Dentures or natural teeth?

Thanks for all your comments! I'm 69 and take pretty good care of my teeth. The last upper molar I lost bummed me out, because there isn't really enough bone to do an implant without grafting. On the other hand, the dentist told me I wouldn't miss it in chewing, and he was right about that.

Oh no! I just looked up oil pulling! I brush and floss and go to the dentist. Do I have to start another health routine that I won't actually do?

I had two grandmothers who probably didn't do much of anything in the way of dental care. So their teeth were painful, and dentures were a big relief. My mother spent a small fortune on dental work in the last few years of her life, because they were crumbling. I'm sure she was pleased to die with her own teeth, not dentures.

I guess I will keep my teeth as long as I can. I use a battery toothbrush, which makes a big difference in plaque build-up. That's probably the only reason my AD husband still gets good check-ups. I dread the day I have to start brushing for him.

My dentist teaches part time at UW, and has been saying that tooth-bud implants, to grow "natural teeth", are working their way down the pipeline...I can hardly wait!
Best to avoid needing dental work done. Don't allow any dentist to start shaving parts of teeth off to accommodate something like Booschmoop described, to fit partials or to glue on cosmetic appliances....years down the road, those have ruined good teeth. Good flossing and brushing are foundational for preserving teeth.
Dentures are not all their cracked up to be--they are simply the cheapest way to achieve something like teeth; they are troublesome for keeping a decent fit, for many people. Implants are a great idea, but can be higher maintenance, and, something most dentists will not tell about them: the body tissue cannot knit into the faux root implanted [often titanium]; therefore, that micro-space can be a conduit of infection; mouths are very germ-ridden, and those can migrate along that seam, into the body, particularly in those with compromised immune function or otherwise frail health.
Flossing, brushing, Oil-Pulling a couple times a day or more, and stop consuming sugars and sugar-producing starches, all can help preserve your natural teeth.
Science is also starting to wake up and try to 'tell the Emperor he's naked': to refute the government fiction that's been promoting of adding fluoride to water and other products. It's an industrial waste, in a form poorly compatible with strengthening teeth, and additive to other sources. Fluoride can cause gums to recede, and brain deterioration issues, among other things.
We've chosen to avoid it as much as possible; especially important for those living in certain geographical areas. See a brief map, more information, and numerous references, for starters: wikipedia
Bottom line: Take good care of your teeth!

This is a question I've been asking myself. My husband had to get his teeth pulled and then full dentures about 10 years ago because ruined teeth was one of the side effects of the chemo and radiation he had as cancer treatments. He was in his mid-50's. He tends to forget to wear the dentures because he likes to chew bubble gum to keep his mouth moistened (dry due to medications), but he's never said that the dentures were a problem in terms of how food tasted, etc. He gets his from the VA at no cost, but as long as they fit comfortably he seems to be fine with them -- he's had several pairs (due to dropping them and then stepping on them, losing them because they fell out of a pocket, etc.) and the current ones fit so well that he doesn't need to use an adhesive.

My Mom who passed away about 3 weeks ago at age 96 had most of her own teeth but did wear a partial upper and a partial lower for many many years. Over the last 3 or 4 years, her natural teeth broke off and crumbled away in spite of good dental care, and she became sensitive about how she looked -- she worried about smiling with her mouth open, and some things became too difficult for her to want to eat. Minutes before she passed, she kept trying to close her mouth and could not keep it closed, so I placed a soft folded towel under her chin just enough to keep her mouth closed. She visibly relaxed and was breathing fine through her nose, and then in just a little while she passed over. I kept the towel in place for a while to prevent her jaw from relaxing and her mouth coming open, because it just seemed obvious to me that she didn't want to "go" that way and have everyone see her mouth looking ugly. She had been a really beautiful woman, but never vain about it, but I knew that her self-esteem was damaged by the breakage and discolorations of her natural teeth in these last years, and my heart went out to her over it.

So I think about that for myself ... I do need a partial for my uppers to replace molars. Maybe down the road in another 10 or so years, I'll opt to go for full dentures.

Thank you ferris1 :-) I am proud of her! I must admit I have not taken care of my teeth like I should have over the years. Pretty embarrassing to be lectured by your own kid on these things lol She was nice about it though.

Well said Booschmoop! I'll bet you are proud of your daughter too!

My daughter is a dentist. Her advice to me is to do whatever you can to keep your own teeth. As long as you don't suffer from a lot of bone loss you should be able to do that. Her other advice is to never skip flossing. If you have enough time for either brushing of flossing, floss. I have also seen what it's like for my mother in law and her dentures. For whatever reason they filed most of her lower teeth down and fit her with a partial that she can't use anymore. Her bottom teeth are now useless nubs, Her uppers don't fit well and she can only eat mushy foods. She'll sit and chew a little scrap of nothing all day long. At 97 with heart issues no dentist will touch her. My husband even has to take them out and put them in for her now. Not fun. Do what you can to keep your teeth. Visit a dental school for dental work if cost is an issue.

Natural teeth are THE best choice you will ever make. Take that from a person who had four implants misplaced, then the pain and suffering of removal, then time waiting to heal, and don't let anyone tell you dentures are better! If you have no teeth at all, then consider it.

