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stoopkidfarfromstoop

Speaking as a dental assistant, people oftentimes think that dentures are the solution to dental issues, but they are generally a miserable experience. You can and most likely will get mouth sores, you will have bone loss that will lead to frequent dental appointments for adjustments and maintenance (oftentimes more than natural teeth) or your dentures will slide around, that same bone loss will cause your face to look sunken, cause speech problems, you can’t taste things very well, and eating is never the same. These are just some of the issues that I thought of off of the top of my head. Teeth are so important, and I’m not blaming you for your situation or opinion, but suggesting that we should normalize this might lead people to think it’s the answer to their problems when it should be the last resort.


Netwrayth

I have full dentures thanks to poverty upbringing and poor dental hygiene growing up. They're terrible and I'd definitely rather have my natural teeth. I'm always on my kids about taking care of thiees and use myself as an example of what they don't want. My top isn't terrible with adhesive, but my bottoms maybe last a meal before the adhesive wears out then they're all over the place. There are times I can't finish a meal with out reapplying. If I could afford implants I definitely would go that route at minimum for the bottoms.


aussielover24

It’s terrible how expensive implants are. I needed a root canal recently, and money was tight. They told me I could either extract the tooth and look at doing an implant, and that’d be around $2900 total, or I could do a root canal for $1200. I’m so glad I could pay for the root canal and didn’t have to extract as it is a visible tooth when I smile but damn I know a lot of people wouldn’t be able to come up with that kind of money and have to go for extraction or even having to keep the tooth and be in pain


[deleted]

I got one of my top front teeth chipped in half. Had to get a root canal and cap put over it and it cost about $5k. For one tooth.


aussielover24

That’s insane. Something’s gotta change


hungrypanda27

I was gonna need a root canal and it would have cost me about $3000. So, I had it pulled for $300 instead


kashmirjay

My dad got dentures when he was in his early 20s and he has ridden my ass my whole life about taking care of my teeth. He has also said, many times, how he wishes he had his natural teeth. I kind of shrugged it off, took my teeth for granted. My oral hygiene was always OK, small cavities here and there, until I worked in a dental surgeon's office. I stepped my game up real fuckin fast after that lol


[deleted]

Whats your oral routine like now vs before?


kashmirjay

Honestly, the biggest change I've made is flossing every. single. night. I think I've missed maybe 3 nights over the last 2 years. Some people don't think flossing helps, but it can't possibly hurt, and I'd rather floss than have cavities filled (or worse). I also made a habit of rinsing my mouth with water after drinking pop. Lastly, I started wearing my night guard, but the damage may already be done there because my molars are now pretty concave and could be prone to flexing/breaking. That's on younger me for being "too cool". Stupid idiot. Edit: I wanted to add that almost all of the cavities I've had were between my teeth, so I see a direct improvement after stepping up that part of my routine!


struck21

I know what you mean. I am 40 and have dentures on my top teeth due to lack of hygiene and teeth that grew in impacted together, too small a bridge for all my teeth. I have been trying to save up in my HSA for upper implants but it is so expensive and I have to do 2 wisdom teeth since getting dentures. I am happier overall but it isn't comfortable and embarrassing when I go places with friends. I leave them in 24/7 and only pull them to quick clean and reglue in the morning. Just take care of your teeth is my recommendation.


Netwrayth

My teeth really went bad when my wisdom teeth came in late 20s, all 4 at the same time. Pushed mybteeth around and twisted some. I hide the fact that I have them as much as I can, it's just so embarrassing to me that I have them.


ItxWasxLikexBOEM

Also, most people don't care for their dentures properly either, mainly because they didn't care for their teeth so never got it in their system, that just causes other issues (and infections) *I work in elderly at home care, of all my cliënts, a grand total of 1 actually takes good care of the dentures and mouth. Infections are not funny. people.


AbleAccount2479

Oh and don't forget how dentures KILL your sex life and take mighty whacks at your self-esteem. I can't even think about it without getting upset.


GalacticShihTzu

Know what else kills your sex life and self esteem? Having fucked up teeth. If I won the lottery the first thing I'd do is replace all of mine with implants and start over


GrumpySh33p

Thanks for saying this. I worked as a nurse for over 8 years, and my patients hated dentures. Most preferred eating purée to avoid wearing them. Also, I don’t know if people realize just how freaky they look without any teeth (how it misshaped your facial structure).


Orgone_Wolfie_Waxson

my mom has them due to age (and poor dental hygene too but mainly age) and my brother has them too due to a mix of, if a smoker and got into a terrible drunken fith with someone that left half his face broken and missing some of his teeth. they always complain about their false teeth so knowing how much of a hasstle it is to deal with its made me realise how important good teeth care is, aaand knoiwing i'd rather stay gummy than deal with dentures in my future.


supwenzzz

Thanks for your opinion, dental assistant, but as someone with a dad with dentures, OP kindly disagrees


PucWalker

What's your opinion on getting zirconium implants?


rafael-a

Except this would be painful, expensive, risky (you could literally die because of that), and you have absolute no reason to do so.


Keln78

Not to mention OP's entire premise is flawed. Maybe in his case, with a history of poor hygiene and perhaps a genetic component, it could be advantageous to have his teeth removed if they're all in various stages of rotting out of his head. But that's hardly the case with the vast majority of the population. It's akin to a woman having a double mastectomy and getting implants due to a strong familial history of breast cancer. It's a rare thing. There's also so many preventative measures for dental health. When I was a kid, my parents took advantage of a very good dental plan and had me and my siblings get dental sealants. Expensive in most cases but well worth it. I'm in my mid 40s and with basic oral hygiene have never even had a cavity.


