I am 32 and recently had to get 2 of my wisdom teeth a molar and a premolar removed. I will probably get a bridge for the premolar, as I can not afford implants. The rest of my teeth are healthy. I had depression and neglected going to doctors. Is it possible to keep the rest of my teeth into old age if I take better care now?
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I am 70 and grew up with parents that never took us to the dentist or particularly cared about our dental health beyond telling me around age 5 to brush my teeth. I got to show my siblings.
When I met my second wife at 26, I had some serious issues with my teeth. I was embarrassed but she was awesome. Made an appointment for me with her dentist and explained to him about my teeth and my dental history. I didn’t have a lot of money but he worked with me and my health insurance.
He was great and made me feel really comfortable. I ended up having four molars removed and bridges installed, and began regular dental checkups. I am now 70 and still have all my other teeth and my original bridges from back in 1982 – so 43 years later.
Best of luck to you!
My thought,,,I think one of the keys is keeping your bone structure healthy. I am 66 and I have a few implants because I have really crappy teeth. One of the keys when I got my last one was making sure that the bone the teeth implant into was strong enough, and several of my older friends were surprised that I could still get an implant at this age. So I’d start brushing, flossing, and eating really healthy.
Yes.
Dental hygienist here. Yes u can absolutely keep your teeth. A lot depends on why you lost the others. The main reason for tooth loss in kids is decay but in adults it’s gum disease. If you lost your teeth due to decay and the rest of your teeth are good, just brush, floss and see your dentist regularly. If you lost your teeth to periodontal disease (gum disease) it’s a little more complicated.
Still see your dentist regularly but you might have to have more cleaning a year. If you smoke, STOP. There is no cure for periodontal disease, it’s a matter of getting it under control and maintaining.
Replacing missing teeth is also very important to keep teeth from moving. If not it usually ends up with future tooth loss.
Watch out for trauma too especially if you play sports.
Sometimes though it’s just bad genes and you can’t do anything about that. Good luck and take good care of your teeth. It’s always better to prevent issues before they get worse.
Over time the dental work you need to keep your teeth gets more invasive, painful, and expensive. And your teeth look worse. If I got a do-over I would have gotten all on 4 done in my 50s.When I had better bone and was younger. Perfect smile and much smaller dental bills. I should have started saving in my 40s.
I had the wisdoms removed at 16 y.o. I am 67 now.
I’ve had fillings and crowns throughout the years. 2 root canals.
I had one molar extraction. Refused a graft.
I’m fine. You will be too.
I am 57 and had my wisdom teeth pulled and one molar that one of the wisdom teeth impacted. Over 20 years later and everything is still fine. Mouthwash, brush and floss. Rinse and repeat.
I am almost 70. I had a terrible childhood dental experience. Going to the dentist, even a wonderful dentist, fills me with dread. I go regularly now but for several years I didn’t.
I’ve had several cavities through the years. Some are old enough the original filling had to be replaced at least two times. I have 2 crowns. And I’ve had 2 teeth pulled. (I didn’t have any wisdom teeth.) One I replaced with an implant. The other was in the very back so I didn’t replace it. I have slight to moderate gum disease. And I seriously grind my teeth.
But there is no reason I should lose my teeth. And I can’t imagine ever needing dentures. My dentist has never brought it up. With crowns, bridges and implants, I think the number of people getting dentures has dropped dramatically. And by the time you are my age I am sure alternatives will be even better.
I get my teeth cleaned 3-4 times a year due to gum disease and just to be on the safe side. I may not have all of my teeth when I die, but I won’t be in dentures.