If You have Dentures or are needing Dentures. This is the place for Support.

what to do?

Hello! I was just looking around, exploring my options for my horrible teeth and found this site! I have have terrible problems with my teeth for so long and I think part of my problem is the anxiety I get just thinking about the dentist! I had to bad experiences with abcesses and extractions that I could vomit and had to be put to sleep for a crown! I just basically suffer through a abcess get an anitbiotic and continue not to smile! My fear is I dont want to go to a dentist now and have them judge me when they see my mouth and think I am a "scum"...I work in healthcare and I know I should be taking better care but like I said Im soooo afraid to have numerous procedures and implants to fix my smile I am considering just getting dentures!

Im mostly worried about them looking natural, can people tell they are fake, could they fall out when i sneeze, will it change the way I speak or sound? Can everyone get immediate dentures...I dont want to get the teeth pulled and have to walk around toothless?

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Karen Thomas on November 4, 2009 at 12:06pm: Look at all the pics that are posted....you can not tell they look fake. I have friends that I swear have had vaneers, dentures or implants as their teeth are SOOO perfect but then again I look at everyones teeth...lol
I have yet to have mine fall out when I sneezed...I have yet to have them fall out at all. I am 7 weeks out of my E-day. Getting dentures is not something you do on a whim. Read all the blog post. You will find that most everyone had the same fears and shame that you have.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by TINA DUNN on November 4, 2009 at 1:59pm: hello Laura, gosh you and I are in the EXACT same boat. I am soooooo afraid as well, I make appts with dentists and then at the last minute I do not go. I fear they will look at my teeth and be horrified as much as I am at their condition. I am sooo afraid of the entire process. I am afraid my dentures will not look natural which is so important to me. I am afraid mostly of the unknown. From what the dentist will say, do, and in the end how I will cope with all of it. Will I be able to handle having upper and lower dentures, I am not sure. I have three bottom teeth left, and nine left on the top. The worst part of all of this is it has consumed every waking moment. I hardly talk with people anymore, Thanksgiving is on its way (my favorite Holiday) and I feel like I just want to be alone out of embarrasment. BOO; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Karen Thomas on November 4, 2009 at 2:59pm: Tina
It is scary.I know...I travled down the "what if" road for months before I had my work done. The "what if's" are just that..what ifs. I can tell you one thing..my teeth are no longer an issue for me. I laugh, smile and talk..ALL the time. I am happy again. The outside of me now matches the inside of me.
You have to find a dentist you can trust and that will listen to all of your fears and work WITH you.
My dentist said to me "you are too pretty to have your teeth look like that and WE are going to work together to give you a great smile". I have temps right now as I am only 7 weeks out of E-day...and they look great. I can only imagine how the perms are going to look..and I cant wait.
The fear of the unknown is what keeps most people from acting at all but what you are dealing with now is not what you should be...get a new smile and become the person you are inside

TINA DUNN said:
hello Laura, gosh you and I are in the EXACT same boat. I am soooooo afraid as well, I make appts with and then at the last minute I do not go. I fear they will look at my teeth and be horrified as much as I am at their condition. I am sooo afraid of the entire process. I am afraid my dentures will not look natural which is so important to me. I am afraid mostly of the unknown. From what the dentist will say, do, and in the end how I will cope with all of it. Will I be able to handle having upper and lower dentures, I am not sure. I have three bottom teeth left, and nine left on the top. The worst part of all of this is it has consumed every waking moment. I hardly talk with people anymore, Thanksgiving is on its way (my favorite Holiday) and I feel like I just want to be alone out of embarrasment. BOO; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Laura on November 4, 2009 at 5:50pm: Exactly!!! Im sure the dentists and staff are used to seeing bad teeth but I worry what they are thinking ...shallow I know!! Im thinking about getting the top denture and possibly the bottom get a partial not sure if I will be able to because of how bad they are. My thinking is the last time I went to the Dentist and got the crown he told me to fix what I got and implant it would be about 15,000 bucks...Um not doable! So I am thinking Dentures will be cheaper plus it will make it look like I have veneers!

I have 3 children and I dont want to embarrass them when they are older either!!

Im so glad I found this site I already have a little weight lifted off my shoulders! Looking at the pictures they all look great!!