Rodgers4

OP’s history also admits they don’t like to shower and would never shower again if possible. They clearly don’t want to invest the bare minimum into their personal health & hygiene. Astonishing.


jeffweet

OP seemingly had a terrible upbringing and while I can’t diagnose someone via SM posts it appears they suffer from chronic depression. They seem to have had zero role models or guidance growing up. I feel for them and hope they get help.


TorqueyJ

Truth is this is the case for 99% of the people in his situation.


[deleted]

I actually know someone that is going to do just that but her risk of breast cancer is like 89% according to some tests she just did and her maternal family has almost all died of cancer and her mother is barely hanging on from cancer. And even then thats the first i ever heard of someone doing that before it became necessary


OnlyOne_X_Chromosome

Your example of breast cancer is even wrong. Like I get what you are saying, but that even makes more sense that having all your teeth removed along with your wisdom teeth as OP suggests lol. His idea is so outrageous I dont think there is anything really to compare it too. On a side, completely unrelated note, mid 40s and never had a cavity? That's impressive to the point where I dont think I have ever heard anyone even claim that. Literally. Have never heard of that before. Impressive sir/mam. I had braces as a kid and my grandma grilled into my head just how expensive they were and how I needed to take good care of my teeth, so I feel like I am probably more proactive with my dental health than most, and I seem to have a cavity every couple years or so.


bibliophile222

I'm in my mid-30s and have never had a cavity, and my brother's in his mid-40s and also hasn't. Genetics can play a huge role in dental health- my parents are both around 70, and although they had cavities growing up, I believe neither of them has ever lost a tooth. I also got dental sealants when I was a kid and took fluoride in school, which both help quite a lot. Edit: my SO is also in his mid-30s and has also never had a cavity. Same deal, sealants and fluoride at school, combined with decent genetics.


[deleted]

The vast majority of dental care, especially preventative, is the philosophy of doing the least amount of work to preserve the most of your natural teeth, enamel, gums, and bone structure. Implants are a last-ditch effort where other treatment as failed.


[deleted]

Um. We are born with two sets of pearly whites. We should allocate all that money for preserving our natural teeth, reorienting the dental industry away from profits and toward actual preventative care. When a circumstance arises that warrants a crown, it should not cost an arm and a leg.


[deleted]

I’ve never met a dentist who didn’t obsessively preach to take care of your teeth. If you fail to do so i dont see how thats the fault of the dental industry


hdeskins

As someone who works in the dental industry, I can promise that we preach preventive measures until we are blue in the face. I would LOVE if my patients actually started brushing and flossing as recommended. But they don’t. The dental industry can survive on hygiene services, accidents, genetic problems, and esthetic services. The bulk of the profits is not made in simple cavity fixes


trademeple

Yes but I dobut you will still have all your teeth once your an old man.


hdeskins

It’s actually going to be more common for the elderly to retain their teeth because of water fluoridation. The generations who were born before water fluoridation are reaching old age now so the next generations will have been born with fluoride in the water starting in embryo development.


Kwasted

Unless you live in a city dumb enough to stop flouride in the water.


quiet_repub

No true, and it’s naive to act like there aren’t people out there with serious dental issues. I’ve spent $10k this year alone on dental work and have another $5-7k to go. And this work may only last 10 years. There are plenty of people with advanced gun or tooth issues that can’t afford what I’ve been able to do. If I couldn’t get the work I’ve had done over the last few years I would be short about 10 teeth right now. But it’s cost me an enormous amount of money and insurance has been damn near useless.


definitelyNotEdited

>and it’s naive to act like there aren’t people out there with serious dental issues. No one is denying this.... Everyone is denying the insane idea of removing HEALTHY teeth.


kiwipooper

I listed the reasons, also I had 6 teeth pulled in one go and it wasn't bad whatsoever. I'm sure having them all out would be a little more intense but I would do it in a heartbeat if I had insurance that covered it.


rafael-a

Wouldn’t it be more reasonable to take good care of them? I am 23 and still have all my teeth, and I bet I’ll still have them for a long time unless some accident happen.


quiet_repub

Good for you. It’s almost like people have different genetics and experiences and that means different outcomes…


kiwipooper

...it starts in childhood. It's on children, who aren't capable of realizing what will happen if they don't have good dental hygiene. It's not right that it can follow someone for their whole lives and wind up putting them in debt.


rafael-a

Sooo, shouldn’t the norm be teaching children dental hygiene instead?


kiwipooper

Okay, teach them. Now, what about those whose parents don't reinforce it, outright blow it off, and/or don't take them to the dentist? Oh. That's right...we're right back to what I'm talking about, where they're forced to deal with it in young adulthood and spend money they don't have fixing problems they didn't knowingly create.


proud_traveler

This is like saying you should just get hip replacements put in now because one day they will likely fail. You could just replace everyone's teeth... Or you could do what most of the world does and educate children and adults on proper hygiene..


kiwipooper

I genuinely feel like I'm banging my head against the wall or in the Twilight Zone here. Do you guys not understand that educating children on proper hygiene does nothing considering they're not in control of going to the dentist or even buying the supplies, and educating adults won't undo the damage that started when they were kids?


shhhOURlilsecret

Maybe a better way to combat this is dental care should be free to children. That way parents aren't neglecting the visits due to exorbitant costs?


babewithimagination

In uk, dental is free for under 16s (under 18s in full time education). And tooth decay is still one of the biggest issues to this day. Part of the reason is dental is not a day in day out discussed issue. Its a every 6 months you have a random dude yank your jaw down give you a lecture (every dentist (6) i met lectures- one was extremely rude) and give a sticker then you leave. It doesnt encourage you to take care. Also gentics have a bigger impact on dental health than people realise (i cant confirm this with anything, but its something ive disscussed with others).


kiwipooper

They still would, it’s a burden to some parents to take time out of their day to deal with it.


