Let's talk dentures!

glassyo
glassyo Posts: 7,755 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Not that I really want to but I probably/most likely/99.9% sure will be getting them in the immediate future. (Hopefully, if it happens, because we're still slow at work but that's going to change reeeeeeally soon.)

I have a consultation with my dentist next Thursday about my options but I like to be prepared/know what to expect.

I wish I had a sense of humor about this but I can't even make my one joke about having meth mouth without lisping and then I wanna cry....

I'll have to have my remaining teeth extracted and the dentures apparently put in right then and there. I know I'll have to be on a soft foods diet after that but for how long? What can I eat? What can't I eat? I'm not a cook and have no plans to ever become one so anything I eat will have to be bought already prepared. I'm planning on my usual greek yogurt, cottage cheese, protein drinks, and maybe tuna for protein type stuff. I've heard people talk about sticking like real meals in a blender and making them soupy but...not on my watch. Sounds way too gross and I'm not even sure I *have* a blender! :)

What about my chocolate candy fix? Can I suck on some hershey's kisses? (Hey, priorities!)

God, I'm not miss my cookies for however long I'll have to do this. :)

I'll be put under sedation. Will I be able to go back to work the next day? Obviously not the same day I have the surgery.

Sooooooo many questions I can't think of right now.

So, basically, any tips? Words of encouragement? This is sorta freaking me out in general.

Replies

  • manderson27
    manderson27 Posts: 3,510 Member
    I am no expert so not sure if I am right or not. But I am surprised they are putting dentures in straight away, I thought it would need your mouth to settle and the swelling go down before they could take impressions for dentures otherwise how do they know they will fit properly.

    If they do put them in straight away then they will need to settle in and probably need adjusting as your gums adjust to the trauma of having the teeth removed.

    So my go to would be pretty much any soft foods, eggs, oatmeal, jelly, soup, mashed potato lots of stuff like that. It will take time for your mouth to get used to having the dentures so eat carefully and make sure you use a good dental adhesive if needed.

    Personally I would give it a couple of days at least off from work if possible just to adjust to the feel of them when eating, drinking and speaking.

    Don't be afraid to go back and ask for adjustments as many times as needed until they are comfortable, badly fitting dentures can make your mouth sore and painful.

    I am sure your dentist will give you all the advice you need on what you should and shouldn't do/eat and when you can return to work

    Sorry you are going to have to have this done. Guess it is in a lot of our futures eventually. :/
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    I'm so sorry you have to deal with this! As far as soft foods, you can add whipped/mashed potatoes to that list, and for chocolate... hot cocoa, chocolate ice cream, chocolate pudding :smile:

    As far as encouragement, lots of people have dentures, and I'm sure you're made of stronger stuff than at least some of them :wink:

    Hopefully some folks come by with firsthand experience for you!
  • zeejane03
    zeejane03 Posts: 993 Member
    manderson27 wrote: »
    I am no expert so not sure if I am right or not. But I am surprised they are putting dentures in straight away, I thought it would need your mouth to settle and the swelling go down before they could take impressions for dentures otherwise how do they know they will fit properly.

    If they do put them in straight away then they will need to settle in and probably need adjusting as your gums adjust to the trauma of having the teeth removed.

    So my go to would be pretty much any soft foods, eggs, oatmeal, jelly, soup, mashed potato lots of stuff like that. It will take time for your mouth to get used to having the dentures so eat carefully and make sure you use a good dental adhesive if needed.

    Personally I would give it a couple of days at least off from work if possible just to adjust to the feel of them when eating, drinking and speaking.

    Don't be afraid to go back and ask for adjustments as many times as needed until they are comfortable, badly fitting dentures can make your mouth sore and painful.

    I am sure your dentist will give you all the advice you need on what you should and shouldn't do/eat and when you can return to work

    Sorry you are going to have to have this done. Guess it is in a lot of our futures eventually. :/

    My husband's had a consultation and from what I remember you get a temporary set after the teeth are extracted, and then permanent ones after things calm down. Someone correct me if I'm wrong please!
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,300 Member
    Sounds like you are getting full dentures OP.

    You say extraction of your remaining teeth - so not sure how many teeth that means you are getting extracted on the day?