TINA DUNN said:
hello Laura, gosh you and I are in the EXACT same boat. I am soooooo afraid as well, I make appts with dentists and then at the last minute I do not go. I fear they will look at my teeth and be horrified as much as I am at their condition. I am sooo afraid of the entire process. I am afraid my dentures will not look natural which is so important to me. I am afraid mostly of the unknown. From what the dentist will say, do, and in the end how I will cope with all of it. Will I be able to handle having upper and lower dentures, I am not sure. I have three bottom teeth left, and nine left on the top. The worst part of all of this is it has consumed every waking moment. I hardly talk with people anymore, Thanksgiving is on its way (my favorite Holiday) and I feel like I just want to be alone out of embarrasment. BOO; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by TINA DUNN on November 4, 2009 at 9:46pm: Karen thank-you for the genuine, real, and honest communication. It is people like you that can make all the difference for someone like me. To move foreward once and for all after a life long challenge of unrealistic fear would be an absolute miracle. Thank-you for being you, for being here and sharing your ups and downs. Thank-you Laura for sharing who you are today, and who you are becoming tomorrow. PEACE AND SMILES ALWAYS TINA

Karen Thomas said:
Tina
It is scary.I know...I travled down the "what if" road for months before I had my work done. The "what if's" are just that..what ifs. I can tell you one thing..my teeth are no longer an issue for me. I laugh, smile and talk..ALL the time. I am happy again. The outside of me now matches the inside of me.
You have to find a dentist you can trust and that will listen to all of your fears and work WITH you.
My dentist said to me "you are too pretty to have your teeth look like that and WE are going to work together to give you a great smile". I have temps right now as I am only 7 weeks out of E-day...and they look great. I can only imagine how the perms are going to look..and I cant wait.
The fear of the unknown is what keeps most people from acting at all but what you are dealing with now is not what you should be...get a new smile and become the person you are inside

TINA DUNN said:
hello Laura, gosh you and I are in the EXACT same boat. I am soooooo afraid as well, I make appts with and then at the last minute I do not go. I fear they will look at my teeth and be horrified as much as I am at their condition. I am sooo afraid of the entire process. I am afraid my dentures will not look natural which is so important to me. I am afraid mostly of the unknown. From what the dentist will say, do, and in the end how I will cope with all of it. Will I be able to handle having upper and lower dentures, I am not sure. I have three bottom teeth left, and nine left on the top. The worst part of all of this is it has consumed every waking moment. I hardly talk with people anymore, Thanksgiving is on its way (my favorite Holiday) and I feel like I just want to be alone out of embarrasment. BOO; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Affordable Dental Care on November 5, 2009 at 11:12am: Hi Laura,

I think that the most important thing for you right now is to get in to see a dentist that you feel comfortable with and understands your general fear of dental procedures. Ask your friends for referrals of dentists they have felt comfortable with. If you are visiting a dentist you know you can trust you will likely have slightly less anxiety about the procedures. And you should feel good about going to the dentist now rather than down the road when you have no options besides dentures. Personally, I went through a similar situation with my dental health and found a great dentist at an Aspen Dental clinic (I went to the one in Bloomington, Indiana, but they have several around the country). They have a lot of knowledge about dentures so they will likely be able to tell you whether or not you need them. Good luck to you!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by valerie jordan on November 5, 2009 at 12:56pm: I also had the fear of being too embarrassed to have a dentist see how bad my teeth were.....but believe me,this is so irrational.....I also had the notion in my head all my life that all dentures look fake....but not anymore!!! They are gorgeous....I have a top teeth partial now and these irrational fears kept me from having a gorgeous smile and teeth I am proud to show off......; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Luvtosew on November 8, 2009 at 9:05am: Dentures look more real nowdays, as even people with their own teeth get veneers and and cosmetic work, if you watch tv , almost everyones teeth look perfect.

Also many people wear dentures so its not something to be ashamed of.

Yes you can get dentures right away, you will need to get them replaced in about 6 months to a year and keep getting them relined. Its better to get immediates in my opinion than going without.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Gina on November 11, 2009 at 10:54pm: What finally got me to the Dentist this time was a commercial he did on the radio about not judging patients and how they put people to sleep to get their dental work done. I was pretty much sold there. The thing I hated about dentists over the years was how Judgmental they and their staff would be. I was so fortunate to find this place as they were nothing like that. I got my extractions yesterday with an immediate Denture and I am now glad I did it 24 hours out. I have too been through the mill over the years with dental issues. Good luck with whatever you decide.; ▶ Reply to This