Name: Mary
Age: 52
Family: Grandmother with six grandkids
Occupation: Retired school bus driver
Dentures: Has had partial lowers and full upper dentures for four years

"I think of dentures more as just teeth... my teeth."

Mary has had a positive experience with her dentures from the beginning, but she feels it easily could have gone the other way. She explains, "It didn't take a lot of time for me to get used to dentures because I had them put in right away. I had all my teeth pulled at once, and went home with my new dentures." She feels that if she had not done it like this, she would not have adapted to her dentures like she has. She uses her husband as a prime example. "He has dentures, but he doesn't wear them, ever. He didn't wear them right away, and now he never wears them, even to eat." 
 
Although she quickly got used to wearing her dentures, Mary still had some issues with how they fit. She notes, "I think no matter what, you're going to have to get your dentures realigned to get rid of sore spots. I went back about every two weeks until there wasn't any soreness. It took about four months to fit them right." Unfortunately, these frequent return visits to the dentist exceeded her insurance coverage, forcing her to pay for them out-of-pocket. However, Mary has no regrets about the cost. "It was well worth it, especially in the long run," she says.

After the four-month process of getting her dentures realigned, Mary has completely adjusted to wearing dentures. "I wouldn't be caught dead without my teeth now," she professes. "They are part of my life." When it comes to how her dentures fit and feel, Mary feels blessed. "I think I'm one of the fortunate ones," she explains.

Mary credits her dentist for helping her make the adjustment to dentures, and she strongly feels that others should follow this lead. "Seek a good dentist," she proclaims, "and ask a lot of questions. A good dentist will make sure the dentures fit your mouth. Also, it helps if you bring a picture of how your teeth used to look before you started having problems."

After nearly four years of wearing dentures, Mary has few, if any, regrets. "I'm not ashamed of my dentures at all," she explains. "There's nothing else I could have done."

After thinking about it a little more, she adds, "I smile a lot easier now. Instead of dentures, I think of them more as just teeth... my teeth."