    I am not an expert and I do not have full dentures.

    But I do have a partial denture which replaces my 2 missing front teeth - they were extracted and the dentures were ready beforehand and fitted straight away. I think this is standard practice.

    In my case these were the permanant dentures, not a temporary one. Although some people do need to get them re lined after a few months due to post extraction gum shrinkage.

    It wasnt very painful (no worse than most dental visits) and I just took the following day off work.
  • emmamcgarity
    emmamcgarity Posts: 1,594 Member
    My mom has this done recently with posts surgically implanted for the dentures to attach to. It was very painful. But in the end it was a great move for her. She was limited in what she could eat for several months. She used a Ninja food chopper to chop her food before eating and ate lots of soups. There is also a YouTube channel I used called the No Chew Food channel with Sherry. She made some great recipes that I used when my dad had a stroke and was on a purée food diet.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,300 Member
    that sounds like implants rather than dentures, emmamcgarity.
  • Teabythesea_
    Teabythesea_ Posts: 559 Member
    Something many people dont think about when it comes to dental procedures... the jaw pain from numbing and/or simply having your mouth open for an extended period of time. After my first procedure I thought I was all set with soups, pudding, etc, only to discover my jaw pain was so bad I couldn't open wide enough to fit a spoon in. Maybe not everyone has this issue, I'm not sure, but I ended up buying the soups that come in a cup you can drink straight out of and a small baby spoon. It sounds funny, but it worked.
  • zeejane03
    zeejane03 Posts: 993 Member
    emmamcgarity wrote: »
    My mom has this done recently with posts surgically implanted for the dentures to attach to. It was very painful. But in the end it was a great move for her. She was limited in what she could eat for several months. She used a Ninja food chopper to chop her food before eating and ate lots of soups. There is also a YouTube channel I used called the No Chew Food channel with Sherry. She made some great recipes that I used when my dad had a stroke and was on a purée food diet.

    That's what my husband looked into, sounds like a different procedure than a full set of dentures? Good to know, for the future!
  • LuckyAndi
    LuckyAndi Posts: 203 Member
    I'll be going through this same procedure in a month or two. I've been trying to get recipes together for my fiance to cook for me, but I really don't want to think about it. I am terrified of getting this done, but it is a must.

    Not much help as far as your post questions, but I wish you all the luck and a speedy recovery!
  • emmamcgarity
    emmamcgarity Posts: 1,594 Member
    zeejane03 wrote: »
    emmamcgarity wrote: »
    My mom has this done recently with posts surgically implanted for the dentures to attach to. It was very painful. But in the end it was a great move for her. She was limited in what she could eat for several months. She used a Ninja food chopper to chop her food before eating and ate lots of soups. There is also a YouTube channel I used called the No Chew Food channel with Sherry. She made some great recipes that I used when my dad had a stroke and was on a purée food diet.

    That's what my husband looked into, sounds like a different procedure than a full set of dentures? Good to know, for the future!

    In my mom’s case they extracted 8 teeth, implanted the posts and she got a full set of dentures. I am sure most of her pain was from the implanted posts but some from the extractions as well. She does not feel the dentist fully described the length of time she would need soft food. My husband is also looking into a full set of dentures and our dentist is recommending the posts as well. The YouTube channel I referenced was made by a woman having dental surgery and was not able to chew for a long time. My dad really enjoyed the recipes I made from there after his stroke. Greek chicken was his favorite. The enchilada casserole was also very good.
  • CowboySar
    CowboySar Posts: 404 Member
    I am going through this right now for the second or third time lol..... I had my upper front 4 removed 5 years ago and got immediate partial dentures. Firstly I regret getting immediates as they didn't fit properly, and I shouldn't have had to go to work with no front teeth but I did because they weren't comfortable and didn't fit. It took me a year until I started wearing all the time, but never could eat with them due to fit. I don't remember what I ate back then either but I got by as it was only the front.

    Fast forward to this year. I have been having terrible tooth pain on my remaining uppers. 5 weeks ago I had 2 removed on left side and last week I had one eye tooth removed on the right side which ended up breaking a pretty good size piece of jaw bone off with it, plus stitches. To be honest the same day I was able to eat soup and a grilled cheese sandwich, and within a day I was eating my normal food, just a lot slower and cautiously.

