Let's Talk About Those Chompers

[LittleZeeb]

Howdy, everyone! This might be kinda weird, but something I wanted to talk about with this post is teeth - or rather, the lack of teeth. Dentures and being without teeth! I will be hiding my struggles and details about tooth health issues I had behind a spoiler, just in case.

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Spoiler: CW: Teeth/Dental Care & Struggles; Passive Mentions of Dietary and ED

I have been a denture wearer for a decade this year! I had all my teeth removed when I was 20 because of major issues I was having. I never got a diagnosis of a specific health condition. It seemed that, overall, a big part of my issues were primarily dietary and they hinted a few times at genetic problems, but I never had the thought to actually ask back then. I still have pictures of the chart they made up of all the dead and rotting teeth I had before they yanked them, citing that my teeth needed to come out before they inevitably got worse. In less than 5 years, I had went from planning to correct all my major mouth, jaw, and dental issues with major surgeries to being rush-encouraged to pull my teeth, since partials would have only made matters significantly worse on my enamel-vacant teeth. 3 dentists back-to-back came to this conclusion, so 2ish months before I turned 21, all my teeth were surgically removed.

Basically, at 15 I still had a good chance of recovery. I was being seen pretty regularly for a little while, but we never actually made the move to do the surgeries. I don't know what stopped that from happening, but I'm honestly glad. I didn't want them. They wanted to widen my upper jaw and reshape my lower jaw to fit my bite together. (I have a class 3 underbite, lol.) They wanted to remove some teeth, because my mouth was is undersized, and was never going to fit all my teeth. They were crowded, and I had teeth stacked in front of other teeth toward the front of my mouth. My molars were pushing everything up front around, and I had 1 tooth in the front that had grown in dead. My mouth always tasted and smelled terrible.

Over the next 5ish years, I had a lot of work to keep things maintained despite not ever having the big work done. Cleanings, xrays, capping the dead tooth, capping the dying teeth, declaring a second dead tooth. Next thing I new, nearly every tooth in my face had a cavity, and my wisdom teeth were making everything a lot worse. Cue the removals. A couple months later, I got fitted with dentures and I restarted the journey of learning how to eat all over again. I am significantly healthier following it. I started being able to eat better, things didn't hurt all the time, I wasn't feeling as sick anymore, and over time I gained weight. (I had previously only weighed 125lbs at my max, and at the time I was less than that. At 170lbs, I actually look and feel like a working human who doesn't get exhausted at everything. Only after this change in my life did I figure out that I had an eating disorder, and only in the last few years have I learned that actually, I was dealing with 2 of them. Whoops.)

Sooo that's kinda my story with this stuff and I don't know how to wrap this up neatly. [Insert Transition Scene]

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Some questions for whoever wants to answer:
Who out there is living the toothless life? How do you feel about your dentures (this question goes for you partial wearers too)? Do you find any use or joy in being a toothless person? Would you ever get implants, why or why not? If you're an ABDL or Little, does it help you with your headspace at all? Any funny stories about being toothless or wearing dentures?

I feel like I have a lot of insecurities surround my mouth and wearing dentures. At first I didn't care, but over time I have tried to hide it a lot more except for closer people. However, once people know, I do love making jokes about it. I'm on a discord server where instead of saying "lmao," sometimes they'll say "lmto" for "laughing my teeth out," because it happened in voice chat a couple times.

There's another instance where I was crying to a nurse in a clinic, accidentally blubbered too hard, and watched in horror as my top teeth flew outta my mouth and down the hallway. To this day I do not know how she had such a straight face. I was crying so hard and so miserable, but the moment my teeth went flying I halted and had to stifle a laugh. I felt pretty awkward at the time but it was funny.

I sometimes enjoy it, mostly for admittedly sexual reasons. Teeth can just kinda get in the way, y'know? It's also great, I find, for dry nursing, and I really like it for that.

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

Sorry, had to break away from the phone and fire up the PC to write this...this is gonna take some key-clackin' to write.