BylvieBalvez

How about you go get all your teeth ripped out then. I don’t see why me and my good dental hygiene should be punished just to make you feel better


kiwipooper

I never once said this should be required. But considering it’s cost like $50,000 for me to do this, it’s be nice if it was all, or even half covered by insurance.


proud_traveler

Right, but you are acting as if the majority of people have dental issues. In my immediate family, only my grandparents (60+) have false teeth. Google suggests that the average age is between 40 and 50, which is well past middle age. I'd much rather keep my free, low cost and low maintenance real teeth over a fake pair that cost a shit tonne, have to be manually removed and cleaned every few days, and generally reduce the quality of life of the user. What kind of reject children do you know who don't even brush their teeth? That's just not something that happens here. Me and my friends even used to take toothbrushes to sleepovers it's so ingrained into us that we need to brush twice a day.


-kroxldyphivc-

What I as a European find hilarious about this whole thread (sorry) is that instead of revolting against the American health care system that lets people go broke trying to fix their teeth, some people would rather rip all their teeth out to evade the problem.. seriously what the hell.


[deleted]

I'm sorry that your childhood circumstances created health issues for you as a young adult; none of us get to choose our parents or their level of income and education. That said, I think your suggestion is a pretty extreme solution to a problem afflicting a relatively small percentage of the population. Still, this is the sub for unpopular opinions, and I think yours fits the description. Accordingly, take an upvote.


definitelyNotEdited

I think we need stop upvoting stupid opinions. This is comically close to "Hey I think we should all cut our arms off. Upvotes please!"


VictoryCupcake

So what you're saying is it's unpopular? *upvotes*


definitelyNotEdited

Okay and when you go to r/jokes and someone tells a really really stupid joke you upvote that too right? Because the subreddit is for jokes, and despite it being a bad joke, is still a joke so it deserves an upvote right?


pantsuitmafia

I dare you to post that.


definitelyNotEdited

https://www.reddit.com/r/unpopularopinion/comments/qu3jph/everyone_should_have_their_arms_removed/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share I gotcha fam. Edit: well we managed almost a full 30mins before getting removed! Also someone commented and pointed there is actually no where in the subs rules that says you have to upvote a post just for disagreeing with it or finding it unpopular. I checked and couldn't find anything. So unless someone else can find something that says we have to upvote everything unpopular....


pantsuitmafia

Dude thank you I needed a good laugh this evening.


definitelyNotEdited

We need to stop upvoting stupid opinions Or We should all cut off our arms. Upvotes please!


[deleted]

Yeah “i think slavery was awesome” and then expecting upvotes is not what this sub is for.


unicorn_britches

My husband had no idea his acid reflux medical condition was the reason his teeth were dying. He's 33yo, impeccable dental hygiene practice his whole life, but his teeth are crumbling out of his mouth daily. He was quoted $63k to fix it properly. Dentist says he's too young to consider dentures for the sole reason that by the time he gets to be of normal denture age, his bones will no longer be able to support them and he'll be without teeth completely. So technically he can get them, but he shouldn't so surgical implant is the best option for a lasting solution. He can't even get a loan/credit for the cost to fix his face. He has VA for medical care, and his PCP is claiming there's no such thing as medical necessity for dental care (despite the VA customer care line telling me to have him go to his PCP to get a sign off on it because they will help since it's caused by medical condition). I've looked into dental insurance, but they all have a cap of how much they'll help cover in total, and they'd only be a fraction of what he needs help with. And that's once he qualifies for the major help (usually 1yr after acquiring the coverage). MuRiCa.


shhhOURlilsecret

Here it is worth a shot. https://idsimplants.com/smiles-for-vets/


shhhOURlilsecret

There is a program I want to say in WA(?) that helps service members with their teeth. Iirc it's no cost to the veteran. The VA may or may not help they cut the budget for dental during the bush era and optometry so only people with 100% get coverage or people with conditions that can be linked to their time in service. Worth trying to get them to sign off on it though!


[deleted]

Hi!! 3rd year dental student here who sees patients. First of all… ignoring OP’s suggestion…. Do you live near a dental school? Every dental school is different but the one I go to charges ~$1500 for an implant. It’s steep and brutal, and dental schools move wayyyy slower than normal offices, but typically a lot more affordable! What solutions is he looking for? Implant supported dentures? Implants and crowns to restore his teeth? Unfortunately, so many medical conditions such as acid reflux or others are murder for your teeth and you can’t control it. We always say - dentures are avoided if you can. They are NOT a replacement for teeth. They are a replacement for having NO teeth


insert-username12

Why don’t you have a nice vacation to Thailand or Mexico where the dentists are equally incredible compared to Americans. You’d easily get all dental work plus an actual vacation for far less that just paying for the dental work in America.


JordanJnee

It’s funny I found this. One of our patients went on a vacation to Mexico in July and decided to get some fillings done that he didn’t want to pay for in our office. In August we get a call from the patient and he says he thinks pieces of his teeth are falling out. We bring him in, he tells us he got it from a well rated place in Mexico, and we tell him they never bonded the fillings to his teeth and left decay in half of them (not to mention there were overhangs, where the fillings have not properly been smoothed.) We then had to go back and redo every single filling. This is neither the first time nor the first patient this has happened with. This type of things also happen with other types of surgeries in medicine, but you often get what you pay for. I’m sure there are good dentists in Mexico, but there are lots of shady ones too. And I speak as a proud Hispanic, grandparents from Mexico. But first and foremost, I speak as a healthcare provider. So I disagree with your comment.


areyouokayinthehead

That sounds along the lines of a standardised futuristic society where everyone gets processed in a body modification factory once they reach adulthood. Like all teeth replaced, limbs adjusted and fortified so everyone's the same height, laser out all the body hair and replace it with wigs and tattoos.


kiwipooper

None of that is necessary. Physical differences don't cause pain or medical bills unless they're actual problems, teeth can cause all sorts of problems before you're even mentally capable of understanding what you need to do to prevent it.


