only 30, in so much pain....dentures?

[thenursemandy]

My parents and siblings all have dentures. My younger sister got hers when she was 21. My teeth have been filled countless times. I've had 5 permanent extractions and one root canal. I'm in so much intense pain currently due to an abcess at the root. Apparently the nerve is dead. I'm taking ATB, Norco abd Ibuprofen like crazy. Orajel even, nothing helps much. I'm hurting terribly and am growing discouraged. I am coming to terms with the fact that I'm fighting a never-ending battle and that I should follow in my family's footprints by getting dentures. I'm willing to do just about anything to stop my pain. Its all-consuming.

I'm so young to be getting dentures. I wonder what it will be like. Will it be worth it to be pain free?

[thenursemandy]

I believe you. Having tried a partial and subsequently HATING it, I'm now quite willing to get implants and root canals/crowns.

Dentures may work well for some, but not this girl!

I'm going to invest in myself. :)

[toomuchbaloney]

My brother couldn't eat solid food for almost 5 years because of his achy, wobbly, and dysfunctional teeth. He was sick of ongoing dental issues and frequent lengthy and expensive trips to the dentist.

He had them removed and replaced them in December of 2013 and has been a happy camper since! He can chew things now!

He returns for adjustments if the dentures do not stay seated.

He is very happy that he finally took the leap, and his smile is beautiful rather than hidden behind his hand now!

[Cobweb]

I've had dentures since I was 18. I do pay for the good ones, though, not the cheap ones. I love my shiny white smile, as compared to my old snaggleteeth.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

I grew up in an area where the water was very soft, and as a result had very soft enamel. I had my first root canal at 13 and innumerable ones since. I have bridges, crowns, and one implant, plus (or minus) two lower molars missing that don't really need replacement. I have had temporary plates pending various other final installations and my husband has a partial denture for missing teeth (not enough solid neighboring ones to hang a bridge on), and I will heartily second the idea that what you have, if properly maintained even if it's expensive and a drag, is far, far superior to dentures no matter what the TV ads say.

It sounds to me as if your family didn't have the tradition or the finances to give their teeth the care they needed, and you've just found out what happens if you do that. I am so sorry you're going through it, but seriously-- get them properly taken care of, think about getting implants from a reputable provider for the ones that can't be saved (and get a second opinion), and teach your children well about dental care.

For what it's worth, the enamel on teeth is largely formed in utero and in the first 2-3 years of life. Heredity has little or nothing to do with it. My mother was conceived, born, and spent her first decade in an area with natural fluoridation, and at 87 has had two cavities in all her life. My father was conceived and born and lived all his life in the town where my siblings and I grew up, and we all had terrible teeth. Both of my children were conceived and grew up in Seattle, where the water is fluoridated-- neither has ever had a cavity.

Dental caries are also a communicable disease-- bacterial. Sort of like the idea that gastric ulcers are not caused by stress but by H. pylori, and were thought to "run in families" because, duh, parents swap germs with their children. Treated with appropriate antibiotics, all that went away. So are dental caries more likely with those in families with them, especially if they don't get good dietary components to good enamel as fetuses and infants.

(BTW, If you have pain,, that nerve is not dead, but it surely really ****ed off. Antibiotics will not cure it even if the nerve dies and it stops being so painful, because the infection is inside the root of the tooth where there is inadequate blood flow to cure the infection, like when implanted hardware can't clean up by itself), and you do not want osteomyelitis in your mandible or maxilla. Believe me. Been there.)

Not giving dental advice other than as an experienced consumer. Get a good dentist, worth his/her weight in gold, and do not screw around with this.

[super nerd]

I agree with Bucky...nothing the lab can make will be as good as anything artifically made. I would try and save any good natural teeth you have...these are priceless. If you get implants make sure you invest in a good specialist... so many horror stories on general dentist thinking they can do everything

[KaroSnowQueen, RN]

I, too, had horrible teeth. My parents had horrible teeth, taught me their fear of the dentist and gave me sodapop since infancy! I had my first tooth pulled at 14. Over the years, I would go to the dentist on an emergency basis, get 1 or 2 or 3 teeth fixed or pulled.

Finally, I got all my teeth fixed between ages 45 and 50, and now see the dentist twice a year, with no issues for 5 years .

I have ended up with 7 back teeth pulled, three crowns, but still have my own teeth. In my case, I gave up sugary soda around age 45 and that helped mt dental health.

In my case, I'm glad I have my own teeth. My dad got dentures in his late 30s, and I was raised to think that was normal.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

anyone with enamel defects may well consider getting tested for celiac disease....

and being genetic, it DOES run in families.