I have no teeth. Ever since halfway through living in Boise. My back teeth were all pulled, the fronts were all worn down. Toothaches, bleeding, living with acupressure to get through the pain. One of my docs made note of it, told me it could cause problems with my heart. For awhile, I thought it over, knew he was right: I had grandkids and didn't want to miss anything. Between May and September of 2018, the teeth came out, five at a time, paying cash on a sliding scale to Terry Reilly Dental near Garden City. They were all out in September.

By January, I amassed cash to get some dentures made and found an affordable denture place: molds were taken, then dentures were made. I picked up my teeth, took them along to the kids' place. Once I arrived, greeted everyone, told 'em I had a surprise...and put 'em in. Daughter winced a bit, the granddaughters jumped back...the 9-month-old grandson, who only remembered me with no teeth, freaked out hysterically. The message was clear: the teeth that were made had changed my appearance dramatically, changed this smile to something that even scared me. Worse than my fear several years ago of going through life without teeth was another: having what I call "Jimmy Crack Corn Teeth"...teeth which seemed oversize, too large, too fake. Some friends remarked, humorously, that they made me look like an Osmond. All of it hit home.

Next day, I called the denture guy into looking for a new set of dentures: no response. Got in the minivan, drove back...his shop was now closed. Permanently.

Four years later, I still have the dentures. They remain unused. The only time they'll go back in is when I get the money, go see an Aspen Dental place, pop 'em in and ask "What do you see wrong with this picture?", hoping they will see it. These dentures are totally unnatural; they even freak me out.

The odd part is: I feel a lot less conscientious about being toothless since moving to Kentucky, as I occasionally run into others who are mostly or completely toothless. People seem more accepting, less awkward about it. I feel more relaxed, maybe they feel a bit more relaxed about me this way? I don't know. Let's just say it's less of an issue now than it was in Idaho. And wanna hear another oddity or two? People can't tell I'm toothless, even when I speak. So they say. Then open goes the mouth and all doubt's gone. The other way it doesn't show is the jaws don't get clenched when relaxed and mouth closed...I don't look like Popeye, LOL! Clean-looking features and thin lips.

Oh...and a big nose. 😲🤭

I'd always had weird teeth, it's something I'd noticed over the last ten years or so: many people who I know with autism have unusual dentition: gaps, different-shaped teeth, a bit of crookedness, perhaps...had it myself. My oldest granddaughter has it, as well as marked-impairment autism. We both have autism. Without trying to be cruel, I call it "autism mouth"...it does sound cruel. I use it on myself, never told others about this. And here it'll stay.

----- $$$$$ -----​

Amazingly enough, there's still a lot that can be eaten without teeth or dentures. That much stunned me. So I eat as healthily as possible. That's not always easy to do when the grandkids are still in their carbohydrate years...but I sure try. The one thing which became a pleasant experience was when sucking on adult baby bottles or adult pacifiers: it felt so much better, soothing. Don't any of you take that as a reason--nay, excuse--to get your teeth pulled...keep what you got. I neither celebrate nor rue this situation: it is what it is. Dentures, someday? Perhaps...🤭

Can't afford implants...and never will be able to.

 

[Zeke]

I’ve had four upper molars and one lower molar pulled and haven’t had a bridge made or implants put in. It amazes me how quickly I adapted to those missing teeth without even thinking about. The only time it gets ready frustrating is eating nuts or seeds that always seem to head for the gaps. But even for that I seem to have adapted somehow. During the Christmas/New Years season it’s been a family tradition to have nuts in the shell as snack food and those doggone hazelnuts are surely hard on the gums where those molars are missing. Hope that you guys get your toothless situation resolved satisfactorily. A friend has told me that I should get a couple of bridges, but my mom had a bridge and she constantly complained about it so I don’t think that’s the way I’m going to go. I may try implants as my insurance pays up to $4k for dental annually and this year they’ve finally included implants. Anyone else here have them? How are they working out for you?

 

[Nowididit]

Upper and lower partial here. I got them in 98 and 2002 and wear them 24/7/365. I take them out and brush them just daily. I can't function without them.

