I feel like an old woman. I had my 13 teeth that were left, pulled. The same day I was fitted for dentures. I know that it is something you have to get use to but it might take a long time for me.
I was so happy when the day came for my teeth ( bad shape.) to be pulled.I loved the idea of a beautiful smile with dentures in. Now I wish that I had my old teeth back, even in bad shape.
It has been one week and I still can't wear the lower one because it is so painful. When I try them on, I feel like I have too many teeth in my mouth.
I can't chew because of the pain. Its just rediculous.
When I brushed my tongue yesterday and had the uppers in my hand,I thought
This is what its come to. I am depressed anyway because of all the crap I've been through and now I have this. I remember when my Grandma use to wash her dentures and I would get groosed out.

Do you still have swelling from the teeth being pulled?
that might be part of the problem...

Or if not maybe an appt with another denture place to evaluate the dentures & fit?? Or go back to the first place first and have things checked and if they don't find a problem then go to another for eval- and send bill to place #1...

Hi Doodle bug,

I'm sorry to hear that you are having a difficult time with your new dentures. Most people, young or old, feel a little depressed when they first get their dentures, so your feelings right now are perfectly normal. Not only is there an immediate feeling of "getting older" but there is no way to know what they are going to feel like until you wear them. The positive expectations of getting rid of bad teeth and being able to smile again can turn "temporarily" negative when you realize there is no turning back and it's not easy to wear dentures. It's important to keep in mind that bad teeth will affect your health and once the soreness from the surgery goes away, the dentures may not feel so bad.

We are taught as children to associate dentures with old age. Yet there are many young people who have dentures, partial dentures or bridgework replacing missing teeth. There are many reasons why people lose their teeth but it is generally not due to old age, believe it or not!

When an old person has their teeth removed and replaced with dentures, it is because their teeth have been bad for many, many years or they have severe gum disease. There are many older people who have at least half of their original 32 teeth and they do quite well with eating and so forth.

The dentures that you were given right after the extractions are called Immediate Temporary Dentures. They are going to need MANY adjustments because as the extraction sites heal, the shape of the bone and gum tissue changes. Some people have to see their dentist almost every day for adjustments and others can go a few days in between visits for the first several weeks. The initial 2-4 weeks after the extractions are when the tissue changes occur the most and then things start to settle down. It is imperative to have the dentist make the adjustments so the tissue heals properly and it will be alot less sore too!

Full lower dentures are difficult to wear for most people. Even once the healing is complete. This is because there is nothing to hold the denture in and it is just sitting on the ridge, so it moves when talking, chewing.. etc. Perhaps you would be a candidate for a couple of lower dental implants in the future? Sometimes 4 Imtek (small) implants is all that's needed to hold the denture in pretty snug. The full upper denture is generally held in by suction from the palate. The palate is like a vault and the dentue is designed to fit snug up against it. Sometimes denture adhesive is necessary to hold the dentures in so they don't move around. Just be careful not to use too much because it is difficult to remove from the denture and from your tissue.

Immediate dentures actually serve a great purpose........ they help shape the upper and lower ridge for better fitting permanent dentures. If you don't wear the temporary ones, the ridges will heal flat and that will make it difficult to wear permanent dentures in the future.

Have you discussed dental implants with your dentists? As I said, sometimes just 4 small ones do the trick on the bottom. There are usually several treatment options when doing implants and sometimes the dentures that fit over the implants can be made so they are less bulky which lessens that full feeling.

Hang in there.......... everything you are feeling is very normal and it will get better! Just keep communicating with your dentist and don't hesitate to let him make the adjustments.

Please let us know how things are going ~'.'~

Bryanna

I have never thanked you for explaining a few pointers on Dentures. Our computer has been in the shop for awhile.
I am close to the 2 month mark now and the uppers have given me no problems.
The lowers are difficult to get use to as a point of a bone is still pushing out.
This makes trying to chew real food almost impossible. I ground up my meat yesterday and that helped. How do people go out to eat without their bottom teeth flopping out? I told my husband that I didn't want to eat out and he said
" Its OK, you can watch me eat." he was only joking , and it was kinda funny.
I know that I will adapt in time, or not. Just kidding.
I appreciate your help and sometimes it's just nice to know that support isn't far away. You are great.

Hey Doodle Bug!

You are very welcome!! I'm glad to hear that your upper denture has been working out ok!!

That protruding bone on the lower jaw...... sometimes, the jawbone heals a bit lumpy or has some bone spurs that need to be filed down. It's not usually a big surgery to remove those bumps unless the extra bone gets too big.
I assume you are still seeing your dentist for adjustments?

Hey Doodlebug,

I can completely identify with what you are going through. I just had the remainder of my teeth(19) removed and got the temporary Immediate Dentures about 3 weeks ago. My teeth were very bad and out of the 19 teeth left, I think only 3 did not need some kind of work. Financially I was in no position to get them fixed and do not have dental insurance so this was not an option for me. I had received a chunk of money from a family member and use it to get my teeth pulled and get dentures. I was so looking forward to being able to eat a meal and drink without pain not to mention being able to smile again without being self-conscious. The new dentures, even though they are the temporary ones (will get the permanent ones in about 6 months) are 100% nicer than my own teeth and I love them, but....the day I had my teeth out I weighed 112 pounds, today - 3 weeks later - I weigh 106 - because I am unable to eat anything with consistency. For the first 2 weeks all I was able to eat was Jello, Pudding and soup broth. I did buy some of the instant breakfast drinks just to put some vitamins and minerals in my body as I really cannot afford to lose too much weight - I have a problem maintaining that weight due to other medical problems (Epstein-Barr Virus and medications) and I am also on Pain Management for 3 herniated disks and 2 bulging disks in my lumbar back and the medications I am on just do not do anything for my appetite so I need to really make an effort to eat.

