Why don't people have all their teeth removed?

[rdaneel]

Wouldn't it be quicker and easier to genetically modify a species of tooth-benign bacteria to displace the acid-producing bacteria that damage our teeth?

It's being worked on.

 

[Brian-M]

It's being worked on.

Awesome!

 

[Astreja]

My mom's side of the family has a predisposition towards bad teeth, and I unfortunately inherited this. I'm having a molar yanked next week in order to deal with an abscess, which will leave me with four missing teeth. I can get a partial plate to put back three of them, but the fourth one is in the opposite quadrant of the mouth and will probably need a bridge.

Initially I thought that implants might be the way to go, but it sounds like they're more trouble and expense than they're worth.

 

[epix]

Wouldn't it be quicker and easier to genetically modify a species of tooth-benign bacteria to displace the acid-producing bacteria that damage our teeth?

Streptococcus mutans maybe a bit beneficial to your mouth, so the genes that are responsible for thickness of tooth enamel and saliva composition would be the target to mess with. But if it turns out that your mouth can live without the bacteria just fine, then the complete elimination of those cavity-causing bacterias would be a better choice. You can apply bio-nanotech and build a bacteria that cannot live without eating Streptococcus mutans and nothing else. So you go to the drugstore, buy a spray can and mist the hell out of the cavity makers.

 

[nathan]

Are glass crowns better? I've been perfectly happy with my porcelain ones.

My dentist (who does both NHS and private) told me that you can't get totally porcelain crowns any more -- they are now a metal base with a porcelain crust. The original crown was completely porcelain, with no metal core. A glass crown would be just glass and thus thinner and look more natural -- better matching the translucency of enamel. As it was a front tooth I'd damaged, that was important to me.

If it was a molar, I'd've gone for the cheaper option. If I could have got the same design porcelain as I originally had, I'd've gone for that.

 

[Rolfe]

Ah. My crowns are the metal-based ones. They look natural enough to me - I suspect it's related to how translucent your natural teeth look in the first place. Mine, not so much.

Rolfe.

 

[Big Les]

You are messing with us. You have got to be making it up. Please tell me you aren't serious.

Scottish comic Craig Ferguson writes in his memoir that his father had a full set of dentures even as a very young man but that was due to the total destruction of his father's teeth when he was a boy (the elder Ferguson having been a victim of horrendous child labor and having grown up in war torn and air strike-ed out and bomb raid-ed out Scotland during World War Two.)

Maybe this was common way back when war, rationing, poverty and the deplorable state of Scottish and British dentistry had left everyone with permanently wrecked teeth or no teeth to speak of by the time they were 21?

If you have 32 cavity riddled, damaged, crooked and yellow teeth, just getting a set of full dentures would make sense at that young an age. Especially given how much less advanced dentistry was in the 1940s and 1950s and how relatively limited technology was back then; there would have been no other options but having all the teeth removed.

That's the only sensible explanation possible.

Half sensible explanation possible.

I have to say I've always been sceptical of this claim as a sort of 'life were tough in my day!' kind of old wives' tale - no doubt with a kernal of truth i.e. more individuals would have had to get them all removed, or would have lost them all thanks to lack of dental care.

I've collected a fair few quotes in Scottish and other UK contexts, and especially in terms of immigration - Australia for example. But I haven't really been able to find counter-evidence, if you like.

[edit] in fact, there seems little doubt that a number of people would elect to have the lot out (p148/9);

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=vAo-AAAAIAAJ&lpg=PA149&pg=PA149#v=onepage&q=&f=false

I suspect that this reality has been exaggerated somewhat, especially with regard to it being a routine practice virtually for all, and given as a 21st birthday present etc.

 

[quarky]

When it comes to fellatio, no teeth is better than two.

 

[SusanB-M1]

My mother-in-law (1907-1982) had all her teeth out in her early 20s.

I just ask the dentist to please make my teeth last longer than I do. I'm lucky to have healthy gums though.

 

[Dorian Gray]

Yeh, that's putting the E in JREF. Somebody says that they don't understand why something isn't done, so you challenge him to do it himself. I mean, it's not like he asked other questions like, "are dentures actually a health risk too, or cause pain in some people?"

It DOES put the E in JREF. There's nothing like answering your own questions with your own reasons, right? When he realizes why he doesn't do it himself, he'll realize why other people don't do it.

 

[shemp]

I'd do it if I could get a set of these:

 

[Dragoonster]

It DOES put the E in JREF. There's nothing like answering your own questions with your own reasons, right? When he realizes why he doesn't do it himself, he'll realize why other people don't do it.

Forgive me for thinking JREF members would have informed and objective opinions on the issue, or that an interesting conversation might break out that could inform others who hadn't ever wondered about the subject. In the future whenever I'm curious about something I'll just google for hopefully objective answers elsewhere, instead of wasting this forum's time.

 

[bruto]

I think the question, and the motivation for asking it, interesting, even if the suggestion strikes me as odd at best, if not quite silly. I'm glad Dragoonster asked it, even if he's not very happy with the results. That such a question should be asked at all points, if nothing else, to a question of who gets, and who should get, what kind of care in our world.

As a middle class American whose family always put high value on good nutrition and good dental care, my perspective obviously differs from that of some. Preemptive tooth pulling seems a very unfortunate way to solve a problem that I suspect is usually more socio-economic than physical.

