Unfinished Sweets

Alice Cooper - Unfinished Sweets

Take it to the doc, I guess he ought to know
La, la, la, da
Which ones can stay, which one gotta go
He looks in my mouth and then he starts to gloat
He says me teeth are O.K.
But my gums got to go
Oh oh...


Had a tooth ache and went to dentist. Tooth had a crack. She says tooth has no anchor in jaw and basically held in with gums. XRay showing most teeth like that. Not one single cavity.

I inherited my moms gums (she had dentures in 30's) and my dads teeth ( 3 total cavities in 88 years)

So now figuring out when and how to do this....

Blah.......

Implants.

Originally Posted by toddnbecka

Implants.

The best way to go, if you have healthy bone to anchor the core supports. (And a boat-load of money)

Kathy

Yep I don't have that kinda cash. You can go to Cancun and get implants for around 10 grand if you don't need grafts. Many Americans and Canadians go there. Insurance considers it "cosmetic" which is b.s For extractions and full upper and a partial with 2 teeth left for anchor on bottoms and 1 upper temp denture then permanent denture in about 6 months will be $5200 minus $1500 insurance.

Yeah, I've been through the "it's cosmetic" bit. Being able to chew properly is not cosmetic. There are also other physical, and psychological ramifications with wearing dentures - covering the hard palate reduces the ability to taste foods, and I'm guessing some people would have self-esteem issues with not having "real" teeth. I would, especially if I were younger.

I understand the business aspect of it - dentists have spent tons of money on their education, along with office expenses, employee pay, insurance, etc. But who has $20k-$30k lying around for implants? And most insurance plans pay only a measly $1000- $1500 per year. Way out of reach for the average individual.

Kathy

Originally Posted by Insomniac101

And most insurance plans pay only a measly $1000- $1500 per year. Way out of reach for the average individual.

Kathy

Yeah, My dental insurance is $1500.00 Total for extractions and temp upper full and lower partial (keeping 2 canine teeth for anchor) then permanent's 6 to 12 months later for $4600.00 after insurance.

Luckily where I live it is cheaper than in certain area's where cost could be double to triple that. Simple extractions so that keeps cost down. Probably looking to have done in first week or so of October.

3 months in on dentures. Best thing I have done. I wish I had done it a year earlier.

I had no cavities except 2 old ones from over 30 years ago that had been filled. My teeth just became loose from gum and bone loss. Eating could be painful at times and reoccurring gum infections. I cracked a molar eating peanuts when tooth shifted.

I kept 2 lower k9 teeth to help anchor bottoms. After healing and a re line the fit nice and snug. These are my temp ones and not that great for chewing but doable. I will get permanent teeth sometime between Summer and fall. They will be lighter and thinner and teeth will be much sharper for chewing.

It is nice not having nasty taste in my mouth or jaw throbbing when I have sinus infection. When working or busy I forget they are in. If you have been putting off because of fear or shame just do it.

From extraction until about 3rd day I had little to no pain. Days 4 through 8 I had bad moments but nothing I couldn't handle. Probably the worst was I couldn't get upper out to rinse for first 5 days. Once I got it out and dentist made adjustments it was much easier.

Good to hear you're healing well, and getting infections under control. Getting your mouth healthy helps the rest of your body too. I'm sure your dentist explained the correlation between gum infections, and heart disease.

One you get your permanent teeth, I'm sure you'll feel a lot better. The process takes a long time, and I'm sure it's frustrating, but worth it in the long run.

Kathy

My wife (of 34 years) is a Canadian of British decent.
This girl brushes her teeth and flosses 3 times a day.
Me not so much.
I do floss a couple times a day and brush once a day but not always.
I never get any cavities and only get #2's on my gum probe measurements.
Her not so much.
Some times you just have to roll with what you have.
Andy.

Originally Posted by Mech

Some times you just have to roll with what you have.
Andy.

My hygienist and I discussed this at my last appointment. Obviously, she sees a lot of mouths, and the varying efforts of oral hygiene.

She was telling me that some people, such as your wife, have to brush and floss a few times a day, while others can get away with once a day, or even less. Your saliva composition has a lot to do with the decay process. Some have better enzymes, and bacterial control in their saliva than others. She said, for the most part, it's a genetic thing, but of course, good oral hygiene plays a part.

I feel very fortunate to have "good" saliva, and consistently get 1's and 2's on my pocket depths. I've also got a substantial investment in dental work, so I'm rather fanatical about hygiene anyway.

Kathy