Dentures at an early age...or a flipper...lots of questions

[Ottakee]

My youngest dd has terrible teeth.  Combo of genetics, lots of antibiotics and steroids as a baby/small child, seizure meds, and a terrible dentist we used for a short time.

Anyway.  she went to our new, great, dentist this morning with severe pain.  She has an infection in the root canal of her 2 lower front teeth.  These teeth both had root canals and one has a partial and one has an implant already there.  They said our choices are root canal surgery....about $3000 or remove the 2 teeth and get a "flipper".  We are also looking at the possibility of a bridge.  ALL of this will be out of pocket as she is on SSI disability and medicaid.

Reality is, she will most likely need dentures in the next 5-10 years as we are doing bandaid fixes right now.  If it was a back tooth I would say pull it and let it be but these are her FRONT teeth...and she is getting married in 6 weeks.

She wants to get dentures but I know it isn't quite that easy as just saying "I want dentures as I hate this tooth pain".

Any input from anyone that had dentures at a young age?  Had the root canal repair surgery (they said no promises it would last long term),?  Gone with a flipper?

I hate that she has to deal with this.  I could come up with the money if it was a long term solution....but I am hesitant if it is just a bandaid type fix.

Tomorrow I will talk to the dentist again to review our options and pros and cons of each.  Ideally I would love to get her through the wedding and honeymoon pain free and then deal with it then but not sure that is an option.

 

[Pen]

I’ve had a flipper—not sure what to say though. My first was an extremely uncomfortable thick thing like a thick retainer going across roof of mouth (top not bottom tooth)  Then a wonderful one which I alas lost.  My new one is medium — a little thicker and less comfortable than the lost one, otoh , but stays in place even if I eat which is good. 

[Pen]

A bridge might be a better option if doable.  I did not want good teeth filed down to do it, but a bf has bridge that seems to work totally like a regular tooth, doesn’t come out and get lost...

both teeth would need removal?  

 

Edited August 7, 2019 by Pen

[catz]

She can't get implants?  Ugh - I assume she's pretty young to be doing this and it would be nice for her not to have to deal with temp fixes and putting things in and out of the mouth all the time.  

[Ottakee]

38 minutes ago, FuzzyCatz said:

She can't get implants?  Ugh - I assume she's pretty young to be doing this and it would be nice for her not to have to deal with temp fixes and putting things in and out of the mouth all the time.  

Implants can run $$$$$ per tooth.  Not doable on $8000 per year income and insurance does not cover it at all.

[catz]

1 minute ago, Ottakee said:

Implants can run $$$$$ per tooth.  Not doable on $8000 per year income and insurance does not cover it at all.

Oh ok, I get it.  I'm sorry.  😞  

[Ottakee]

5 minutes ago, FuzzyCatz said:

Oh ok, I get it.  I'm sorry.  😞  

I would love to do that but it can be $3000 plus per tooth and she already has one inplant and that is one that needs work.  Right now she just wants dentures ASAP...even before the wedding if we could get it done but I don't want her to be in pain or have any issues then.

[Okra]

I can't speak to your exact position..... But, I do want you to know that I have had the exact same flipper for 16 years.

It is for the front bottom tooth and looks completely natural. It took a few weeks to get used to, but now it's just a part of me. I eat with it in and just take it out twice a day to brush it. I plan on having it for another few decades too.

So, I just wanted to let you know that a flipper can be a low cost solution and last for a long time.

Good luck with your decision!

[Ottakee]

6 hours ago, Okra said:

I can't speak to your exact position..... But, I do want you to know that I have had the exact same flipper for 16 years.

It is for the front bottom tooth and looks completely natural. It took a few weeks to get used to, but now it's just a part of me. I eat with it in and just take it out twice a day to brush it. I plan on having it for another few decades too.

So, I just wanted to let you know that a flipper can be a low cost solution and last for a long time.

Good luck with your decision!

That is good to know.  That would be a much cheaper option and certainly less drastic.

[Lecka]

Can she get implants?  

That’s honestly what I would recommend.

I have “a flipper” for my front teeth, but I consider it a “removable bridge” (as opposed to a permanent bridge).  

It is a nice quality and made of metal.

I had plastic ones when I was younger — those are what I would consider a “flipper.”

But it’s worth nailing down just what you are talking about with the dentist!!!!!!

I just got a new metal bridge with my two front teeth, this year.  I have been having them last about 10 years, this is my 3rd one basically. 

