24yrs old getting full extraction and immediate dentures what should I expect?

Sydney: I posted this a year ago for someone else like you. It's long, but I tried to address - honestly - the challenges we face as denture wearers. I hope it helps you. All the best. Joseph

The pain is manageable, and your decision to resolve your dental issues is one of the best you've ever made. No one who is honest will tell you it will be easy, but the rewards are significant. My experience was that the first 2 days were not too bad, days 3 to 5 were more difficult but not terrible, and I used my last OTC pain relief on day 7. At day 10 the healing was more or less complete, and I began gently brushing my gums with a soft toothbrush.

During the first 14 days I went to the dentist twice to deal with leukoplakia. Those are the white spots on the gums where the denture is rubbing. Your dentist can manage this quickly and easily for you. Lukewarm salt water rinses beginning the first day are essential to accelerate the healing, and I did 4 to 6 each day. Some find that "magic mouthwash" helps. There's nothing to it; it's just benadryl, Maalox and a mild OTC pain reliever mixed together. Ask your dentist about it.

You may, as almost all of us do, find shards of tooth or bone working their way to the surface of your gums during the first few weeks. Most of the time they resolve themselves. Regular brushing helps, and a trip to the dentist could be necessary. You will be eating soft foods for a while, but you will be amazed how quickly you'll return to a normal diet. After getting my dentures, I've slowed down my eating, I take smaller portions and I've returned to my ideal weight.

I believe you're going to find that your experience will be similar to mine and others: it wasn't nearly as bad as we thought it might be; it wasn't long before we returned to normal; we are convinced that this was the best decision we could have made for our long-term health; and our families have been behind us every step of the way. Good luck. You will be just fine. Joseph

A second post with details: I had my full upper denture and lower partial placed in March 2017. Here a few things I learned in the process that might help you.

1) Days 3-5 post extraction can be rough. After that, each day is much better than the day before. Do not be reluctant to ask your dentist for help managing the early pain, because each of us is different, and we have different reactions to pain.

2) Four to six warm salt water rinses each day do wonders to advance healing.

3) Watch for leukoplakia. Sounds terrible, but those are the white spots that form on your gums when the denture rubs and causes soreness or pain. It's easy for the dentist to resolve, and a good dentist will respond to your needs immediately and as often as you need them to.

4) The value of "Magic Mouthwash" is marginal in my opinion, but I got some. It may have helped a little. Google it and you're find that it's nothing but something like benadryl, Maalox and a mild painkiller. The mix is over the counter. I used Orajel the first week or so, and it helped.

5) Keep the dentures in at least 24 hours to form a bandage for the wounds. My dentist told me then to remove them at night - every night - forever. I soak them in Stain Away and it works very well. Some people soak them for a short period and sleep in them, but it's a question to ask your dentist. My advice is to take them out at night. Reducing the pressure on your gums by giving them an overnight break slows bone loss in your jaw.

6) After about 10 days most of the wounds should have healed, and that's when I started gently brushing my gums in addition to my remaining teeth. It feels great, your mouth feels clean again and it helps get rid of shards of tooth or bone that are common and gradually work their way to the surface. They can cause some real pain, and there were days early on when I dreaded putting the upper denture in. But that passed fairly quickly.

7) The last teeth were removed on March 8, and I took my last pain reliever on March 15 to give you an idea of what you might expect. I had 2 follow-up meetings with the dentist during the first 2 weeks to address immediate issues like leukoplakia and the occasional bone shard.

8) You will have to eat soft food for a while, and you will have to learn to eat using both sides of your mouth and your tongue. Gradually you will add harder foods to your diet, and I was more or less back to normal within 2 months.

9) There are foods that still give me trouble, and the worst ones are the skins of fruits and vegetables. I simply can't bite into an apple with the permanent denture. As a consequence I have slowed down when I eat, I cut all foods into smaller pieces (a critical point) and I just avoid eating anything that is likely to cause problems. The good news is that I eat less, I eat fewer snacks and I'm back to my ideal weight. I have my permanent dentures now, but I still use a little adhesive when I go out to eat or when I'm speaking to groups. It gives me a greater sense of security.

10) You will have only 20 to 25% of the "bite force" you had with your natural teeth, and you will have to compensate for that. Some of us used our real teeth for a third hand, and that is over for me. We just have to find a way to do things in a different way much as those who lose a limb do. Make no mistake about this: we have suffered amputations of a critically important body part and we all have to retrain ourselves.

11) I do not know your personal circumstances, but I will say this. Do not be self-conscious about your dentures. If you have found a good dentist and a good dental lab, no one is going to know unless you tell them. And the good people of this world - the good men and women - want to see a nice smile and the good person behind it, and we could not care less if the teeth are real or the result of good dental work. If anyone you meet or know has a problem with someone wearing dentures, they are not worth spending time with anyway.

12) Finally, some on here have had a difficult time with their dentures. Most have not. But even they have taken a positive step forward for their long-term health, since bad teeth can cause significant, even life-threatening, problems down the line. And remember this: roughly 1 in 6 adults in the US wears full dentures, and 20% over the age of 40 do. You will be a member of a large club.

