Just pull ‘em and give me dentures
As a dentist, I unfortunately hear this phrase on a semi-regular basis. It usually is followed by an explanation by the patient of how much his or her mother/uncle/sister/grandma/etc LOVES their dentures and has never had a problem with them.
My typical response is something like: “The only reason they love their dentures is because they don’t remember what it is like to have real teeth.” I don’t mean to sound negative about the denture-wearing population, but I think that sometimes patients begin to think that wearing dentures is just an inevitable future…. That nothing can be done to avoid losing all of one’s teeth.
That is simply not the case! Even starting with a less-than-ideal condition, you dentist can almost always work with you on a plan to save at least some (if not all) of your natural teeth.
All that being said, if you are beyond the point of saving any teeth, dentures can be a worthwhile alternative to having no teeth at all. Over the next few days, we will discuss the various options available for replacing teeth if you find yourself without any.
-dr z
