About 15 years ago I had a 3 section bridge installed in the entire upper part of my mouth.

It is gradually failing and I have just had an upper right molar extracted (which was part of the bridge) and which leaves me with almost no teeth in that quadrant.

Now I've noticed that two teeth on the lower right quadrant, (1 capped molar and one natural molar with a missing molar between them) are both loose and painful. A dentist said that these two teeth should be extracted since he says they are infected.

I have a few questions: 1) what, short of implants, can be done about the missing upper right teeth? The dentist suggested that he could construct a “partial” but I wonder how difficult it would be to adjust to it and also, would it put undue stress on the upper left quadrant which is part of the same bridge that just failed?

2) Can the two loose teeth be saved? Is there any fix for loose teeth or am I doomed?

More info that might affect your answer: I am 75 years old, a two time cancer survivor and diabetic (I am trying to control the diabetes with diet but may soon have to use drugs.)

I have temporary partial at the moment, so it is not the best fit.
But it already has me thinking about implants and the whole process of implants scares me, but then they are mini implants which I have heard you don't need as much bone for and they heal a bit faster.
If you bone has shrunk you may need a bone graft too for the implants.
They are expensive though.
Implants may not be the best of you are diabetic but I am not sure on that
I know that dentures can also be secured to your mouth by implants, so they look more natural and you won't have anything covering the roof of your mouth.

If the teeth are infected could he not do a root canal? I know everyone always says to get a second opinion before removing any teeth.

Hi Antonina,

It sounds like you have periodontal disease.... yes?

Infected teeth are never good to hang on to. They not only cause inflammation in the jawbone but they also cause problems in the circulatory system which means the infection/inflammation can contribute to heart disease and uncontrolled diabetes. In your case, this is one reason why your diabetes is not able to be controlled with diet.

Did your dentist inform you about your gum problems and the correlation to your diabetes?

People with periodontal disease and diabetes are not good candidates for dental implants because not only do the implants fail from the already present infection and bacteria but the implants will cause inflammation adding to what is already out of control.

Partial dentures can be a little tricky to get use to, but they are not invasive like dental implants. They can also be altered to accommodate additional teeth that are extracted later on.

Hope this info helps.... let us know how you're doing.
Bryanna




Bryanna



QUOTE=antonina;816325]About 15 years ago I had a 3 section bridge installed in the entire upper part of my mouth.

It is gradually failing and I have just had an upper right molar extracted (which was part of the bridge) and which leaves me with almost no teeth in that quadrant.

Now I've noticed that two teeth on the lower right quadrant, (1 capped molar and one natural molar with a missing molar between them) are both loose and painful. A dentist said that these two teeth should be extracted since he says they are infected.

I have a few questions: 1) what, short of implants, can be done about the missing upper right teeth? The dentist suggested that he could construct a “partial” but I wonder how difficult it would be to adjust to it and also, would it put undue stress on the upper left quadrant which is part of the same bridge that just failed?

2) Can the two loose teeth be saved? Is there any fix for loose teeth or am I doomed?

More info that might affect your answer: I am 75 years old, a two time cancer survivor and diabetic (I am trying to control the diabetes with diet but may soon have to use drugs.)[/QUOTE]

Thanks to Bryanna and Emma for your helpful responses. None of the many dentists I've seen over the past four months has even hinted @ perio disease as a cause of my tooth loss. I have an app't for a consult on nov 30. My dental issues have been ignored by me since my excellent perio retired. I hope the remaining teeth can be saved.

Thanks again for your insight.

Hi Antonina,

Ok, so if I understand you correctly....you were treated for periodontal disease in the past and have not maintained any regular dental regimen for awhile. If that is correct, then most likely your periodontal disease has progressed because it is the type of infection that needs continual dental care and monitoring. You mentioned that the dentist wanted to extract those teeth because they were infected and loose.....those 2 issues indicate moderate to severe periodontal disease. Perhaps the dentists that you have seen are hesitant to tell you about the perio condition... which fo course is not a valid reason not to inform you.

Please keep in mind that any type of oral infection will make it impossible to regulate your blood sugar, even if you end up taking medication for your diabetes. Perhaps you could ask your next dentist about the health of your gums and what his dental recommendations would be for you. Be sure to tell him that you are diabetic.

Keep us posted.....I wish you well!
Bryanna

Bryanna, thank you very much re: how the oral infection may be impacting blood sugar regulation. No one has ever pointed this out to me. It also could explain why my CRP level is usually slightly elevated. Perhaps the perio disease might be the cause. Various docs have routinely dismissed the CRP results as inconsequential.

I'll see the perio on Nov. 30 and will be sure to discuss the blood sugar issues.

Thanks again for all the valuable information. And, happy birthday wishes!!

Hi antonina,

Yes, your CRP levels can be elevated in part from your periodontal disease. Dentists are knowledgeable enough about the connection between oral inflammation and systemic conditions such as diabetes. So your dentist should be discussing that connection with you. Physicians rarely ask their patients about their dental health, but they should. They also know about the systemic connection and once the patient informs them about their dental health, such as uncontrolled periodontal disease, they take it into consideration when doing blood work, etc.

Please keep us posted on how things are going!
Bryanna

Hello,

I wanted to introduce myself. I just had all my bottom teeth removed and implants placed two weeks ago. I'm making a good adjustment but I wasn't prepared to have a loose denture for 3-5 months. I'm in a new (3 month old relationship) and I'm very self conscious about my lower denture moving around while we kiss. I've only told my new boyfriend that I've had work done on my teeth and I can't chew properly for awhile. My close friend thinks I should tell him because she doesn't believe in "secrets". My sense is that I have a right to privacy but I don't want to feel like I'm holding back and worried that he'll notice my denture because it feels loose when we're kissing.

So my two questions are - privacy or disclosure. Also, is there any way to secure lower dentures better?

Thanks.

Hi In Transition,

It is common for a lower denture to be loose as there is nothing for it to hang on to. It is also common for the dental patient to see their dentist periodically during the healing phase to have the denture relined to help secure the fit a little bit. You can also try a denture adhesive and see if that helps the denture to stay in place better. The adhesive that patients seem to like a lot is called Secure and it comes in form of a paste. All you need is a few small spots of it on the denture..... too much can make it difficult to remove the denture and too little may not be enough. You have to work with it for awhile to see how much you need to be comfortable.

As for disclosing your situation to your new boyfriend..... do so only if you are comfortable with sharing that with him. It's your choice if you want to keep it a secret ...... if he finds out on his own, he should respect your wishes to not tell him until you were ready.

Bryanna