I am frustrated with my dentist and need some advice. My parents were never able to afford a dentist as I was growing up. I am 29 and just now able to afford a dentist myself. I do take good care of my teeth but my dentist says three of them he’d like to remove and is only offering me a partial denture. It is frustrating to me because when I ask him if we can save the teeth he says they are not worth the effort and my best option is to just take them out and get partial dentures. Is this really my only option?
Jennifer
Dear Jennifer,
I agree that you are way too young to be losing your teeth. I don’t think you currently have the best dentist for your needs. Dentists vary in their willingness to save teeth. You need a dentist that really cares and wants the best for his patients. That means saving as many teeth as possible.
Additionally, if you do happen to have a tooth that can not be saved, then a partial denture is the worst option for a replacement. The only way his advice could go down further is if he said to not even bother replacing it.
The Danger of Dentures
When your teeth are removed, your body recognizes there are no longer roots of your teeth in your jawbone. As a result, it will begin to resorb the minerals in your jawbone in order to use those natural resources where they are most needed. Eventually, depending on the number of teeth you lose, your jaw will shrink. This condition is known as facial collapse.
When you replace a tooth, you want to replace it with something that provides that root your body needs. The ideal replacement is a dental implant. As you can see from the image above, a dental implant provides a root form for your body. This not only gives you a better quality of life with a more secure bite, but it also preserves your bone structure.
This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Steven Collins.