Question about partial dentures - Dental Health Message Board

Islandgirl19 · 12-31-2005, 11:58 PM

Hi, I will be going to my dentist this coming Thursday for impressions of my teeth for upper and lower partial dentures. I have gone for years with most of my back teeth missing on the lower jaw. I don't have much to chew with but I manage. I am supposed to be getting both the upper and lower dentures but because of the cost (no insurance) would it be ok to just get the upper partials for now or would that not be good for the uppers or my own teeth as some of the fake teeth would only then be there for cosmetic reasons. I would like to pay off the upper partials first and then later on (could be around a year or so or even longer) get the lowers. What would you do in this situation?

Thanks for any replies you can give me.

wintersun · 01-01-2006, 10:33 AM

Yeah, get the upper partials first, you can talk, and no one will notice you don't have no bottom teeth-lol!

Islandgirl19 · 01-02-2006, 09:10 AM

Hi, my upper teeth are actually in the worst shape. I have no molars on the right side and only the 2nd one from the back and then a space and all the rest of the teeth after that, so I have 8 teeth on top. When I smile you can see the gaps that are on the right side.

On the bottom, I have one molar on the right side furthest in the back and on the left side the same, so I have 10 teeth on the bottom.

Thanks for your reply.

Dendeb · 01-02-2006, 03:16 PM

Islandgirl,
I totally understand your hesitation, financial wise, in getting both partials
at the same time. I'd like to share with you what my dentist told me last
fall when I was getting my new upper and lower partials.

She said that we could just do the uppers if that was the way I wanted to
go, and do the lowers at a later time. ( I still had a perfect little 2 tooth partial on one side at the bottom, tho the little partial on the other side at the bottom no longer worked due to losing an additional tooth ..and it could not be added on to).
But, she strongly recommended that I do both at the same time
because it was much easier to get to get a good match and a good bite and
a couple of other reasons (which I cannot now remember, sorry).

I did follow her advice. Probably would have even if I had to take out a small
loan, because it was very important to me to have a good, positive start with
the partials and to have the best fit possible.

I have never been sorry. They fit like a glove. Maybe I am one of the fortunate ones, but I have not yet ever needed an adjustment after first day the partials were placed. They are comfortable...I can eat anything and everything.

Just my opinion....good luck to you!
~Debbie~

wintersun · 01-04-2006, 02:05 AM

I HAVE heard it's better for your bite to get both. Mine don't fit that good i guesse-(impressions taken before teeth were pulled) I have fake bottom fronts on the partials, and the metal bar that goes i back has a gap that my tounge keeps getting caught on when I talk sometimes. Plus, they left 2 fangs on the bottom that jab into my gums on top when they're out. I am sick of messing with them!!
Well, I did a lot of self adjusting them which probally didn't help. I'd rather just pull the fangs, and keep the fake tops.. too much junk in the mouth!!

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