    Now my story doesn't end here lol... I am meeting with an oral surgeon on Thursday for consult on having the remaining 6 teeth removed, hopefully within the next couple weeks due to work commitments. This time however I am not getting immediates. I am going to tough it out for 4-6 weeks with now upper teeth then go get fitted for proper precision dentures that look good and fit well. This is an undertaking in humility, as I fly every 2 weeks to and from work, work in an office, and am in the gym 6 days a week. I don't care I want them to fit and fit properly.

    I too am concerned on how I am going to be getting up to 3000 cals and all my macros in with no uppers. I am looking everything from, greek yogurt, mashed potato, pulled or ground meats, protein shakes, carb shakes, peanut butter, soft sandwiches and the like.

    I am with you and you are not alone, it sucks but what can we do. I wish you all the best.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,300 Member
    edited February 2019
    So, emmamcgarity, does your mom take the false teeth in and out or do they stay in her mouth permanantly and cannot be removed?

    If so, that is what we call implants rather than dentures - but if you are getting implants you get the posts put in first and temporary dentures and then the permanant implants a few months later when the gum has healed

    ETA by posts, I mean the inserted into your jaw bone things the implants( the false teeth) attach to.
  • CowboySar
    CowboySar Posts: 404 Member
    zeejane03 wrote: »
    manderson27 wrote: »
    I am no expert so not sure if I am right or not. But I am surprised they are putting dentures in straight away, I thought it would need your mouth to settle and the swelling go down before they could take impressions for dentures otherwise how do they know they will fit properly.

    If they do put them in straight away then they will need to settle in and probably need adjusting as your gums adjust to the trauma of having the teeth removed.

    So my go to would be pretty much any soft foods, eggs, oatmeal, jelly, soup, mashed potato lots of stuff like that. It will take time for your mouth to get used to having the dentures so eat carefully and make sure you use a good dental adhesive if needed.

    Personally I would give it a couple of days at least off from work if possible just to adjust to the feel of them when eating, drinking and speaking.

    Don't be afraid to go back and ask for adjustments as many times as needed until they are comfortable, badly fitting dentures can make your mouth sore and painful.

    I am sure your dentist will give you all the advice you need on what you should and shouldn't do/eat and when you can return to work

    Sorry you are going to have to have this done. Guess it is in a lot of our futures eventually. :/

    My husband's had a consultation and from what I remember you get a temporary set after the teeth are extracted, and then permanent ones after things calm down. Someone correct me if I'm wrong please!

    I was told you can get immediate dentures and pay for them and then get permanent and pay for those as well.
  • emmamcgarity
    emmamcgarity Posts: 1,594 Member
    paperpudding wrote: »
    So, emmamcgarity, does your mom take the false teeth in and out or do they stay in her mouth permanantly and cannot be removed?

    If so, that is what we call implants rather than dentures - but if you are getting implants you get the posts put in first and temporary dentures and then the permanant implants a few months later when the gum has healed

    ETA by posts, I mean the inserted into your jaw bone things the implants( the false teeth) attach to.

    The dentures are taken out at night. The posts (2 on bottom and 2 on top) are permanently implanted for her dentures to attach to.
  • zeejane03
    zeejane03 Posts: 993 Member
    edited February 2019
    paperpudding wrote: »
    So, emmamcgarity, does your mom take the false teeth in and out or do they stay in her mouth permanantly and cannot be removed?

    If so, that is what we call implants rather than dentures - but if you are getting implants you get the posts put in first and temporary dentures and then the permanant implants a few months later when the gum has healed

    ETA by posts, I mean the inserted into your jaw bone things the implants( the false teeth) attach to.

    There's a denture set-up that attaches to implants, supposed to prevent some of the jaw receding/bone loss and then also helps keep the dentures in place. It's called SnapSecure dentures. You still take them out at night. Not cheap though, once you factor in the implants!
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,300 Member
    oh, ok, I have not heard of those sort of dentures.

    Implants sure arent cheap either - am looking into getting just 2 myself (as only have a partial denture for 2 teeth, rest are my natural teeth) and they are going to cost a small fortune.

    But they stay in your mouth all the time and are permanently attached to the insertion posts.

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