 

[LittleZeeb]

I’ve had four upper molars and one lower molar pulled and haven’t had a bridge made or implants put in. It amazes me how quickly I adapted to those missing teeth without even thinking about. The only time it gets ready frustrating is eating nuts or seeds that always seem to head for the gaps. But even for that I seem to have adapted somehow. During the Christmas/New Years season it’s been a family tradition to have nuts in the shell as snack food and those doggone hazelnuts are surely hard on the gums where those molars are missing. Hope that you guys get your toothless situation resolved satisfactorily. A friend has told me that I should get a couple of bridges, but my mom had a bridge and she constantly complained about it so I don’t think that’s the way I’m going to go. I may try implants as my insurance pays up to $4k for dental annually and this year they’ve finally included implants. Anyone else here have them? How are they working out for you?

Someone I work with got an implant for a single tooth and it looks amazing. I've been recommended to get implants, especially since I'm younger than most who get this level of removal, to help save my jaw bone.

So as a bit of FYI for those who maybe don't know but needed to: If you have missing teeth, implants can help stimulate and "hold" your jaw bone so it does not deteriorate as quickly. Teeth stimulate the bone keeping it intact, but lack of teeth, age, and not taking your dentures out every night can break down gum and bone really fast. :/

I'm kind of worried because I haven't gotten it done, but there's a couple reasons I hesitate beyond the surgery stuff. (Pacis, bottles, nursing etc. being more relaxing without teeth, being a big part of that.)

 

[Halfdan]

had a few problems but mostly with American dentists, no details just problems, had a couple pulled and they wanted to remove old fillings and put in crowns, Dubble billing for root canals. told me I had a loose crown and reseeding gums, ok. few months later tooth fell out, root black but crown in place. teeth shifted and broke anther tooth, looked at options did not want a partial, and x-GF convinced me it would be ok,, and more baby.. bottles and make latching on to her breast more authentic. Sure, so in May they pulled them all (aspen dental) had to go back in twice for oral surgery, improper trimming ambone spurs. temps did not fit without pain or causing me to choke. they trimmed and adjusted dentures several times, tried a soft liner, so I did without until October when they fit me for a permanent set.
so much for that. gf left the month they pulled my teeth, and we have not spoken sense..
adjusted permanent set twice now, still makes me choke, and bottoms will not stay in place even with adhesive. was told I just have to get use to wearing them, But honestly now that I took early retirement, I have gotten used to not having them in, so they sit in their little cup and were both getting along fine. I have a 7 year guarantee so Im sure I will try wearing them Agan sometime soon and go in for another adjustment.

 

[LittleZeeb]

had a few problems but mostly with American dentists, no details just problems, had a couple pulled and they wanted to remove old fillings and put in crowns, Dubble billing for root canals. told me I had a loose crown and reseeding gums, ok. few months later tooth fell out, root black but crown in place. teeth shifted and broke anther tooth, looked at options did not want a partial, and x-GF convinced me it would be ok,, and more baby.. bottles and make latching on to her breast more authentic. Sure, so in May they pulled them all (aspen dental) had to go back in twice for oral surgery, improper trimming ambone spurs. temps did not fit without pain or causing me to choke. they trimmed and adjusted dentures several times, tried a soft liner, so I did without until October when they fit me for a permanent set.
so much for that. gf left the month they pulled my teeth, and we have not spoken sense..
adjusted permanent set twice now, still makes me choke, and bottoms will not stay in place even with adhesive. was told I just have to get use to wearing them, But honestly now that I took early retirement, I have gotten used to not having them in, so they sit in their little cup and were both getting along fine. I have a 7 year guarantee so Im sure I will try wearing them Agan sometime soon and go in for another adjustment.

I had a lot of issues with gagging until they arched my top denture inward more. Like, in the back where it's on the roof of your mouth, it's more curved than the first couple times they made it. In US, I used Denture & Dental Services. I have never heard a single good thing about Aspen. They tortured my MIL. They also corner people into crowns and dentures when they don't need them. I am so sorry you went thru all that.

 

[dogboy]

I too have had several molars pulled and haven't gotten bridgework. The problem with bridgework is that you can get cavities where the bridge latches over your teeth and then those get pulled. At my age, I'm counting on dying before I have to get all my teeth pulled.