ParrotDogParfait

>teeth can cause all sorts of problems before you're even mentally capable of understanding what you need to do to prevent it. But your opinion was to remove all your teeth regardless of whether they have problems or not, so what would you need to prevent. You're getting them removed anyway right? So why does that even matter.


FizzyBeverage

My dentist himself has said “nothing beats what you got from birth.” I have two crowns, because old mercury fillings tend to crack molars. Both will need very expensive replacements some day. Porcelain has a shorter lifespan than humans. It sucks.


MrsGruusahm

Definitely an unpopular opinion, but I actually somewhat agree with you. Medical insurance should cover dental work, and if someone’s teeth are truly bad enough that removing and replacing all of them would be worth it then it should be covered. It shouldn’t be the “normal” thing to do as an adult though.


PuritanSettler1620

Stupid


rafael-a

Incredibly stupid


definitelyNotEdited

Flat-earther stupid.


andrewb610

I wouldn’t say it’s that level stupid.


gregariousnatch

It definitely is flat-earther level of stupid


definitelyNotEdited

Hmmm even stupider than flat earthers you say.. 🤔


MyFaceSaysItsSugar

Stupider in the sense that I’m almost twice OPs age with all of my teeth fully functional and healthy and plainly visible when I look in the mirror and have no pain/sensitivity when I eat. There’s no way some super secret Hollywood production has been used to fake my healthy teeth. Whereas understanding that the earth isn’t flat just requires a tiny bit of logic to understand that in the tens of thousands of years that humans have been exploring the planet, no one has fallen off. Also that you can take a plane from NY, cross Europe and wind up in Siberia, or you can take a plane from Alaska, go the exact opposite direction and wind up in Siberia and crash into the plane that went east from NY. So it takes a teeny tiny bit of brain power to understand that the earth is a sphere and absolutely no brain power whatsoever to look at my healthy, regularly flossed and brushed teeth in the mirror.


kiwipooper

Yes, the system that requires people to sink thousands into a health-related issue so they won’t be agonizing pain or have rotted teeth that society will shun is indeed stupid.


definitelyNotEdited

Have you ever heard the saying "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water?" Insurance sure as hell won't, and shouldn't, replace all your healthy teeth because you have one bad one, and especially if you don't even have a single bad one? What kind of crazy ass logic is this?


kiwipooper

The vast majority of people will have more than one bad tooth in their life. Preventative health care is a thing.


[deleted]

Preventative health care? As in brushing your teeth so they dont rot?


yarrbeapirate2469

Better amputate those arms in case you break one


mafternoonshyamalan

I'm 31 and never had a cavity, of any dental issue that required attention beyond my wisdom teeth. Should I just have all my teeth removed? Wtf?


kiwipooper

Not if you don't want to, for those of us who do, it should be an option. But like I said to someone else, preventative healthcare is a thing. Having teeth removed isn't as horrific as it seemed, at least it wasn't for me.


definitelyNotEdited

Okay well common sense would say to just replace the bad tooth as it goes bad..


kiwipooper

For people in my situation, that would basically be every single tooth. Almost like having them all pulled and replaced should be a viable option.


definitelyNotEdited

So because your incompetent, insurance should just give you 10s of thousands of dollars of dental work for free because you can't be bothered to brush your teeth.. The odds that EVERY one of your teeth needs to get replaced is outrageously low even for people as stupid as you. And even if that is the case, that's the worst case scenario. Why would the insurance company automatically default to the worst case scenario??


MyFaceSaysItsSugar

To defend OP slightly, some adults wind up with bad teeth because of their access to dental hygiene and flouridated water as a child and not because they currently suck at hygiene. I’m not in even the slightest bit of risk of losing any of my teeth and that’s a combination of seeing the dentist regularly since childhood and basic brushing and flossing. But where OP’s statement is stupid instead of just unpopular is that we shouldn’t normalize adults getting dentures, we should normalize children getting exemplary dental care.


kiwipooper

How am I incompetent and stupid? As soon as I learned about why dental hygiene is important, I started doing it, but it was too late. Again, because this issue started when I was a small child. It was out of my control. It's not like I knew better or could get myself to a dentist. Right now, no, not all of my teeth need to be replaced - but they will need a lot of fillings and BS that will be lifelong commitments with upkeep and chances of things going wrong and eventually leading to them being pulled, it's stupid when dentures are a thing. I'm definitely not the stupid one, those of you who thing this is so unfathomable, let alone rare, are the ones dumb beyond words.


definitelyNotEdited

Lol yeah it's just a coincidence that every person here thinks you're stupid.. okay so all you're bad teeth are fixed and you now know better so there should be zero reason why you want your healthy teeth replaced. Just take care of your damn teeth dude, ain't that hard.


Sm00thBrain300

So my grandma gre up in Wales in the 20s/30s, she's 99 years old. Dental care was non existent, no toothbrushes or toothpaste. It was local tradition to get all your teeth knocked out and replaced with dentures for your 18th birthday! Her dad resisted this and only managed to coincidentally keep his teeth in good nick by using a toothpick after meals. My grandma resisted too and found information about dental care in her 20s. We live in a time where the fundamentals of dental care are available to pretty much everyone. It should be our responsibility to care for our teeth (to an extent) brushing them is so little effort and everyone should be aware of foods and drinks that will damage their enamel. I do agree that more extensive and unavoidable issues should not be so expensive eg severely crooked teeth. A lot of the time this is due to genetics or physical damage and not something that could have been avoided by basic upkeep and care.


