You’ll be smiling for England Mollie :-D:-D Fancy some patients going without teeth for 6 months though, that’s an awfully long time! You’re definitely in good hands with your dentist.
Thank you for being positive for me Marian. That means a lot to me to have some good support.
How do people eat without teeth though? I guess they adapt somehow.
Gareth said for me to think about it and we’d chat again in six months, but I told him I don’t think I’ll be waiting six months. 
You’re welcome Mollie 
I think you’ve made your mind up and if you have the money then go for it asap, 6 months is a long time to wait, we wanna see you smiling again like this
Well I’ve been figuring out my finances Marian, and I’ve got my £200 heating allowance then, in February and March, we’ve no council tax to pay, so I reckon by March I’ll be able to afford it easy, then I hope to be smiling like this. 
Thats great news Mollie, I love it when we have those 2 months with no council tax to pay. When you get your new teeth we’ll be wanting to see a new photo
Er, well, not so sure about a new photo lass, but I’ll certainly let you know how I feel about it all. It will probably spur me on to have a bit of a make-over as well, and thanks for not making fun of me. 
Once our Mollie has her new pearly white gnashers, she’ll be dazzling us all!!!
Hi!
You go girl! I have always had very poor teeth, in 1970 a dentist told me I needed them all out and dentures. I chose to ignore him. In 72 after our first was born, I was accepted at the Dental School and had my teeth filled, root canals etc, all for the price of the materials! Their work last for over 20 years!
Slowly over the last few years my teeth are falling by the way. I have a partial denture, otherwise all I would need is a wart on my nose and I could scare the hell out of everyone!!! lol!
The dentists can do a “re-line” which is not as expensive as a new set of dentures should your gums shrink etc. I have been on a diet this year and have lost so much weight I needed to get my denture re lined as it just wobbled around in my mouth!
You will have to adapt the way you eat some things, like an apple, you can’t bite into it, slice it and then eat.
But you are doing the right thing! I know how demoralising it is not to have decent looking teeth and you develop a great reluctance to smile let alone laugh!!
In addition to dentists we have dental technicians that the public can go to directly for re lines/repairs and that works out a lot cheaper than getting the dentist to send dentures to the technician. Might be worth inquiring about down the track!
Good Luck!
Good luck with the new teeth xo
I had all my teeth out & dentures put in when I was only about 25! I cant remember why now I think it was that my gums were bleeding & at the time they just whipped them out without trying any other treatment 
I had the old ones out & the new ones in as well. It was uncomfortable (to say the least) for a while but at least I wasn’t without teeth. I suppose after so long I’ve got used to them now & don’t think I would go back to having “proper” teeth They are a lot less trouble than real ones anyway - no more toothache & 6 monthly checkups & expensive treatment 
. I think they are due to be re-lined now but a bit of “Fixodent” on the bottom ones keeps things in place & there is nothing I cant eat
Good luck when you have yours done Mollie. Its not as bad as you think.
Terrific photo Mollie, you are what they used to say when I was young.“A fine thing”, and what perfect teeth!, no wonder you hate to have them out, but just like everything else, they wear out over the years and you’ll get used to the new in no time and be your confident self again. The best of luck as always:-D.
What a lovely photo Mollie, you were lucky to have such good teeth and I can understand your upset at losing them. Mine have always been dodgy. Good luck with whatever you decide to do, it sounds like you have a really good dentist.
Thank you all for your positive and kind comments. Lorraine, part of your post gave me a good laugh about the wart and, because I’m sat here on my own, I could do just that!
I am just so darned frustrated that this has happened and the fact that it has, has stripped me of the confidence I used to have.
Ah well. It’s good to know I’ve somebody to talk to about it that won’t make derisory comments and treat all this as a joke.
Thanks again.
I would suggest having a look at http://www.dentalfearcentral.org/forum/ which is a source of very good dental advice and a good place to ask about dental fears and concerns. They have helped me a lot.
So pleased for you Mollie Reading your posts you certainly sound more confident and positive about it all, now that you know you will be able to get the treatment
Graham thank you so much for that. I have great confidence in my dentist now that we’ve had a good heart to heart about it. He is extremely empathic toward me because he does know how upset I’ve been over the last few years and he’s done his best, but the truth is, and I have to face facts, that I either lose them one by one, or I have total extraction.
My first filling was when I was 23 years old, then I had tooth enhancement using a porcelain covering to one tooth at the age of 30 which was purely cosmetic, but cost me nowt because I was under British Military care, then a bridge at about 35. I’ve only had two fillings in my life and two extractions of back teeth because a wisdom tooth pushed two teeth out. I’m only missing three teeth at the back and I’ve had no serious dental treatment.
I’ve been very lucky indeed, but I have lost confidence because of my teeth over the last few years, but I am now positive and I have to rid myself of what I have, for new ones but, like I told my dentist, I swore I’d never ever need false teeth and this is enormous for me.
He has given me hope but, more to the point, he can restore my confidence in myself.