I do well with a bridge but many, many people do not tolerate them.  Many, many people.  

I was not a candidate for implants in years past but now I’m hearing it’s a possibility for me.

There are many advantages to implants, I think.

Are you getting pushed into a cheaper option?  I would wonder or ask that, and see what is said.

A “partial” (metal removable bridge) like I have or an even cheaper (and IMO — lower quality — I had them because I was a child and had to get one replaced every year or two) option with a plastic “flipper” (if this is being used to mean a plastic removable bridge)...... it can be something where you are steered based on money I think.

I would not recommend a plastic partial or removable bridge (is this what is meant as a flipper?) and I do well with a metal one but many people do not.

Also cosmetically — implants look better.

It can depend on things like gum line and where your lip rests — I am fine with how my partial bridge looks — but if I smile really big you can see the part above my teeth (the part that looks like fake gums).  I don’t like how that looks — but it’s not a big deal.

If my gun line or smile line were different — I couldn’t stand it.  I would be self-conscious about it really badly.  The dentist can talk about this and maybe you wouldn’t even be discussing some options if this were going to be an issue.  

I have found that most people don’t notice — but people who have some kind of fake teeth notice!  And I notice with other people, where my husband doesn’t notice. 

[Lecka]

I’m going to add about my experience with a plastic partial removable bridge (probably what is meant by flipper).  It gave me a slight speech impediment sometimes, because my tongue would slide on the roof of my mouth where the plastic was.  

I had this come back just a tiny bit with my new bridge, but I am used to it now and it hasn’t happened since it was 1-2 months new.  

But I would be very embarrassed in choir to not end a word properly because my tongue would slide!

This has gone away for me with my current one, but it seemed like a recurring thing when I had plastic, although it’s hard to know if I was self-conscious or if other people noticed it.  

For front teeth it needs to look as nice as it can look, or people do things like never smiling with their mouth open and trying not to open their mouth too wide when they talk, if they think it is going to look bad.  

And a lot of people just can’t adjust to wearing them at all.  I have had many comments along these lines and I have had comments I’m lucky I can “tolerate” wearing one.

I think (my impression) a lot of people get one because it’s cheaper and they “hope” they can wear it, but then they just can’t.  I have had one since I was a childhood so it’s just something I am used to.  

Anyway — if implants are an option I think they are better.  

But not everyone is a candidate — I used to not be, but I’m thinking about looking into it now, because I have gotten feedback that the techniques are better now and would work better for me.

I have also heard that implants are better for people’s gums — and that if it can work out it would be better for my gums to have implants.  This has been a theme for me, I am missing some “structure” (or some word) in my gums, and it deteriorates when there are no teeth or implants.  So it’s better to get implants — but it seems now my gums might be good enough.

I also have small teeth and have been advised not to have a permanent bridge where they cap teeth the side, because I would have to have 4 teeth capped and if they redid it my small teeth could only be ground down twice without being ruined, so they don’t think that’s good for me.  

I have talked to other people who love their permanent bridge (with teeth to the side of the fake teeth, capped), who also had a plastic removable bridge (flipper?) when they were younger, and then got a permanent bridge when they were about 20.  

It’s just not an option for me so I don’t think of it.

But actually I think that does work great for a lot of people, and I think it often looks better than a removable bridge.  

But I think that a lot of these people would be going with implants now.  

But this is context for how I’m lucky I can have a partial bridge, because if not, maybe I would do a permanent bridge even though it’s not really recommended for me because of my small teeth. 

My teeth are totally normal, just proportional to my size, and a man will have larger teeth, and then they don’t have to worry about grinding teeth for caps.

Partly too they estimate how many times you might have issues with caps in your lifespan, and I was 20 when deciding some things, and they don’t want to do that at a young age for someone with small teeth.

Also it depends which teeth will be capped, I guess, I have known women who had it but they had caps on teeth more at the back of their mouth.  

Anyway — I would be open to that, I just don’t know about it, beyond knowing what it would be if I had it and why it’s not really recommended for my situation.  

At my age now they might think it was fine for me to do.  

[Lecka]

I think some dentists are very sympathetic to people who can’t tolerate wearing partials, and some have an attitude and go “they just don’t want to wear them.”  

There are negative stereotypes like — someone is getting the cheaper option, “they just don’t want to brush their teeth, they just don’t want to wear their partial.”

