My teeth are in bad shape - I've gone to dentists regularly all my life and now - due to eating sweets, dry mouth for 29 years from medications and the past 4 years using a CPAP machine, my teeth all have severe decay all along the gum line. But now that it's time to seriously consider dentures - I'm scared. What if they don't work out? The dry mouth will still be here - and my gums are receding along the top. Will I be able to use dentures? I really don't know what else to do - a filling fell out last night. It was along the gum line, just done 11 months ago and there is extensive decay there again - and it hurts! How do I try to save these teeth? Is there even any hope to save them? My dentist wants to do root canals and crowns on them all, and I've been against it - mostly due to finances. But now that it is seriously looking like I need to make a decision about dentures soon - I'm scared. I'm afraid to have them pulled - what if I end up with no teeth at all?

Sorry you are going through so much. Before you do anything, please post to Bryanna, she is the most knowledgable about dental issues. When you consicer a mouth full of root canals, there is some information about them you should know about. It is OK to contact her I am sure. She can also read your dental Xrays etc. PM her, but get in touch before you get your treament plan started OK? I care about you or I would not tell you to seek this help. It's good that you found us. ginnie

Thanks Ginnie - no, I won't be having root canals. I did find Bryanna's post about root canals, so now I have confirmation that, especially with all my allergies(!) it would make no sense to try to "save" these teeth. Of course the benefit to "saving" them (if that is even possible with decay all along the gumline) the benefit is a lot of $$ to my dentist. Just really concerned about dentures. I so don't want to be in this position, but I am. Thanks for your kind comments Ginnie!

I am so sorry you are in that position. I had a few whoppers when I found Bryanna also. I nixed on the Root canals as I already have trouble with the two I have. Do I want them re-done? heck no! I hated to hear the truth about them too. I was sad over my condition as well, so I sure know where you are coming from. I hadn't seen a dentist in almost 8 years, as people on medicare/medicaid just don't have the money for it. In that time I had 8 surgeries as well. The teeth took a back seat and I paid the price for that. Now I am fixed up as much as possible, and found a great dentist, and one who knew I had been in touch with Bryanna. Being educated is the best way to go on this stuff. I hope you get the proper fit with dentures. I have something called a besnit, for a two tooth space. It doesn't bother me at all. I hope with what ever direction you have to go in, that it doesn't hurt, and you get good results and can smile again. Let me know how you do. I was sure glad to find this site too, take care of yourself, and know we are in your corner. ginnie

Hi ElizaJane,

I'm sorry to hear you are having such dental problems. I know it can be very scary and overwhelming to have to deal with.

Based on the list of dental issues that you have provided here, you can see that you have a chronic situation that would require constant dentistry in the attempt to "retain" your teeth... which as you said are not and never will be healthy. Root canaling everything would be incredibly costly, and it will not "solve" your chronic dental problems. In fact it will create additional issues because root canaled teeth are non vital and always infected to some degree both of which will burden your immune system.

When we think of "saving" our teeth, it is important to know what it is that we are saving. If the teeth continually have recurrent decay and infections and cannot be restored without repetitive fillings upon fillings and/or root canal therapy... and your lifestyle and meds cannot be changed to halt or prevent the ongoing dental problems.... then the only thing that we are saving is diseased and unhealthy teeth that have an inevitable short life span.

In the process of holding onto diseased teeth, our immune system has to carry the burden of this infection and inflammation. Add that burden to all of the other things going on medically, physically, emotionally..... no wonder there never seems to be an end to constant health/dental problems. These issues need to be considered when contemplating "saving" our teeth.

Perhaps removing diseased teeth is the healthiest option for your overall well being.... which would make dentures a healthier option. This is something only you can decide for yourself. But please don't let the idea of having dentures sway you from making a healthy choice. If your dentist is not willing to discuss all of your dental options with you, then please seek someone else.

Keep in touch here.... it may take me a day or so to get back... but I try to be here as often as possible

Bryanna

Thanks so much to you both! I made the big decision to change dentists today. The place where I've been going this past year has changed dentists 4 times! No, I can't do the root canal/crown thing to all these teeth. They're rotting - and I have gone to the dentist every 6 months all my life. It's my health, the dry mouth, well, the eating sweets is definitely my fault. But I really don't think I could have done things better. The dentist that was there a year ago elected to fill 8 teeth on the bottom that had severe stains that had progressed into cavities along the gumline. Because of my glycol allergy, I later found that the reason why she filled all those fillings with a material that is coarse and often falls out on frontal fillings was because, even if I had called the manufacturer and found that once the filling hardened the glycols dissappated, just because it had glycols at all she wouldn't even consider using it, so didn't inform me that she was using an inferior product. 4 fillings have fallen out in the first 11 months and insurance won't pay for them to be filled again until 24 months -the dentist that put them in has to replace them for free. So I have another 13 months that, if I change dentists, I will have to pay out of pocket for any more of these fillings that fall out. Could be much more money. BUT, if I'm looking at dentures soon for the top, I just can't stay with the revolving door dentist! Especially not with my allergies. So, I know it's going to be expensive no matter what. No dentist will touch me for the extractions - I have to see an oral surgeon even to have 1 tooth pulled. I just have a tough time facing the thought of dentures. Vanity, vanity! I'm asking the new dentist if I get a crown on the one molar next to the eye tooth, then have the molar and eye tooth on the other side extracted, would the remaining 6 teeth in front (includes that crown) be enough for a partial? That might give me a few years on the top. Then have the bottom teeth pulled as needed - and not get dentures there until they are all gone. Who needs to chew, right?