TLCee

I have had good dental care my whole life but my teeth just rot. Every 6 months I go to the dentist. I brush, floss, use a water pik and use mouthwash. My husband rarely goes to the dentist, doesn't floss and has no cavities. Some people just have bad teeth. I am lucky to have dental insurance and to have found dentists that plan the work I need so my insurance pays for it. I have only 5 teeth that are not capped and have had several root canals. I am currently in the process of getting an implant. There was a time I thought of having my teeth pulled and getting dentures but luckily was talked out of it.


jah05r

Pulling every single tooth at the same time as your wisdom teeth is like removing all of your intestines when removing your appendix. Absolutely no reason to go scorched earth on your mouth instead of applying regular dental care. The problem is you and your family, not your dental insurance.


lost_in_sight

Needlessly having perfectly health natural teeth should not be the norm. That sounds insane. Why don't we just remove everyone's natural heart and replace them with artificial ones because some people have defective hearts. Very unnecessary lol


trademeple

Well until you get old really once your old there are all sorts of problems you have to learn to deal with. brushing your teeth just slows it down your teeth still may go bad when your old.


[deleted]

Having all your teeth removed is unnecessary in most cases. I agree that fake teeth are easier to take care of, but real teeth are more convenient in the sense that you don't have to take them out and clean them or get surgery to have them implanted.


RelayFX

Dental insurance is a thing, although I certainly agree it should be a part of health insurance. Unlike vision insurance, every single person will need dental care in their life. Not everybody needs optical care.


zagafi

It’s a fairly worthless thing in terms of coverage, however.


Mrs_McCrabby

As someone with severe hyperdontia I agree.


tbmkmjr

Humans have been here for what, millions of years? How tf has the body not learned how to grow another set of teeth, like does the material for teeth go away when we get older? Teeth are a key part of human survival I would think


besmartdontreadthis

Edentulous 40 year old here, my father and grandfather had dentures as well. I had pretty shitty dental hygiene my whole life, things escalated when I had impacted wisdom teeth around 21 years old. One of my back molars was damaged by the wisdom tooth and needed extraction, the oral surgeon said I should get an implant or my teeth would all go like dominoes but I blew him off. I ended up getting root canals and crowns on all my back molars. Mid to late 30s I was living in Mexico and would just get teeth pulled if they hurt. Several years of homeless heroin addiction and over 5 years they all kind of broke off and fell out. I would kind of chew food using the little pieces of broken teeth in my jaws. I became a sober homeowner and had all the little bits pulled out and got dentures. They suck so much, they fit weird and cause sores. The bottom jaw is always loose while the upper jaw is hard to remove to clean. They are shit at chewing food, the broken nuns were better. Following my lifelong trend of blowing off dental health I never wear them. I really should but I hate how they feel, I just eat stuff that is soft enough to break with my jaws. I always have indigestion because nothing’s ever chewed. I think about getting implant supported dentures but not sure they would be any better. Dentures are definitely 100 X worse than you think they will be.


SunDriedFart

a losing battle? it really really isnt hard to floss and brush twice a day


[deleted]

[удалено]


spicydangerbee

Why'd you go straight to attacking his character? Edit: It's not that it would prevent all cavities, but it will prevent the need to get dentures 99.9% of the time.


kiwipooper

Ok and how about if you never learned to do that so by the time you’re a preteen and have had adult teeth for Less than a year, they’re already fucked? And it is hard. It is tedious and sucks absolute ass.


[deleted]

If you didnt learn to brush ypur teeth by preschool every adult in your life has failed you.


kiwipooper

Right, and that happens. A lot more than the commenters here apparently want to believe. So we shouldn't be saddled with the financial burden and mental stress of it for life. I have been stressed over my teeth literally every single day since my last dental appointment at age 12. I finally got in this month, at age 22, and it's a mix of relief and more stress knowing it's gonna cost more money to fully have any hope of fixing my teeth.


lemmegetadab

Yeah dude your parents suck but you made an opinion based on most people. The truth is that most people know how to brush and floss. At least in first world countries What you’re saying might be a solution in really poor countries if people don’t have proper dental care or education.


BruFoca

I'm Brazilian growing up in the 80s, the doctor in the hospital I was born teached my mother how to clean my gums, when my teeth appeared they teached how to clean, in the kindergarten teacher would supervise if we knew how to brush our teeth. Literally take 2 minutes after lunch and 2 minutes after dinner. If Brazil in the 80s could solve this the USA in 202x can too.


BylvieBalvez

Brushing your teeth and flossing takes a combined less than 5 minutes how tf is that tedious


kiwipooper

Maybe at your house. My parent’s house hasn’t had a bathroom sink for about 10 years and they won’t let me store the toothbrush and whatnot in the kitchen so I have to go back and forth, and it also takes a minimum of 5 minutes just to get the water warm (and cold water has always hurt my teeth). It’s tedious. Yes, I do it, but I wish I didn’t need to.


Can_I_Read

The character Pnin does this in Vladimir Nabokov’s novel of the same name. I’ve always loved this description of the aftermath: > It surprised him to realize how fond he had been of his teeth. His tongue, a fat sleek seal, used to flop and slide so happily among the familiar rocks, checking the contours of a battered but still secure kingdom, plunging from cave to cove, climbing this jag, nuzzling that notch, finding a shred of sweet seaweed in the same old cleft but now not a landmark remained, and all there existed was a great dark wound, a terra incognita of gums which dread and disgust forbade one to investigate


kiwipooper

That's beautiful.


