This might be a long post. Lol. I have an underbite/crossbite and bad/missing teeth. Decaying, cavities...I'm so ashamed of them and I'm always aware and super self-conscious of my smile.
Last week, I went to the dentist for the first time in years. He was super nice.. He said that I only have one good tooth out of the 16 that I have left. I knew that I was going to have to go with dentures and eventually, implants (overdenture). After my visit to the dentist, I went home and one of my front teeth just fell out! It was loose and in bad shape anyway. Now, I'm even more self-conscious.
He told me he could do my dentures, but I would still have an underbite. It's a class 3 malocclusion.
He was going to consult with a colleague and I was supposed to see him this week to talk about a plan. Well, they had to close the office for 2 weeks because a staff member got Covid.
I was really hoping to use my dental insurance max before the end of the year and before it expires.
I had braces from 11-14 years old and knew I had to have jaw surgery (my bottom left jaw grew faster than the right-it's still moving forward
) but when I went to an oral surgeon at 19 - years ago and he said it would be cosmetic! I finally went to another one and the surgery was considered medical. I didn't have it though.My questions are:
•Can you have the surgery if you don't have any teeth? I know you usually need braces first to position the teeth in the correct position for the surgery.
•If I get dentures and decide later on that I want to fix my underbite, is surgery possible?
•Are there any denture/overdenture wearers with an underbite? Mine isn't bad as some that I've seen, but it's gotten worse in the last couple of years.
I just feel overwhelmed with all of the choices. I'm in my 40's, not in the best health, and I'm scared of the surgery. I really want dentures so I can eat and smile again!
Thanks in advance!