 

[patchbunny]

If it were cost affective it would be worth it, but since it likely isn't, there's not much of a point to it.

Some types of implant/dentures, I forget which and how exactly it works, but over time can cause the jawbone to shrink and become brittle, cracking it after a decade or two. If everyone had this in affect, around age 45 people would have to get their jawbone replaced, and I can't imagine that being pleasant. There are types to get around this though, but they likely have their own complications, infection, etc.

I know a lady who lost her teeth in her 20's. In her 50's, she tried getting implants to replace her dentures, but she's had nothing but bone problems with them and spends most of her time without anything due to constant infections and pain.

 

[Dragoonster]

I think the question, and the motivation for asking it, interesting, even if the suggestion strikes me as odd at best, if not quite silly. I'm glad Dragoonster asked it, even if he's not very happy with the results. That such a question should be asked at all points, if nothing else, to a question of who gets, and who should get, what kind of care in our world.

I'm very happy with the results and have learned a lot. I had no agenda here and was honestly curious. I've known people with dentures including my grandparents but they all seemed satisfied, so didn't realize there were some pretty serious negative effects for some. Nor the extent of the difference in functional quality.

As a middle class American whose family always put high value on good nutrition and good dental care, my perspective obviously differs from that of some. Preemptive tooth pulling seems a very unfortunate way to solve a problem that I suspect is usually more socio-economic than physical.

For me it's also a question of bad habits, I rarely used to brush my teeth though I do more now, and have always drank a ton of soda, so have been having to go to the dentist quite a bit. Doesn't take much money to afford a toothbrush and toothpaste, but it does take discipline to do it every day.

 

[rjh01]

I think this thread is another example showing that the body's design is in most part very good. There is nothing that is as good as our natural teeth. The same goes for many other organs.

 

[Rolfe]

Design?



Rolfe.

 

[sowellfan]

Are glass crowns better? I've been perfectly happy with my porcelain ones.

My (NHS) dentist isn't massively ambitious, and never even suggests doing anything privately, and I don't push it on the principle of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

I think this is something a lot of Americans don't understand in relation to dental care in Britain. Most people have healthy teeth with the cavities filled and the worst misalignment fixed. But cosmetic dentistry just isn't something many peope go in for. The dazzling white Hollywood smile just isn't an ambition - especially if it would involve more time in a dentist's chair.

The actors are getting on the bandwagon of course, but relatively recently - if you look at Gareth Thomas's back teeth, which you can see in the opening credits for the first season of Blake's Seven, you can see a fair number of amalgam fillings.

Rolfe.

I think your impressions of Americans might be a bit off, as far as lots of people having a huge desire to get a Hollywood smile goes. We do obviously have teeth-whitening places, and cosmetic dentistry, but I figure they have that in the UK, also. The main issue for most folks is to have functional teeth without cavities. I'm just curious if the (perceived) difference in results (between the USA and the UK) is because of water flouridation, or if it's a difference in brushing habits.

 

[celia44]

Hi I am new here and by coincident found this stream.
Why do we not let all teeth e pulled and avoid dental suffering after having had problems with teeth or to have less dental cost over years.
Thats a good question, but we as species are very different in our mouths and some could wear dentres without any problems and other will have problems through their whole life due to the shape of palate and gums.
I myself did not have straight teeth and it was easy to get cavities. As long as I can remember I wished to have them pulled because of their shapes and that every now and then had to get fillings.
So when I was 20 I asked my dentist to have them all pulled and get dentures. We had a long talk where she told me all about tit and said that I had a very good mouth for dentures and my bone was very good. So the week after I had them all pulled and there was a discomfort periode I have to say.
When the gums had healed and I got the 2nd set of dentures after the immediates I never had any problems with dentures.
In my case I can see that dentures are a very good substitute for bad teeth and for myself I will never go back to my normal teeth. There are so many advantages with dentures as easy cleaning , can get exactly the shape of teeth we want, no pain at all and what was astonishing the very good feeling of bare gums when dentures were out.
The dentist told me that as I had that good bone the gums would not be any problems with them in many years to come and that is right. I have never used adhesives although the gums have shrinked since the extraction day. Now I have had dentures for 40 years and for me it was absolutely the right thing to do.
To get dentures that early many people say that dating would be difficult but for me it was not any problem as the right persons do not mind the partner to having dentures.

What would I tell younger people?
It is very important that the mouth is U shaped and that the bone in the gums are good. Then it should be alright and it should be up to the individual person. But remember that there is a big stigma against dentures. Strangely enough, but not for implants even though the person is equally toothless. Implants require a large extent of cleaning of the dentistwhich is not necessary with denturesother than brushing and soaking every day.
So I cannot be against having teeth pulled when young with my experience and I had 28 healthy teeth pulled

 

[UnrepentantSinner]

I know I'm responding to a year old post (thanks for the bump celia and welcome to the forum), but I wanted to ask:

But your concept is not new. The day my Dad reported in to the Army Air Corp, 1943, they pulled seven of his teeth. Age of 23.

was that the first time he'd been to a dentist? I'd heard anecdotes that for many WW II draftees (especially), their dental exam and resultant work was their first experience with dentistry.