I have spent so much money on my teeth, I could have had a new home built instead. I already have the upper plate and had no trouble at all with it. however, my concern is that I have an option for the bottom teeth. Some of them have broken but that will only leave me with 4 front teeth on the bottom. I can either have the ones that are broken extracted and get a partial to go with 4 front teeth I have left on the bottom, or have them all extracted and get a bottom denture.
I would appreciate any comments on what you all think I should do. Again, I haven't had any problems with the top denture but people have told me that the bottom plate will be much worse; more aggravating.
Thank you all so much and hope I can help some of you in the near future!
I can't tell you what's best for you, but I've had both upper and lower dentures for 30 years with no problems. It was such a relief not to have to keep shelling out big bucks, I only wish I had gotten full dentures sooner. If you feel you will ultimately need a complete lower denture, it might make sense to do it sooner rather than later. Dentists, of course, keep telling us we should keep our own teeth as long as we can, no matter what the cost.
If I had big bucks, I would go with the snap-on "all on 4" dental implants which consist of implanted posts that provide stability for removable existing dentures. This procedure is especially good for lower dentures and can be done anytime so you don't have to pay for the dentures you already have.
I would seek the advice your dentist about the potential longevity of the remaining lower front teeth. Yes, a lower denture is more difficult to adapt to so keeping a few teeth to help stabilize it might be a good idea. I have both upper and lower dentures and have gotten used to them. I had both done at the same time.
If you can get a few more years out of those lower teeth it might be worth holding on to them.
I would never recommend getting a lower denture if there are other options.
With a top denture you have the luxury of suction. With the lower, you do not. It inherently can make a lower denture far more uncomfortable, until you get used to it.
Best wishes, no matter what you decide!!