I have been around it a little here and there, and it is loathsome.  

[Lecka]

Oh!  I just read other posts.  

Well — I am very, very satisfied with my metal partial.  Metal is more than plastic but when it lasts 10 years, and my husband’s insurance pays half, it can be good.

Also sometimes you may be able to drive somewhere and have one made cheaper.  I was in this situation ten years ago (lol) and I drove to a place that just did — pulling teeth and making partials.  They had their own lab!  They did great work!  But the place was full of people who couldn’t afford better dental care, so kind-of depressing.  But I got a great partial made there! It looked great!

Mine wear down with the teeth.  This may be partially just my mouth, but they can only do so much to bond the make teeth to the metal.  That is what will break, usually, and they can’t make it thicker and have it fit my mouth.  So that is a thing that will eventually break for me.  And then when my most recent one was replaced, it hadn’t broken, but I could tell it was getting worse and I didn’t want to have it broke and have nothing until something new could be made.

I have no trouble at all eating.  Here and there I don’t bite into things, or can’t sever a food with my front teeth where I think someone could with real teeth.  But it’s minor, and not comparable to my experience with plastic — when I had plastic they would flip up fairly often when I ate, and I went out of my way not to bite into things.  I don’t know if I have just adjusted now?  I don’t know.

I have had this a long time and I know how I like some of the metal scuffed where my tongue rests on it, which is something they can do.  

I have also found since I’ve gotten older — I had an accident, and a lot of people younger got teeth knocked out in accidents or playing sports.   

So I have had missing teeth a long, long time.  

But my mouth is overall pretty healthy, and I am used to this situation, so I think it is different than people who are having more mouth-health related problems.

From talking to people, it seems like they have a harder time if they have problems with mouth health.

There is also the matter of having swollen gums. I cannot wear mine if my gums are swollen.  It is too painful.  But (knock on wood) I don’t get swollen gums hardly ever, and when I do they go down overnight or within an hour or two.  

But some people will have swollen gums more often and my impression is that makes it a lot harder to wear a partial bridge like what I have.  

The thing is, and I know this about myself, if I push through and wear my partial bridge when my gums are swollen, the swelling won’t go away, it will get worse.  I need to take them out — at least at home and overnight.  But I think some people are prone to having slightly swollen gums and then wearing the bridge exacerbates it.  

That is just my impression from talking to people.

A lot of my parents’ friends have had a partial and they know I have one, and this is my impression from talking to them.  

They have mostly advanced on to either dentures or implants, after not being able to tolerate a removable bridge.  

[Lecka]

I’m not sure but I think looking at lifetime costs, and hearing about a dental college that can do implants — I think I’m looking at break-even-ish between expecting to replace a partial bridge every 10 years, or get implants.  So I don’t think of implants as being too expensive — but I have heard about a dental college where I could have it done.  

But I haven’t actually priced anything either!

I want to say my metal partial removable bridge with two fake teeth cost..... about $500 ish when I went to the place that specialized in making partials (they had a billboard on the highway, and people drove hours to get there).  

The one I just had done I think cost $800 ish?

I don’t think that would include any x rays or anything.  For my newer one, I had a referral, and that place had a flat fee that covered making the impressions, the actual bridge, and all the appointments.  They had a code at the receptionist they used and did it as a flat rate for everything, and it would include adjustments if I needed to go back for an adjustment (I didn’t).  

[Lecka]

I also just have major negative connotations with “put your teeth in, put your teeth in” and little understanding of — sometimes (but it’s very, very rare for me) they just are not comfortable because of my gums being sore or slightly swollen.

Its just one of those things that really irritates me and I think just avoiding any dynamic like that would go a long way — and it’s a reason I would say “don’t get them.”

But it doesn’t have to be that way, either people can avoid making nagging or judgmental comments, or understand its not always comfortable.

It’s just a negative dynamic I have been around.  Not exactly with me, but seeing it with someone (like a wife griping about her husband, or adult children griping about their elderly parents) and it is really frustrating to me because I think sometimes dentists in the office act like “he just doesn’t want to wear it” but then they really can be uncomfortable sometimes.

But for me personally it has been a non-issue for years probably...... I kind-of think when I was younger, and my plastic partial would flip up, I was more prone to having food caught under it and then that could irritate my gums.  Now it is rare for me to have food stuck under it, and it never flips up.  

Its hard to know.  

But I’m not having any problems at all with mine, and it looks acceptable.  

