Whats the point if I'm going to end up in drenchers anyway?

[BracesChick]

Having braces blues again. Last time I was up late thinking. I'm spending so much money on these braces, it's like a car payment every month. I would have LOVED to have straight perfect teeth in my 20s. By time these come off I'll be 30, and I assume that within 20 years my teeth will have fallen out and I'll be in drenchers. So I'm asking myself, is it really worth all this money, 2 years of discomfort and not likeing how I look for the last 2 years of my 20s?

[Sita]

Drenchers? I assume you mean dentures. Why would your teeth fall out? Are you planning on not taking care of them once the braces come off? And even if they did 20 years is still a long time to have nice straight teeth for.

[BracesChick]

Yes that's what I meant! Lol. I thought that's how it works. You get old, you get dentures. Everyone I know over 50 has them.

[bbsadmin]

You only need dentures if your teeth are falling out or if they are badly diseased. There are plenty of older people who keep all of their natural teeth.

[AdultGettingBraces]

Not at all, I assume back when they were your age their was less priority put on dental health etc. Your healthy straight teeth will be easier to maintain going forward.

[isthistaken]

I'm almost 56 and have all my natural teeth except wisdom teeth, so 28. I have half a dozen crowns and many fillings but no dentures, obviously, since I have braces.

[BracesChick]

That's encouraging!

[Tobilei]

My Mum is 65 and had all her own teeth bar 2 crowns (and a couple of fillings) and she only has 1 of the crowns because she whacked her tooth on the window of the car leaning out once and didn't see it. The other one was down to age and just cracked but otherwise they're doing well and her dentist doesn't think she's losing any any time soon.

Both my in laws have all their own teeth still too and are around the same age.

[Ciara]

My grandmother died at 96. She had a bridge for 2 upper morals, was missing her lateral incisors like I am, had her wisdom teeth removed in her 50s but apart from that, she had all her own teeth - she did have quite a few fillings and a couple of root canals. So, no, you will not necessarily need dentures in 20 years time!

[djspeece]

I understand your concerns, I certainly had them at age 62 when my general dentist persuaded me to get braces from the ortho in the office. As I was checking out from the brace-application appointment last fall and everyone in the office was "oowing and aweing" trying to make me feel better about how great they looked, I made the comment that "At least now I will have the nicest smile in the cemetary."

Actually one of the most compelling arguments for the braces for me were not the cosmetic ones (my teeth really aren't that bad) but more for the potential benefits for dental health in the long run. I don't think the braces are too noticeable (Damon clears upper and lower) but I did see a photo taken with me and my gf during a conference in Chicago and frankly they were much more noticeable than I would have wanted. I am going to attribute it to the fact that it is a photo and the flash accentuated the hardware. Did I mention I am quite comfortable with denial? Try it.

You'll have decades to enjoy the benefits of your braces. Hang in there!
Dan

[plugnickel69]

I think you're just feeling a little down. It will pass. I have all my teeth at 66 except for the four 1st premolars pulled for my original braces as a teenager. Have four lower crowns in the back as I never had fluoridated water. With fluoride, excellent hygiene, and proper alignment most people should never lose their teeth. I believe that if I had grown up with fluoride I would have no cavities and no crowns.

[amyhenna]

Dude...seriously?? Losing teeth by age 50??? I'm assuming you were kidding.

My parents are in their seventies with all their teeth, and those teeth aren't going anywhere. My grandpa lived to 95 with all his teeth.

I'm assuming you take care of your teeth, since you took the trouble of getting braces You will be happy you did this. Thirty is NOT OLD or anywhere close to it!!!

My grandpa told us all that he didn't start "feeling it" (age) until his eighties, and even then, it didn't hinder him much (or if it did, he didn't tell us). He was the same guy, just took more Metamucil (he said we'd all understand why when we got into our eighties)

[BracesChick]

No I was not kidding. My mother in law is in her 50s and she has non of her real teeth, and neither do her brothers or sisters. All my grandparents have dentures too.

But it's nice to know that it could change for me with proper cleaning and care. I thought that's just want happen when you get old.

[Eternal]

If that's the way you want to look at it, then you might as well just knock out all your teeth now and get nice perfect dentures

:D

[amyhenna]

My heart goes out to your family. That sounds awful. I have to say, though, I do like the term "drenchers"

For sure you can turn this around for you and your susequent generations (should you choose to reproduce, assuming you've not already). Staying on top of things is the whole trick to it, I think. Also, diet may have a lot to do with it, from what I've read. More acidic foods (beef, cheese, coffee, cola...see link below) pose greater risk to teeth than alkaline foods. This article explains why, and has a nice list to show which foods fall into which category:
http://www.dentabout.com/worst-food-and ... our-teeth/

I think between food & hygiene habits, people can have a lot of control over the fate of their teeth. For hygiene, going to checkups regularly to catch problems early (before they turn into root canals), brushing after every meal and flossing daily are probably the three biggest things we can do to prevent big problems from happening.

You are the boss of your toofers!