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Name: Ben
Age: 47
Family: Father with a son, 21, and daughter, 18
Occupation: Cable technician and landscaper
Dentures: Got partial lowers nine months ago and is planning to get full uppers

"Honestly, I wish I had gotten my dentures sooner."

Nine months after getting partials, Ben is very happy with his decision. In fact, his biggest regret is that he didn't do it earlier. Ben recalls, "I put it off for quite a bit, but I knew it had to be done. I kept asking myself, 'Do you really want to give up your teeth?' but I was at the point where the pain wasn't worth it."

He continues, "Now that I have dentures and have gone through the process, I realize that the cavities and toothaches I had for the last 20 or so years were a lot worse than anything involved in the denture procedure. It doesn't even compare!" He remarks, "I have a low tolerance for pain, so I only got two or three teeth removed each time over the course of about 14 weeks. I was nervous the first time, but after that, not so much."

As a child, Ben took good care of his teeth. However, around the time he turned 12, his gums started to show the effects of periodontal disease. "I had it for some time; it just kept getting worse and worse," he recalls. With his gums receding and the condition of his teeth getting worse, the pain steadily increased, yet he kept putting off what he knew was coming. "My father wore dentures for more than 20 years," says Ben. "So I got advice and information from my family, but I kept postponing the process."

On the advice of his family and his dentist, Ben kept two of his bottom teeth. It's a choice he is glad he made. He states, "I haven't had any problems with my lowers staying in. I did two realignments, but that was expected. In my opinion, I think you should keep any of your bottom teeth if you can. They help anchor the dentures... keeping them in place."

Ben notes that the past nine months have not always been smooth sailing: "At the beginning, dentures felt really unnatural... they were so big. It felt like I was putting a tire in my mouth." However, after a few days, they began to feel more natural. "I started to just not notice them," he remembers.

Now that he's gotten used to his partial lowers, Ben is planning to get full uppers. He's at ease with his decision, and his outlook on life shows it. "We're all getting older and there are some things you can't change," he reflects. "Some people lose their hair; I lost my teeth. I'm glad I finally did something about it."