Rotten teeth?!

Rotten teeth?

My boyfriend has diabetes and when he was younger (22ish) didnt take care of himself and as a result has rotten teeth. Hes now 28. He often gets migraines and bad jaw aches but never wanted to see a dentist, as hes had bad experiences and previosly they told him the whole lot would need to go so he never went back to one. Ive finally convinced him he needs to do something about it. Can someone explain to me about dentures and other options available. Pretend like i know nothing about it and explain from the basics please. I dont understand the difference, do some come out at night while others stay in permanetly? What is the estimated cost of all this. I live in melbourne, australia. Does any one know what the waiting lists like for medicare to pay for it? We cant afford thoasands of dollars.

Thanks

Please only people who know what they are talking about answer.

I am a dental hygienist and this is just my opionion. For more accurate info consult the dentist that he will be going to.

I know that you are concern about money issues...dental schools are always looking for patients and they charge a lot less than dental offices.

Your boyfriend has diabetes...did you know that diabetes is a contributing factor to gum disease (periodontal disease)? Tell your boyfriend to not be ashamed of his mouth...we see it daily...plus he cannot help it. If one has diabetes he is likely to have poor teeth; however he can stop it now and help himself. When one has gum issues, you are always swollowing that bacteria and it is going throughout your body. There are proven facts that once his mouth is controlled his diabetes can be more under control as well as the rest of his body will be healthier! Get him to go to the dentist it is so important for his overall health!

Now onto the denture topic...Dentures are slowly but surely becoming a thing of the past and usually the last resort. You want to save as many teeth as possible! If he can get restorations...do that first. If he has to get a root canal...get that before an extraction (pulling). He can look into crowns and bridges or partials. Crowns are pretty much caps that cover your teeth after the decay is removed. If they have to pull out teeth because they are too decayed and can't be saved...he can get a bridge. Just picture what a real bridge looks like...this is what it kind of looks in the mouth... Pretend like you have three teeth and the one in the middle is missing, they cap the teeth you have and a have a fake tooth goes in the middle. All three are connected...hence the name bridge. They cannot be removed. I really hope this makes sense...I am trying my best. A partial is a "partial denture" it can be removed like a denture but only has the teeth attached to it that you are missing. So with a partial you have some fake teeth and some real teeth in your mouth. A denture is all your teeth are pulled and you this appliance has all 28 fake teeth (last resort)!!! Now there are implants. These are more expensive...you might be able to get them done at a dental school. This is what I would save for if I had to get teeth pulled. It is actually a titanium rod that they screw into your jaw and your bone actually grows around it. then they put a crown/cap over it and it looks like a real tooth:) The reason it is so good for the bone to grow around it is ...because when your tooth is missing you get boneloss and it keeps loosing bone overtime...with all the other appliances I described you can continue to get bone loss. You do not want this! It is not a good thing.

the bottom line is have him go to a a dentist and tell them you want options with a few different treatment plans and how much they will all cost...then take the treatment plan and go to a dental school and seewhat they can do and for the price. people want to make money...i'm sure different places will try to give you a better deal.

Good luck and I wish him the best! I hope he knows how lucky is his to have a girlfriend to do all this research for him:)

If you have any other questions go to ada.org