I am only thirty years old and have to have my teeth extracted. My dentist said my calcium deficiency has ruined my teeth. I have two children who are still toddlers and I don’t want to look like a grandmother, especially because I am a widow and do hope to remarry someday, if I meet someone. Is there a way to do this without my face collapsing? I’ve been in tears for days.
Allie
Dear Allie,
I am sorry you have so much to deal with on your own. My condolences on the loss of your husband are included in that. Is it your dentist who told you that your calcium deficiency is why your teeth need to be removed? If so, he or she is making excuses. Your teeth are fully formed before adulthood and any deficiency you have now will not have an impact on your teeth. I am going to highly suggest you get a second opinion before going forward with your dentist’s recommendation to remove your teeth.
Different dentists vary in their willingness to save teeth. Some do not want to do anything except extract. Others will work like mad to save even teeth that are far gone. You want a dentist who is willing to fight for your teeth. It is possible your teeth are in bad condition because you have had two pregnancies close together. If you had a lot of morning sickness, this can be very hard on your teeth. That does not necessarily mean they are unsavable. However, we will go over what to do if they do need to be extracted.
What is facial collapse?
For those who may be unfamiliar with this term I want to go over what happens when your teeth are removed. Our bodies are designed to be remarkably efficient. When your teeth are removed, your body recognizes there are no longer tooth roots and will begin to resorb the minerals in your jawbone that were helping to retain your teeth. It does this in order to use its resources in the best way it can. While a fantastic way of distributing resources, it has the unfortunate effect of slowly shrinking your jawbone. After ten years or so, you will no longer have enough of a jawbone to even retain your dentures in your mouth, effectively making you a dental cripple.
The Solution to Facial Collapse
If it turns out you do need to extract all your teeth (which I am still not convinced of), then you can get implant supported dentures. Implant overdentures use four to eight dental implants in each arch. Then, once the bone has integrated with the implants, your dentist will anchor a denture onto the implants. Because of the prosthetic roots that dental implants provide, your body interprets them as the roots of your teeth and therefore leaves your jawbone completely intact. This would be my recommendation if your are losing your teeth.
This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.