I love my dentures! I can not tolerate having another root canal. I am 69, and can chew fine. I do not want to have teeth filled, capped, or pulled when I am older or have dementia. My opinion only. My aunt cannot tell when she has cavities or cracked teeth, and I just made a dental appt. after her cleaning and check-up showed a cavity in gum line going into base of a capped tooth. She has had partials for ages, and remembers how to use and clean them. Will she if she gets new ones? Probably not. The tooth involved is an anchor for the partial.

@Christine74. Thanks for telling me about Perogen. Will look into it.

I had my teeth pulled out and got dentures. I have regretted it big time. It changed me in more ways than I can count. I wish I had a do over!

I have my mom brush and rinse with Perogen. It's a life saver! Stopped her bleeding gums. It's a powder that you can make a rinse or paste out if by mixing with water. It clears up periodontal disease and tightens the gums. My mom is in a nh and oral care is spotty. I floss her teeth and have her rinse and brush with this every time I'm there. I see the difference in her teeth and gums. I bought it online at perogen. There's also peridex which is an antibiotic for the mouth. That requires a dentists prescription and they say it's not indicated for long term because it can discolor teeth or make them sensitive. Ask your dentist if the benefits outweigh the risks...

Natural teeth are always better. Root canals are painful, but necessary. When you need one, don't delay, as your whole face can swell if the dead root becomes infected.
Implants are expensive and take about four months to heal. But if you have good crowns made for the implant, your teeth will look great. Moreover you won't be able to tell the difference between your natural teeth and your implants,
I wish a manufacturer would come up with a good mouthwash for persons with dementia who can't brush any longer.

Don't do it!! My mom went for dentures and she was never the same afterwards. She was embarrassed, her sense of self was damaged, food became stuck between the dentures and her gums, her speech was effected and as we age, even our mouth contour changes and the teeth never fit well.

Jinx, I've wondered myself if the pain and expense involved in preserving out natural teeth is worth it.
My mom had a full upper denture most of her life and never had any problems eating. We have had more problems since she had to get a lower partial, they don't fit as snugly without adhesives. Since she now is on a modified diet I can't say if she would be able to eat real food or not.
I do know that her first set of porcelain teeth lasted over 20 years, her second set also lasted almost as long, but the teeth they make now seem designed to be replaced and repaired much more frequently.
I also wonder about mouth care once we are in a nursing home, it seems that when staff are overburdened oral care is one of the first things to go. I recall visiting an aunt who had food pocketed in her cheeks hours after any meal, it is no wonder that the teeth she spent so much money on and had been so proud of rotted away and had to be removed.

Some 40 years ago when my grandmother was in her early 70s, she told me her dentist explained that even if one's teeth are crooked and/or ugly, they still are better than the best dentures.

In my 30s I had avery painful root canal. When i needed another in my 40s, I told the dentist to just pull it. He refused saying he would not pull a healthy tooth. I said how heathy can it be? Twenty yrs later I have lost two different teeth for different reasons. Long way to say that root canal says nothing about overall health of teeth & an ethical dentist will not pull healthy teeth. But discuss your concerns with your dentist, see him regularly to keep your teeth, & address issues early before they get out of hand. I've read somewhere that healthy teeth are important for overalll health.

There's nothing like your natural teeth. Dentures are not comfortable fir everyone and they can be hard to get used to. The best thing to do is brush twice a day, floss every day, and use listerine. Go to a good dentist who will give you a thorough exam and cleaning. But to have good teeth removed is just barberic. Not to mention painful. Not to mention that at a version age gum shrinkage prevents the proper wearing of dentures, so now you're on a diet of mush. Please do not do this. I've had 5 root canals and 1 implant. My teeth are beautiful and functional. Most important thing you can do if you don't already is floss every day.

I know what my dentist says--keep your natural teeth! Dentures cause a lot of problems--your mouth changes over time and one set will probably not last more than 5 years. My FIL was constantly having problems with his.

Root canals, crowns--all part of the aging process. You don't say how old you are, but I have mouth full of root canals and crowns and I will do the work to make sure I never have to deal with dentures!

When daddy was bedridden and on a lot of pain meds and not cleaning his teeth well, we did have some issues. Mother finally realized she had to help him to brush and floss and the issues ended. Pulling all his teeth when he was only sort of aware of what was going on? Trying to deal with getting him accustomed to dentures? His dentist actually made house calls.
(Can you tell I was a dental assistant? Keep your natural teeth as long as possible---dentistry in the 40's and dentistry in this millennium are completely different animals!)

It is always better to keep your natural teeth even though you have to get root canals and crowns. An upper denture can work for you if you have a good bone ridge, but I would definitely hesitate to get a lower denture because most people don't have good bone on the bottom which is necessary to keep a denture in.

Natural teeth can be a problem for those with dementia and bedridden at home for several years. How do you know when the patient's teeth are an infection problem, and if they are what do you do about it? The concern of not knowing is worrying. I am in that position and thankful that at least my wife has an upper denture. The lower natural teeth are now crumbling but as far as I can tell there is no infection . . .yet. If you anticipate the future may include dementia my advice would be to remove one's natural teeth before it's too late.

my mom has her two front teeth out and we had a plate made. but she doesn't wear them, says food doesn't taste good with them in.

From what i heard (not sure if your grandma is an exception) there is nothing like your own teeth so try to keep them as long as possible. My mom had the best dentures made but never quite mastered exactly how to chew with them which limited what she ate which of course was the point in getting them in the first place.