 

[phillybaby22]

Howdy, everyone! This might be kinda weird, but something I wanted to talk about with this post is teeth - or rather, the lack of teeth. Dentures and being without teeth! I will be hiding my struggles and details about tooth health issues I had behind a spoiler, just in case.

---

Spoiler: CW: Teeth/Dental Care & Struggles; Passive Mentions of Dietary and ED

I have been a denture wearer for a decade this year! I had all my teeth removed when I was 20 because of major issues I was having. I never got a diagnosis of a specific health condition. It seemed that, overall, a big part of my issues were primarily dietary and they hinted a few times at genetic problems, but I never had the thought to actually ask back then. I still have pictures of the chart they made up of all the dead and rotting teeth I had before they yanked them, citing that my teeth needed to come out before they inevitably got worse. In less than 5 years, I had went from planning to correct all my major mouth, jaw, and dental issues with major surgeries to being rush-encouraged to pull my teeth, since partials would have only made matters significantly worse on my enamel-vacant teeth. 3 dentists back-to-back came to this conclusion, so 2ish months before I turned 21, all my teeth were surgically removed.

Basically, at 15 I still had a good chance of recovery. I was being seen pretty regularly for a little while, but we never actually made the move to do the surgeries. I don't know what stopped that from happening, but I'm honestly glad. I didn't want them. They wanted to widen my upper jaw and reshape my lower jaw to fit my bite together. (I have a class 3 underbite, lol.) They wanted to remove some teeth, because my mouth was is undersized, and was never going to fit all my teeth. They were crowded, and I had teeth stacked in front of other teeth toward the front of my mouth. My molars were pushing everything up front around, and I had 1 tooth in the front that had grown in dead. My mouth always tasted and smelled terrible.

Over the next 5ish years, I had a lot of work to keep things maintained despite not ever having the big work done. Cleanings, xrays, capping the dead tooth, capping the dying teeth, declaring a second dead tooth. Next thing I new, nearly every tooth in my face had a cavity, and my wisdom teeth were making everything a lot worse. Cue the removals. A couple months later, I got fitted with dentures and I restarted the journey of learning how to eat all over again. I am significantly healthier following it. I started being able to eat better, things didn't hurt all the time, I wasn't feeling as sick anymore, and over time I gained weight. (I had previously only weighed 125lbs at my max, and at the time I was less than that. At 170lbs, I actually look and feel like a working human who doesn't get exhausted at everything. Only after this change in my life did I figure out that I had an eating disorder, and only in the last few years have I learned that actually, I was dealing with 2 of them. Whoops.)

Sooo that's kinda my story with this stuff and I don't know how to wrap this up neatly. [Insert Transition Scene]

---

Some questions for whoever wants to answer:
Who out there is living the toothless life? How do you feel about your dentures (this question goes for you partial wearers too)? Do you find any use or joy in being a toothless person? Would you ever get implants, why or why not? If you're an ABDL or Little, does it help you with your headspace at all? Any funny stories about being toothless or wearing dentures?

I feel like I have a lot of insecurities surround my mouth and wearing dentures. At first I didn't care, but over time I have tried to hide it a lot more except for closer people. However, once people know, I do love making jokes about it. I'm on a discord server where instead of saying "lmao," sometimes they'll say "lmto" for "laughing my teeth out," because it happened in voice chat a couple times.

There's another instance where I was crying to a nurse in a clinic, accidentally blubbered too hard, and watched in horror as my top teeth flew outta my mouth and down the hallway. To this day I do not know how she had such a straight face. I was crying so hard and so miserable, but the moment my teeth went flying I halted and had to stifle a laugh. I felt pretty awkward at the time but it was funny.

I sometimes enjoy it, mostly for admittedly sexual reasons. Teeth can just kinda get in the way, y'know? It's also great, I find, for dry nursing, and I really like it for that.

i havent been brushing my teeth in years due to special needs. there starting to get to the point where the really hurt. i think i need to get them pulled and get dentures too.