The bottom line for you is this: You've made a good decision for your overall health, the pain soon will be gone, your smile will light up a room again, your self-confidence will improve and, most likely, your waistline will start heading in the right direction. At least mine did. All the best to you. The people on here are behind you 100%. Joseph

I'm 37 years old. 2 days ago I had all of my upper teeth extracted with no anesthesia just local. I went exactly through the same experience where my teeth just began rotting and breaking out. I've dealt with embarrassing teeth for about 8 years before I absolutely had to have something done. Because i am a former pain pill addict taking suboxone they would not give me anesthesia. So, my extraction was terrible. Then they immediately put in my temporary denture. The worst part for me has been the pain of my denture rubbing against my gums. It's really pretty bad. My dentist wants me to wait before he does any kind of adjustment to make sure all my swelling has kind of gone down. The salt water rinses are the most helpful for me. They are really just instant relief. I was lucky that I had a friend who had to have the same surgery and denture placement a few years ago, so I knew what to expect. She also made me realize that I would be able to get through it. And you will get through it, too. Good luck and try not to worry too much!!

Oh my gosh hunny, I went through so much of what your going through, but I was a little bit older.  I’m falling asleep but, I’d love to talk to you some more.  Feel free to email me at cuteliltiffers@aol.com and I’ll try and get back to you as soon as I can.  In the meantime,hang in there

Hi there!

I to am young with dentures 😩 I am 35 and have been having dental problems for about 7 years. Medication I am on was the cause of my dental issues and since then my life has been a nightmare. This past Wednesday (4 days ago) I had the last of my remaining upper teeth removed. I only had my two front teeth and the one next to my front teeth left. And they were in awful shape. I know what it is like not to smile, to talk so your mouth doesn’t open much, to be in constant pain. Because I only had 3 teeth extracted my post-Op has been a little different than others as I am not in as much pain because I didn’t have a ton of teeth extracted. When you first put them in it will be kind of soar because you have exposed wounds from extraction. Once they are in place and secure they don’t hurt. If they do hurt I put orajel on my lip right above the extraction site so that the area is numb. So far this has worked really well for me! I live with my boyfriend and he has no idea I have dentures. He knows I had work done on my teeth and that I now HAVE teeth but I think he thinks they are implants. He hasn’t asked and I haven’t said anything lol. I just go in the bathroom do my cleaning and brushing and put them back in. My denture which is only the upper fits really well without adhesive. I do use a little adhesive just so they don’t move at all because the friction of them moving on my gums where the extraction was is uncomfortable. 

Make sure you know and fully understand what dental options you have before taking all your teeth out! You have options and make sure you are fully aware of each of them! Do what makes you feel comfortable and what will be best for your life! Don’t worry about what people think or what people say. Just know that whatever you decide as far as dentures or implants you will be able to smile with confidence again! I cried when I saw myself for the first time with my teeth. It was amazing to see myself again the way I looked before dental issues. And I didn’t do this for anyone else, I did it for myself and my health. 

If you have any questions feel free to let me know! I can send you a pic of what my teeth look like as well and you can tell me if they look like dentures lol good luck with whatever you choose to do!

I didn't feel anything as they give you pills that make you loopy.  If I had to do it over I would not pull my bottom teeth but would the top.  I regret that I didn't explore partials or implants for the bottom teeth.  Top teeth are pretty easy to deal with as the denture stays in place good or with a little denture powder on it.  Maybe  just do your top teeth and slowly deal with your bottom teeth, getting them fixed one at a time.  

I found a grant through a dental school I was eligible for because I had no medical or dental insurance. It's worth asking your nearest dental school. I was able to have 22 teeth extracted and surgical covered. I only paid for the dentures which were 900. I'm only 35, never used drugs and have had lifelong genetic tooth problems. Invest in buying soft liner kits and a dremel and just be careful to make temporary adjustments to the soft lining during healing phase. I feel like I've been able to sit my temporary dentures much better than the dentist's because I know exactly what I want them to look like and if I mess up I can pull out all the soft liner and try again. 

I am twenty four years old and I do not have any teeth at all left. I had to get them all pulled due to grinding, recurrent decay, and the tooth sockets and bones not forming right in my mouth. I was so depressed about all of it until after when I realized the constant headaches and antibiotics and abscesses were gone! It was definitely worth it. I’ve been without top and bottom teeth for about a little over a month now and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, even though it’s been the hardest. You will get through this, I promise! Just know that you are not alone!

Way all your options.  If you can spend 20,000 on dentures then can you find a way to keep as many of your own teeth?? I would....don't go the full "pull all your teeth out" unless there is NO OTHER OPTION!!! You are way too young to have to make this decision.  

If it is the only one - get posts for the bottom full dentures right away.  Save yourself the pain of another surgery.  This was a great decision for me but I waited over 3 years to do it.  

I cannot get post implants for the top dentures because I don't have the bone structure so without major surgery to take bone from my hip... etc.. etc.. and another $16,000 and 3 1/2 years of healing... so I'm sticking with the full palate of plastic (YUK) and not enjoying eating one bit any more.. and using product.  

They just don't tell you all this at the beginning they DO NOT!!!! And how can they - all the dentists and denturists have their own teeth.  It's like a man telling you how easy it is to a have a natural birth . or a birth of any kind!! Really!! :) lol

hang in there... and be careful about your decision - once all those teeth are out.. that's if my friend.

When you first put them in it will be kind of soar because you have exposed wounds from extraction. Once they are in place and secure they don’t hurt. If they do hurt I put orajel on my lip right above the extraction site so that the area is numb. So far this has worked really well for me! - Concrete Finishing