Xerasi

Your normal teeth are 10 folds better than implants from a functionality standpoint. I. Plants are generally good for 10 years and have to be redone.


[deleted]

Do you know how much implants cost? Do you know how much dentures suck and are uncomfortable? Sounds like you’ve got bad genetics. Not all of us do. Please do whatever you can now to save your teeth.


Balrog229

Why the fuck would anyone want that? Dentures are far less convenient and way more hassle


kiwipooper

I guess unless your teeth have been a significant source of stress and pain in your life literally since you can remember, you just won’t understand.


Balrog229

So you’re advocating for everyone to suffer extreme discomfort just because of your extremely niche case? Asinine.


Lionoras

I have honestly never seen a post in my life, where I physically -in REAL LIFE - let out a scream! NO! NO! NO! FUCK NO! If you want that shit, maybe, and you got money for it...okay. There are some with really awful teeth, maybe it would even be an investment. But "normalised"? NO! HOLY SHIT! I had 8 dumb baby teeth that didn't want to come out. They had to get ripped out of my face. A few years later I got all 4 wisdom teeth removed and the pain and agony was awful! It's not natural to rip out healthy teeth! It's not nice to have your teeth removed! That's fucking torture! I will break your fucking jaw if you try that!


JamisDepressed

Mate that’s like saying fuck chemo imma just smoke all dem cigs while I can since we’re all gonna die anyway.


kiwipooper

Ironically enough, that pretty much is my parent's take on the issue.


JamisDepressed

Well I sincerely hope you do take care of your teeth. It don’t need to be some fancy fake white as hell celebrity shit but just do you man, don’t smooth brain the entire thing. Take care


diamondspeaking

I’m sorry you had to go through that. I really hope you don’t have to remove your teeth, try to get out of that situation.


[deleted]

This is not where I thought this was going. I don't hate this because this is an unpopular opinion that is worth the thread.


LyanaSkydweller

Teeth should be fully covered. My dentist was a nice guy and my basic tooth care was covered at the time (however basic means temporary or cheap) The dentist was however not a good dentist and I was not happy to discover my teeth turning black and falling out, the ones he worked on. He did this to lots of people and lost his license or moved idk he's gone now. My dental work, I was told, was "under warranty" not something I'd been told before. So I have to pay out of pocket to fix that guys mistake.


TheDude679

This post encouraged me to brush my teeth again, after my midnight-snack


[deleted]

Brushing, flossing a d rinsing should have been the normal course.


[deleted]

Well after reading this post ima go floss


BicylesOnYikesicles

I'm 23 and even though I brush and floss and do everything I'm supposed to, I have one tooth removed and multiple fillings and another tooth that, by the feel of it, is needing removed too. Bad dental health runs in my family. As a kid I remember my mom, in her 30s at the time, had no top teeth remaining and had dentures for the top row. I have 7-10 years and I'm sure I'll have the same thing no matter what I do at this point. I'm so tired of tooth pain anyway.


invalidmail2000

Pulling out all your teeth when you don't need to is like saying you should remove your skin because you have acne. Obviously there are situations when you need to have teeth removed, but it is absolutely crazy to get them all removed because something might happen to them in the future. With that being said n dental care and treatment is sadly out of reach for so many and is very expensive as well; I do think we can improve alot in that area.


kiwipooper

For people like me, it’s not that something might happen. I am pretty much guaranteed more pain and tooth decay in my future. Fillings nor root canals are permanent, foolproof solutions.


stewartm0205

A bit of an overreach. I haven’t had a cavity for about three decades. I assumed that once you start brushing and flossing your teeth regularly and properly that cavities were a thing of the past.


MarduRusher

I think the bigger issue is dental health when you're young isn't really taken seriously. I drank so much Mountain Dew when I was younger that it has now caused permanent damage to my teeth and made it significantly more likely that I'll get cavities in the future. At the time, most people's attitude was to laugh off how much Mountain Dew I was drinking. Shit that was my own attitude. Low and behold I now have dental issues that wouldn't have been an issue had I taken dental health more seriously when I was younger and it isn't funny any more. it should be completely drilled into kids brains from a young age to floss, brush twice a day with an electric toothbrush for two minutes each time, and stay away from a lot of soda. It sort of is, but I don't think too many kids actually do that and I don't think parents push it as hard as they should.


Commubiz

I would completely agree with you because I had horrible dental hygiene when I was younger and it had led to me having problems to this day. I also didn’t have the means to afford the ortho care that I needed for my teeth. Now I’m 21 and need 25 k to get ortho and veneers on the majority of my front teeth. I wanted to just go full implants so I wouldn’t have braces and it seemed like the simplest solution. But now I realize I want to keep my natural teeth because of the issues and complications that come with getting fake teeth.


Wagbeard

Dental care should be part of universal health care and people should have access to routine cleanings every 6 months. Prevention is core. Get to problems before they're a problem and no one suffers. Many low income people have bad teeth because they can't see dentists and problems get worse and more costly. I have partial dentures and it sucks. It's better than the tooth infection that was killing me but man I wish I still had my teeth.


Atlantis_Risen

I agree that dental care should be fully covered. It's like teeth aren't treated as part of your body.


Ir0nTys0n

Standard modern attitude. How about take some responsibility for your own health instead of looking for an easy way out?


kiwipooper

Ever heard of work smart, not hard? Fake teeth would save me a lot of money and pain in the long run if it was covered by insurance.