Edit:  it might be more that the roof of my mouth would be irritated.

I have also (in my life) had the place where the bridge clasps around my teeth (one tooth on each side in the back of my mouth) ————— every time I go to the dentist for the past 10 years or so, they say my gum line is swollen where the clasp is touching it.  It is just — it touches there, it is going to be slightly irritated. 

Well — I don’t have an issue with my gums getting too irritated where the bridge clasps around, but it is easy for me to see how this could be an issue for someone more prone to having swelling or irritation.  

I haven’t had any trouble with that but I think I could have trouble with it at some point.  

Edited August 7, 2019 by Lecka

[Lecka]

https://www.affordabledentures.com/dentures-extractions/

What I have is what this website calls a “cast metal partial denture.”

What they are calling an “acrylic partial denture” I am pretty sure is what I am calling “plastic” and I *think* this may be what is being called a “flipper.”

 

[Lecka]

I’m going to add since I see it mentioned on this website..... I drink a lot of tea, and I have had — after probably 8 years — some discoloration (staining) and the fake teeth are then a slightly different shade than my other teeth.  

This was also part of the reason I got a new one recently, it was getting a little discolored and I could tell it was seeming slightly weaker (or I thought this lol) and I also felt like “it’s been ten years” and worried about it breaking.

The last time (11 years ago now lol) I had them break and then had no front teeth for about 2-3 weeks while a new one was made, and that is definitely something my husband and I wanted to avoid happening again!  

Edit — iirc I could have had a plastic one made to wear while waiting for the metal one, to avoid being without teeth, but — it seemed too expensive to do that.  

 

Edited August 7, 2019 by Lecka

[Lecka]

Also reading on that webpage — when I had plastic, I never had the teeth set in wax.

I have had that every time for metal.  

So it’s hard for me to know, since when I had the plastic kind it was always the cheapest thing to last a year (or 2-3 years).  

When I have gotten metal it has always been expected to last about 10 years.

Edit:  I think the teeth are expected to look a little better, to line up better with the other teeth, when it is set in wax.  That’s as far as I know.  

Edit:  what I mean is — ime the fake teeth have looked better when I have had metal, but maybe plastic could look better, if there were upgrades.  I don’t really know.  Just ime the teeth have looked better with metal.  But there could be more going into that than I am really aware of, with different options.  

Edited August 7, 2019 by Lecka

[Lecka]

Also — I don’t know if you will want to check around on prices, but sometimes prices can vary even with impressions being sent to the same lab (most dentists don’t have their own lab).  They are made at the lab.

But things like picking the color and setting the wax teeth, grinding on the fake teeth, adjusting the clamp — that is done in the dentist office.  

So maybe that can be worth a different price even if the same lab is making the teeth — but I have called in the past (when I went to the cheapest place and had a great, great experience and very high quality)..... and sometimes the prices are all over the place.

Here I just took a referral and then thought the price they said was very reasonable and I didn’t call around anymore.  

Edit:  like — iirc I had a quote of $2,000 when I was calling around about it ten years ago!  And iirc I had it done for more like $500!  I don’t remember exact numbers but it was vaguely like that.  

Edited August 7, 2019 by Lecka

[Lecka]

I think that “affordable dentures and implants” I linked is where I went in South Carolina ten years ago.  I’m not completely sure — but it was that kind of place (not your regular dentist office, but going to a center that just did fake teeth and extractions).  

Anyway — I did have a good experience at whatever place I went.  There don’t seem to be any in the part of the country I live in now, but I have seen billboards here and there when I’ve traveled and been driving down a highway.  

Edited August 7, 2019 by Lecka

[Lecka]

I actually googled on this because of the terminology...... okay, I think a removable bridge and a partial denture are the same thing.  

I have usually heard what I have called a "bridge" -- a "removable" bridge.  

Then the kind where they are capping (I guess putting crowns on) surrounding teeth I have heard called a "permanent" bridge, but it sounds like you are hearing that just called a "bridge."  Edit:  And I have heard that too!  It's just one of those confusing things.  I think "bridge" does sound better than "denture," so I would rather say "I have a bridge" or "I have a partial" compared to saying "I have dentures."  It's just one of those things -- I think it sounds fancier.  What I have, I also hear called a "partial" all the time.  

It just makes it easy to not know exactly what people mean when there is similar terminology meaning different things, or different terms used.  

