Posted by writeradmin
I have gum disease. I’m working on getting it treated but at my last appointment my dentist suggested that I just extract all my teeth and get dentures so I don’t have to keep dealing with it. Here is the thing. While I have some missing teeth already and some teeth that are in bad shape, I also have other teeth that are doing fine. If I don’t remove those, will it be harmful to my health?
Millie
Dear Millie,
Something you should be aware of is that dentists vary in their willingness to work hard on teeth. It seems you have a dentist that just prefers to pull them rather than put in a lot of work to save them. Sometimes a tooth cannot be saved. That happens.
It will be important that your replace the missing teeth for two reasons. First, it will reduce the stress on the teeth you have left and give them a longer life span. Second, if you don’t, the adjacent teeth will shift or tip into the empty spaces, which will eventually lead to TMJ Disorder.
The best tooth replacement is a dental implant, but if that is too expensive, at the very least get a removable partial denture or a dental flipper. This will hold the space open.
Working to save whatever teeth can be saved is a great idea. There is not danger to your health in doing that. You’ll still need to work on the gum disease, but it sounds like you’ve been doing that.
However, some dentists have the attitude that if you have gum disease you must not care about your teeth. That is not true. It doesn’t sound like the dentist you are with is the best dentist for you. In your place, I would look for a dentist who is willing to put in the hard work needed to help you save as many teeth as possible.
This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentist Dr. John Theriot.