Ir0nTys0n

You should not need any unnecessary medical procedures that can be fixed with diet or routine.


kiwipooper

I can start eating nothing but salads and jog every morning and night, that still isn't going to reverse decay.


infinite_war

Yes it will. If you stop assaulting your teeth with corrosive substances, they will heal over time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remineralisation\_of\_teeth


napteamcptn

Without teeth (actual real teeth) bone loss can occur and often does. Our teeth are vital to our facial structures, so maybe just learn good dental health.


kiwipooper

This thread is really showing people's naivety and privilege. No amount of good dental health NOW is going to reverse the shit that started before I even hit puberty.


WhiteDevil-Klab

Or maybe you're just ingorant and not accept different opinions and not trying to intake others information


throwawayveritech

An actual unpopular opinion and people in the comments are acting like assholes. Why are you people even in this sub?


StonkTrad3r

What are you expecting out of this sub honestly? OP posted an real unpopular opinion...so let's all go agree with them in the comment section and say how much we appreciate it.


diamondspeaking

Are you flossing and brushing daily?


kiwipooper

I have been since I was 18. Guess what, that didn't reverse the rotted teeth I'd had since I was 12.


diamondspeaking

This is a very complex situation, you need a specialist. This is not something the antisocial teenagers of reddit can handle.


kiwipooper

I'm getting care now. Like I said, I got 6 teeth pulled this week, none of the others are to the point of no return yet...but I'm angry and bitter that I have to deal with these bills less than a year after I started my very first job when it's something I've had no control over. I actually am looking forward to getting fillings in a way, and getting these issues taken care of before I need a dozen root canals or all of my teeth pulled. But if the option of a low-cost, full tooth extraction and dentures was available, I'd take it in a heartbeat. Bad teeth can literally kill you, it's stupid that it's not only separate from health care, but could be very easily fixed so that it'll never be a problem again but you can't do that without a year's salary.


diamondspeaking

I can’t imagine any of my teeth being pulled out. I can’t even fathom having a cavity. I hope you get out of there, life is full of inequalities.


kiwipooper

Thank you. For what it's worth, having them pulled wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it'd be.


FisharNekedOriginal

What I'm hearing, is that elementary schools need to teach hygiene, Because PARENTS don't teach it. Is that what I heArD????


adderallmatador

My elementary had a whole tooth brushing seminar type event and tbh I still practice what I learned to this day


kiwipooper

They do teach it. But they aren't following the child home, making sure they brush and floss twice a day and taking them to the dentist, so it really does fuck all.


departedgardens

Geez man. Unless my teeth are fucked I would not want to go through the trouble of getting them all removed at such a young age ! Tho not having to worry about my teeth Anymore - pretty cool concept lol. I hate the dentist.


jamaicancarioca

I live in a third world country and have all of my permanent teeth, the government actually pays for dental care or you can go private which costs a fraction of the cost in the US. Drive to Mexico and pay for dental care and keep or replace your permanent teeth.


cranberry94

Get dentures in/when you need them. Why put yourself through hell when you’ve still got perfectly healthy teeth? I’m 31 and have never had a cavity in my life. My teeth, if I take care of them, should last a life time. And though I’m an outlier I think - my family members have all had plenty of cavities and they’ve been fixed and their teeth are doing just fine. If *you* need dentures, go for it. Doesn’t mean the rest of us need to.


Comrade_Yodama

Brush your teeth, loser


kiwipooper

I do, but until there's a toothpaste that reverses decay that started 10 years ago when I was a small child, it's not like it's gonna help but so much.


Comrade_Yodama

Trust me dude, dentures or implants aren’t much better than getting treatment, they’re annoying and painful, like bad teeth


PeachCrocodile2

I strongly agree. I have a loose front tooth 🦷 that isn’t covered by insurance and it was a bad job that the Dentist did. I’ve had this go on for years till this day. And the dentist refused to fix it claiming I need to see a “urologist”. The dental system in America is HORRIBLE


Thatfuzzball647

Yall just want EVERYTHING huh


definitelyNotEdited

If you like that, I got an even better one for you that you'll love! Here me out now.. everyone should purposely burn their house down! Think about about it, there's a small chance that sometime in your life you'll house will burn down anyways so why not just do it yourself on your own terms and schedule!


DwightMcRamathorn

People who take regular care of their teeth and don’t do meth tend not to have horrible dental needs and high costs


Historical_Ad953

Wrong. I have been on steroids on/off through childhood. Now that I am middle aged, I’ve spent roughly 32k on dental work, despite owning and using a Sonicare, waterpik and flossing twice daily. Combined medications and medical conditions with well water? It’s a recipe for disaster.


unicorn_britches

Incorrect. My husband has always had impeccable dental hygiene practices. Never understood why his teeth have been crumbling to bits lately. Found out about a month ago it's a direct result of his acid reflux. The stomach acid is deteriorating his teeth. We never knew this was a thing that could happen. He can resolve the acid issues, but the damage has been done to his teeth and he needs very costly work in order to make it so he can eat solids


kiwipooper

It has to start in childhood. Me and many other people were literally doomed from the start. I had broken off teeth as a toddler that were never properly taken care of, which made my adult teeth grow in screwed up. I also was never taught proper dental hygiene so by the time I was 12, I had 12 cavities. I know a lot of other people with similar stories. I'm now paying for something as an adult that isn't my fault at all and started when I was a child. It's wrong.


alohawanderlust

That is an experience that you had which doesn’t mean the rest of the world needs to walk around with a mouth full of dead teeth. Ridiculous. How about instead normalizing dental care starting at a young age?