Good luck, I hope it will all go really well!  I hope she gets something she really likes 🙂

Edited August 7, 2019 by Lecka

[elegantlion]

I would recommend visiting a dental school if possible for a second opinion and perhaps more affordable pricing. My mom got dentures a few years ago after having a partial for years. She dislikes the dentures, she finds that she cannot chew many foods, it took a while before they felt comfortable as well. She does like the easy care and she smile is beautiful, but she's also 82. I can't imagine being young and having dentures if there are other possible solutions. 

I spent most of the last year visiting our sort-of local dental school. I have many fillings, two teeth pulled (thanks to radiation tx years ago), and my two front teeth got crowns. I broke my two front teeth out as a kid and they sorely needed to be redone. My crowns were $500 each, yes, only $500. I had an estimate about a decade ago for $5000 for both of them. I had had a root canal on one of those teeth years ago. 

The challenge with a dental school is that you may not be able to get in for a while. At least my school has emergency walk ins on some days. 

Honestly, I was shocked at the price difference. 

 

 

[Lecka]

I have a name for a dental college near my hometown, I am going to look into it when we move there next year (for thinking about implants).

I would definitely check into that.  

Edited August 7, 2019 by Lecka

[Lecka]

At the cheaper place I went, it was something where some people would drive a few hours and then — that is a reason they advertise “same day.”  Because people may be driving from all over the state and don’t want to make the trip for several visits.  

They can do that (at least partly) because they have their own lab, and it was set up that people could come in the morning and then come back later in the day, if they needed to do that and were getting that option.

I think I went either 2 or 3 times, there, because I wasn’t getting a same-day option.

Here iirc I had 4 appointments — a random consult that took about 5 minutes, then an appointment to take the impressions, then an appointment for the wax (to see if they look good or bad when they are actually in your mouth), and then once to pick them up.

It fit well in every way and I didn’t need to go back for an adjustment.  I don’t think it needed any adjustment coming out of the lab.  When I was younger I had times where it would fit very awkwardly coming from the lab and the dentist would have to mess with it a lot (grind it here and there, adjust the clamps) — and I don’t know why that is.  

[Spy Car]

I’ve known several people who have had great results getting implants in Mexico.

Bill

[Pen]

I would NOT get all teeth pulled out for full dentures if she’s thinking that will solve all her troubles.  I know someone who did that — good and problem teeth alike and has had pain and other problems continue.  

[Jaz]

I'll second the dental school as they need patients for practice of more advanced dental techniques. I'm sorry she's suffering.

[Ottakee]

Thanks for all of the input.

Finances are a big concern.  Getting the inplants she needs done would cost her well over a years worth of her income....just not doable.

[hippiemamato3]

23 minutes ago, Ottakee said:

Thanks for all of the input.

Finances are a big concern.  Getting the inplants she needs done would cost her well over a years worth of her income....just not doable.

Is her soon to be husband able to help or does he have good insurance that she could access?

[Ottakee]

1 hour ago, hippiemamato3 said:

Is her soon to be husband able to help or does he have good insurance that she could access?

He is also on disability.  Both of them are cognitively impaired.  I am a single mom working part time caring for 3 special needs young adults so not a lot of great financial help from me either.

[katilac]

I agree that getting her through the wedding before making big decisions would be ideal. I hope that happens for her. 

It's a gamble, but I  would consider the root canal surgery simply because she is so young to start losing teeth (thinking of health reasons, not cosmetic). There are also huge strides being made in dentistry with 3D printing and such (right??), and I think she'll have many more options in a few short years.

If I went with the surgery, I'd want a specialist to do it, not a regular dentist, unless having a dental school do it is a possibility. It's a hard decision! Having it fail after that amount of money would be sickening for sure. 

May I just say how ridiculous I think it is that dental care is not considered health care? We're talking about infection, for heaven's sake! We've known about the connection between dental infection and heart issues since at least the early 1990s, so thirty years and counting, and yet . . . 

American health care is crazy town banana pants. 

[hippiemamato3]

21 hours ago, Ottakee said:

He is also on disability.  Both of them are cognitively impaired.  I am a single mom working part time caring for 3 special needs young adults so not a lot of great financial help from me either.

I can't stand it that disability insurance (medicaid) won't help with things like this. In our state there is no dental coverage for disability over age 21. It's absurd and wrong. I hope you are able to get a decent solution in place for her so she can enjoy her wedding.