I’ve been giving this a lot of thought and I’ve now decided that I must make the effort so I’ll have to save up the £204 I’ll need. If I have the procedure done at the end of March, I will have saved £170+ because I won’t have to pay Council Tax for January and February, which will go towards it.
I’m scared though, really scared so, if anybody is willing to share their experiences of dentures, I’d be very grateful as I have nobody else to talk to about it. I don’t know if I’ll be able to eat properly, speak normally, the fear of them dropping out when I’m chatting to folk. I have no clue what to expect as I’ve never had a false tooth in my life, not even one. I’m very embarrassed about this, but going through with the procedures will, I know, change my perspective on life. I’ll perfectly understand though if nobody is willing to discuss it with me on the forum.
Hi Mollie!
Being afraid of the unknown is my biggest hurdle too! Once I know what to expect, procedure outcome etc., then my mind sets about dealing with all the info and I am okay.
I have spent probably thousands of hours over my life in dentist’s chairs, that I have taught myself to “zone out”, even going into a twilight sleep on my own! I start with concentrating on my breathing, then form a picture in my mind, I must admit I use the same one, then I bring in the sounds, then the smells and just enjoy the images in my mind. I am aware of what is happening, but am relaxed.
The needles do not hurt these days, with a good dentist the extractions will be quick and easy. I needed an extraction not too long ago, and it was to be done by a “new” addition to the practice. When she came in and explained what was to be done, then asked if I had any questions, I said “just one”! “May I see the soles of your shoes, please?” She looked at me askance and I said, “Well, this is a clean top, and I did not want you to leave any footprints on it, when you use your foot for leverage to pull out my tooth”! That broke the ice and all was good! Did not feel the tooth being removed!
When I had the front partial plate put in, at first I thought I would gag, with a “layer” over the palate. I rushed home and took it out! Had a cuppa and a smoke and went back and put it in. Then had a drink of water. No problems. Like you I was worried my speech would be altered and there would be a clicking sound with every syllable, but again, no problems. I used to see my grandmother rush from the table in agony during a meal, as a tomato seed had lodged under her plate! More than one dentist and my dental technician have said that methods etc have vastly improved since the 50’s (should bloody well hope so!! lol) and with a good fitting denture this will not happen. There are good dental adhesives out there, should the need arise to use them to keep slipping dentures in place. Again a good fitting denture will not move around easily. I had to get mine relined about 3 months ago, as I had lost so much weight it had altered the jaw line! I would never have thought that! Also needed to get my specs frames adjusted for the same reason! For your information, I only have one upper molar on the left hand side and one on the lower right hand side and have been that way for many years! The denture is for half the upper left front. I have managed quite well with the absence of so many teeth! Because I have laminates on what is left of my upper front teeth, I am careful not to use them to bite into hard food, lest I break them. However, with dentures, I would be guided by the dentist. I feel sure, even though I have only been a member here for a wee while, that the forumites will understand your plight and be supportive and informative! Good Luck and I for one, look forward to seeing a pic of the “new” smile!! Cheers!
Oh Lorraine, thank you for your serious post with a bit of humour thrown in as well. You’ve made me feel so much better!
Thing is, in my 62 years apart from about three fillings, I’ve never had a problem with my teeth before now. Never had an extraction, bridge or anything else apart from a cap, just a six-monthly clean-up, and that’s why I’ve been scared. Not of the dentist or any procedure as I have trust in him, but of actually losing my own teeth.
Anway, nuff said. It’s going to have to happen.
How do you clean them though? Are they to be cleaned with toopaste and brush, or do they have to soak in a glass overnight?
A bit of info before the deed is done would be helpful.
No, toothpaste is considered too abrasive! Your dentist should provide you with a plastic denture container (lidded) and a denture toothbrush. Soap and water and rinse under the tap. My technician said once a week soak in a solution of 50/50 white vinegar and water overnight and a scrub with brush will remove any tea/coffee stains.
Should you need adhesive in the future, I find the store’s own brand just as effective as the more expensive brand names. I have also tried those fizzy pills you put in the denture cup with warm (never HOT) water and soak overnight, again the generic brands are as effective imho as the brand names.
I had to have all my baby teeth out under general anaesthetic as a toddler. I still remember being wheeled on a wicker trolley and being told I was getting some fairy dust to have a lovely sleep! I was a frequent visitor to the dentist in my school years, upright unforgiving chair to have extractions and then my Dad would take me past the popcorn shop on the way to the train station and as a “reward” buy me a bag of freshly made chocolate popcorn to eat on the way home!!! That is just after a fresh extraction!!! We would take the tooth home and later I would put it in dad’s vice, hacksaw it in half and examine it with a magnifying glass! All childhood curiosity! Nothing macabre!
Alas, I digress! I must correct my earlier post, hundreds, not thousands of hours!! lol!! I went away and was thinking about what I had written and realised that thousands is a bit over the top!! lol!! Sleep well!