condition sooner rather than later! (The fundraising hasn’t gone very far) She has dreams sometimes where her remaining teeth are crumbling out of her mouth and she wakes up in tears. She’s so terribly self-conscious about her smile that she just doesn’t. Seems like dentures would get her back on track so much faster. Like a real thing that can be started now rather than years, you know?
whoaitsjackie this is making me think way back but as far as the choking feeling goes, I remember the ends of the dentures (back sides that fit in the deepest) seemed too big—flared out too much, too thick, covered more area than my real teeth had. But the shape is needed to hold them in and the feeling goes away before you know it. And even though a problem may feel huge in your mouth, usually a minute adjustment takes care of it.
See my post #96 about bone loss. That’s what I was wondering about, too.
As far as bone loss is concerned, generally bone is resorbed after teeth are extracted. The longer without teeth the more bone is lost. Will there be enough for implants depends on how much there was to start with and how long the teeth have been gone.
For someone who has their teeth extracted due to periodontal disease there is usually a fair amount of bone loss to begin with. If the teeth are extracted due to decay there is usually more bone remaining.
Hello everyone. To begin, I am 23 and should be getting my full upper denture in 3 weeks, my lower acrylic partial in 6 months. I am super excited but also terrified. I have a few questions for anyone with knowledge or experience to answer if they will. First, I am a recovering addict and cannot take pain meds which is why my dentist is making me split the procedures. Have any of you healed from getting your extractions with no meds, including ibuprofen? I can only take Tylenol because of a blood disorder. I manage a tattoo studio for a living so I do a lot of speaking with the public. Generally speaking, how long should I stay out of work? My last but most important question - how do you handle going in front of your spouse with no teeth? My teeth are terrible now and he is so supportive of me he is paying for my procedure fully in cash, no payments nor insurance. We have been saving forever for this. I’m just so worried anyway that the second he sees me with no teeth at all he will no longer find me attractive. I am getting an immediate until my perms come in but I will have to clean them… By the way, I have always taken very good care of my teeth. Bad teeth run in my family (dad had a full set at 19) and I’m sure my addiction years ago did not help. My dentist asked me if I had been repeatedly struck in the mouth because apparently my roots reflected it. I was abused by my ex but this question is, is that a possible reason for root decay? Sorry for the book, I’m just super nervous and inquisitive. Thanks in advance!
I have had a few teeth removed without pain meds after. It isn’t easy. Take the Tylenol as soon as directed and be militant about your timing. They only really work at keeping the pain at bay if you don’t allow for time gaps.
The temporary is surprisingly gorgeous for the amount of time/fit. You will be able to speak with it, but the hard part will be getting used to the thicker palette. Your speech may be a little off but understandable.
I will admit I hate the way I look without teeth, but again when I see pictures of me with fucked up teeth it isn’t much different. Bad bad teeth are about as bad looking as no teeth. But my question to you is - why show him at all? Keep your temps in and when you have them out keep your mouth closed. That’s what I do. My teeth look real, even the temps, and if I keep them where they are supposed to be it is suprisingly hard to tell.
A good smile with dentures is sort of like a magic trick. You keep them where they are supposed to be and everybody expects a smile anyway so it is easy to keep the illusion up. But when you do obvious things and break the illusion it can be difficult for a short time to recreate it for that person.
My girlfriend supports me and she has seen my mouth without my teeth and she doesn’t like it but knows it is necessary sometimes.
After each meal go to the bathroom and rinse off your teeth. Since you don’t have tactile tissue there anymore you won’t know if you have something stuck. Keep a travel toothbrush in your purse for anything that gets stuck and a pocket mirror.
Thank you so much for the quick reply. I’m super terrified. My boss is working with my husband to help do my teeth so I know I will have whatever time I need to heal. I just think work would help keep me distracted. My concern about going around him with no teeth is during the at least 4 hours a day I need to let my gums breathe. Thank you so much for the advice. I just can’t wait to be able to smile without second guessing myself and eat something that isn’t soup. Lol. Shit really gets old. Do you use dental adhesives and if so which do you prefer? I’m going to try not using any unless we go out to eat. I’m one of those with nightmares about my teeth falling out at the table. Random point, I’m amazed you are still responding 2 years after your original post. I found this thread last night and read everything. Thank you for doing this.