The other day my husband and I went by an Arby's. I have not had Arby's in so loooonnnggg- I figured it was soft right - its only thin roast beef and a soft roll- That was the first time I had tried actually biting into food and chewing anything with substance - God it tasted soooo good - it was like heaven. But, at the same time it was very painful to try to chew and could only make it through about 1/2 of the sandwich. All the while I was very self-conscious about eating out at a restaurant and the food kept sticking to the roof of my mouth and I had to eat very deliberately - but it was so worth it.

Since then I have slowly been trying to progress my diet - I made meatloaf and mashed potatoes and that went even better. I have been eating lots of soups and stews even if it is just the potatoes and carrots. I made pasta with hamburger and stewed tomatoes last night and that was awesome. So slowly it is getting better.

Sorry for the long-winded post, I just wanted to let you know that it does get better and just to take your time and it will all come together and you will be eating steak at a nice restaurant with your husband in no time. I know I cant wait to get to Outback and have their tenderloins and candied sweet potato.

Good luck and God bless
Tina

I also wanted to mention something that helped me immensely and am still using - it is a product called Benzodent - it is a paste that I put on my dentures - just spread it on there in a thin layer. It has the highest strenght of lidocain that can be obtained over-the-counter - much better than orajel and withouth that nasty taste. It can be a pain to get off your gums when cleaning your teeth and gums, but well worth it., It completely numbs the sore spots for a good long time - like 4 hours or so. I dont think I could have gone through this without it. I have found that the only place in my area that carries it is Walmart - could not find it at CVS or Walgreens - Also found an on-line pharmacy that sells it- cant think of the name of it offhand though, but if you did a search for Benzodent you would find it im sure.

Good luck again hehe
Tina

Dear Doodle Bug. I understand you 1000%, yes 1000%. I too was so excited to have my teeth pulled, I had 14 out on September 3 of this year. I was so sick after. Just cleaning them was a trauma, Yes, my teeth looked better, and I knew that I would never have a toothache again so I thought. No so, I am a strong person when it comes to pain, (I've had six kids) but this was nothing like I had before, I was literally shaking when I had to clean them. And yes talk about gross, I could not look in my mouth out of disgust. What happened, I wore braces as an adult. It is about six weeks and I still cannot eat. My husband grinds it up. I guess that means no more out to dinner. I have a friend that I didn't know she had dentures, now I understand her eating habits. This is so depressing, I make the kids fall cookies and can't eat one, no matter how small. I have a feeling this is not going to change. If you need a ear, I am here. Lisa Rose

Welcome LisaRose.

Hi Lisa Rose,

I don't think anyone can fully prepare themselves for what it's like to have all of their teeth removed and wear dentures. It's one of those things in life where we try to see the positive and have no clue about the negative. Sort of like having children...... ... we have to persevere through the tough times and try to keep seeing the positive.

Wearing dentures usually does not come easy for anyone. Some people adapt a lot quicker than you would expect, but for others it takes longer. Every ones situation is different and unique to them.

It is important that you have your dentures adjusted by your dentist as needed. This might mean that you have to see him once a week for a long time. Your dentures need to be fitted to your anatomy and this can take some doing to get them right. Your mouth is going through a healing phase and will continue to change for several months. So you need to have those adjustments along the way. Many times the patient will need a new set of dentures after a year as the original ones may not be able to be adjusted any further without ruining the integrity of them. Did your dentist explain that to you?

The personal trauma and anxiety over wearing them will diminish over time. I have found that the patients who are determined to stay focused on the positive do a lot better overall. I know it's not easy but reminding yourself of the positive affirmations is what will keep your thoughts positive.

The affirmations can be different for everyone but maybe some of these apply to you...

My smile is now healthy and pretty.
I am not hiding my smile anymore.
My natural teeth that were decayed and sick are no longer a health threat to me.
I will never have another toothache or have a tooth drilled into.
I will learn to eat better, more healthfully.
I will learn to enjoy my food more and I will eat slower which is better for my digestive system.

Staying healthy both physically and mentally are the keys to recovery. Search the internet for healthy wholesome foods that you can cook for easier chewing. Check out the recipes for vegetable and fruit smoothies which are nutritious and provide you with a wide range of vitamins and minerals. Take nutritional supplements to offer you the nutrients you are missing in your diet. This is a great time to consult with a nutritionist as they can take the guess work out of all of that.

I know this is a rough time for you... I have shared this journey with many hundreds of dental patients throughout my career. I can assure you that you will get through this and that you will be okay... but keep in mind that the way you walk this journey is up to you and the daily affirmations will help.

Thanks for posting and hope to hear more from you as you make your way through this. Take care.

Bryanna