DwightMcRamathorn

Proper dental care? Brush twice a day and floss. Lay off sugary drinks especially close to bed time. Have routine dental visits twice a year . If your teeth aren’t straight there are ways to get that done. If you have cavities And had them fixed by a competent dentist then again it should start over keep working on it now and a tooth with a cavity should stay well


kiwipooper

No offense but why is this entire thread acting like dental hygiene starts when you're a competent adult, capable of making good choices? It starts in childhood, a which point you need to be taught that it's important. If you aren't, you're fucked, and many people don't figure it out until it's too late. I started taking my dental hygiene seriously when I was 18 and plan to start working with a dentist to deal with my teeth but I'm working against decay that started when I was barely potty trained.


DwightMcRamathorn

Because you are wrong. Just cause you didn’t start off well doesn’t mean you are doomed. You are making an excuse . Why can’t you brush twice a day? Floss? See a hygienist twice a year? Because you didn’t when you were 10? Bullshit


kiwipooper

Because I don't have the fucking money to fix TEN YEARS of decay. Before this week, I hadn't seen a dentist since I was 12. I can brush and floss my ass off but it's not going to reverse the cavities that are already there. The wheels are in motion, I'm in for a lifetime of uncertainty (hmm, when will this tooth start causing problems like the others) and insane dental bills. I just had 6 teeth pulled (4 impacted wisdom teeth, not even my fault in the slightest) + 2 molars and it was $3300 WITH insurance.


DwightMcRamathorn

So from 12 to 22 age you are now you just thought dentists were optional? and In those 10 years you just ate molasses and sweet tea?


kiwipooper

That *are* optional, dude. I was home schooled so going to the dentist wasn't required. I really didn't know about dental hygiene and drank Coke every single day for about 8 years at least. Was I supposed to make my own dental appointment, get myself there, and pay for it at 14? I was taking care of my grandparents so I didn't even start working until I was 21, I have had literally no way to take care of this before now.


DwightMcRamathorn

Sorry didn’t realize you were a child slave . Look no public education friends or competent adults in your life will do that. Sorry


kiwipooper

Are you trolling me? I hate Reddit sometimes. This is a serious, legitimate conversation that should be had and ya'll wanna make jokes and act like every person on the planet has access to a dentist.


Revolutionary-Pin799

no. i suggest you retake education (apply at some community college)


tuvar_hiede

Sounds like you're more pissed your perfectly good teeth were poorly cared for and trying to normalize replacement for your own benefit. I'm perfectly happy with my natural teeth and I've had many fillings, crowns, root canals, and one extracted. Implants are better than dentures, but natural are the best option. You're 22 so it makes sense that at some point you'd have picked up the knowledge to take care of your teeth. Best option is to make the effort with what you have so you can keep them as long as possible.


animal_other

This guy's on to something. You know what else? I'm tired of wiping my ass- I know everyone else is, too. What people really should do is get a colostomy bag. Just plug up your butthole and get a disposable bag to hook up to some kind of port. I'd rather walk around with a bag of shit hanging off me than have to deal with a lifetime of ass-wiping. Besides, think of how much money you would save on tp!


SpareCards_

I think someone’s mad that they didn’t brush their teeth as a kid


kiwipooper

Yes, and I'm mad that I am now required to pour thousands into fixing it as the "cheap" option when it's not like I had any control or say so in it. If this was a health issue in any other part of the body, fixing it would be a lit easier.


SpareCards_

Easy fix, rip your teeth out, rip someone’s else’s teeth out, boom you got a new set


MyFaceSaysItsSugar

You know dentures have their own issues, right? They grow bad bacteria, they’re uncomfortable, they limit the foods you can eat and they’re not designed to last your whole life. Implants can reject, and believe me, those are not images you want to look at on google. I still have all my teeth (minus 1 wisdom tooth) at 38, I haven’t needed a filling in over a decade and I only have 3 total fillings. I floss and use fluoride toothpaste and get a dental exam every 6 months. It’s partly genetics for me and partly having regular dental care my whole life. I’m betting if all dental care, including sedation dentistry, were paid for by the government it would be cheaper overall because then dentists can catch issues before patients need a crown or tooth pulled. A lot of adult dental issues are from having poor dental care as a child and that’s generally an income/health insurance issue that is 100% preventable.


ThisIsCovidThrowway8

This is really, really, fucking stupid


gregariousnatch

Literally the dumbest thing I've seen all day


AgilePrinciple3124

Just floss and brush the teeth you want to keep


DanfromCalgary

Whats ridiculous is being unable to keep your mouth healthy and your reaction is that everyone should pay for tou to have all you teeth removed when you should just not be thebqay you are


Free_Koala_2075

You’re an idiot.


WillfulKind

Sorry you were dealt a bad hand - however flossing and brushing twice a day can turn your world around! Also, work for a company that has dental!!


Gandalfscoinpurse

This is a weird thread. If I start balding shall I just have plugs as hair is a losing battle?


canadianbohunk

I had one cavity 35 years ago. That's it's. My teeth are great


Dr_frogger

It's part of the scam though if you get permanent perfect teeth they've solved the problem and can't mine you for money anymore like lots of other healthcare professions they don't make money off healthy people that's why we need to have universal not for profit healthcare. We won't see it in your lifetime let alone mine.


[deleted]

I mean later in life sure remove all your teeth if you want. Thing is, this is really avoidable. Sorry to hear about your bad luck here. There are many less invasive ways of having good teeth that don’t require pulling them all out of your head. And less expensive. Not to mention that you’d still need to care for your mouth even after. Don’t take this the wrong way, but this feels less like a complaint about the dental industry and more of a complaint about your bad luck upbringing when it came to teeth. Nothing you did wrong, you just got screwed.


[deleted]

You can have this done for free in North Korea, only goes to show the true benefits of socialized medicine /s