Should I Get All My Teeth Removed and Get Dentures? How to Decide

You’re trying to decide whether to remove all your teeth and get dentures, or keep fighting to save what is left.

In general, saving teeth suits people with several teeth that still have a fair outlook, while full extractions and dentures suit people with many teeth that are beyond repair, constantly infected, very loose, or too hard to maintain one by one.

The real decision is how many teeth are truly savable

This choice is rarely about one bad tooth. It is about the overall picture: how many teeth can still function, how much bone support is left, whether infections keep coming back, and whether chewing is getting harder.

A mouth can look terrible and still have some teeth worth keeping. A mouth can also look manageable while several teeth have such poor support or damage that the long-term outlook is weak.

If you have swelling, drainage, fever, a spreading infection, or teeth so loose they feel unsafe, you need a dentist or oral surgeon to assess that promptly.

Those teeth are an aspiration risk for her. They are loose enough that they can fall out and be swallowed or go down the wrong pipe toward her lungs. They should absolutely be removed as soon as possible.

— r/askdentists

Saving your teeth can be the better option when the problems are fixable

Keeping natural teeth usually preserves chewing feel, jawbone, and the shape of your face better than full dentures. If the main problem is heavy buildup, gum inflammation, a few cavities, or teeth that can be restored in stages, saving them may make sense.

This route does not mean every tooth must be saved at any cost. Sometimes the best plan is mixed: remove the hopeless teeth, treat the rest, and rebuild step by step.

The downside is time, cost spread over many visits, and uncertainty. You may put effort into repairs and still lose more teeth later.

Dude! Get your teeth cleaned! It’s all plaque and tartar. Learn how to brush and floss properly! The growth is enlarged gum due to bacteria. You may need it removed after a thorough cleaning

— r/askdentists

Full mouth extraction and dentures can make sense when the mouth is breaking down overall

If many teeth are fractured, infected, loose, painful, or reduced to roots, starting over with dentures can be a practical choice. It can also be the simpler path when repeated emergencies, bad breath from failing teeth, and constant patchwork have taken over your life.

What dentures do well is replace missing teeth and remove badly damaged teeth from the daily equation. What they do not do is feel like natural teeth, stop bone changes, or make eating every food easy.

This option can bring relief, but it is still a loss. Some people feel better quickly; others struggle with fit, sore spots, speech, and the emotional hit of losing all their teeth.

First off, this is an interesting post. You ever read any C.S. Lewis? Lol You know, the first thing I noticed is how bad my breath had to be, all stemming from my bad teeth. No amount of brushing or mouthwash got rid of it My embarsassment was really high. People do judge. My fear of pain at the dentist was greater than the pain in my mouth My self-worth has increased so much

— r/dentures

Age, cost, fear, and prognosis matter as much as pain

Pain alone is a poor decision tool. Some teeth are badly diseased with little pain, and some painful teeth are very treatable. The better questions are how stable the teeth are, how much treatment each one needs, how likely that work is to last, and whether you can realistically keep up with the care.

Cost matters, but compare complete plans, not single visits. A series of extractions plus dentures may look cheaper upfront, while repeated repairs can add up; in other cases, keeping enough useful teeth costs less than full clearance and replacement.

Fear matters too. If dental treatment has become impossible because of panic, ask about sedation options rather than assuming all teeth must come out. Sometimes fear is driving the decision harder than the dental facts.

I’m not a dentist however I have had a dozen teeth removed over the years. In Australia you can get intravenous sedation. Essentially they load you up on Valium and (I think) propofol. I am utterly unable to have extractions while awake. I am just now starting to be able to get fillings done with 10mg of oral Valium and laughing gas at the max dose.

— r/askdentists

Choose based on the condition of the whole mouth, not one terrible week

Do not decide on your worst pain day alone. A rushed decision can feel clean and final, but you cannot undo full extraction once it is done.

People often regret moving too fast when some teeth could have been kept. On the other hand, dragging things out for years with multiple hopeless teeth can mean more infections, more cost, and more exhaustion.

• Choose saving teeth if several teeth have decent bone support, the plan is staged and realistic, and you want to keep natural chewing as long as possible.
• Choose saving teeth if the main issues are plaque, gum inflammation, or a smaller number of teeth that are damaged while others remain useful.
• Choose full extractions and dentures if many teeth are already hopeless, loose, repeatedly infected, or broken down to the point that repair would be poor value.
• Choose full extractions and dentures if you are stuck in constant emergency care and a dentist has shown that very few teeth have a workable long-term prognosis.

Im NAD but I will say my mom went through this and had all her teeth removed in her 40s. It changed her whole face and she regrets it every day. I have bad teeth too but I’m working really hard to get them better. It’s ultimately up to you but I say don’t rush it. Pulling them will always be an option, but getting them back afterwards never will.

— r/askdentists

A second opinion is worth it when the plan is to remove every tooth

If one clinician recommends removing all teeth, it is reasonable to ask another dentist or an oral surgeon to review the films and exam, especially if you still have teeth that feel solid and function well. This is not stalling. It is a permanent decision, so clarity matters.

A good second opinion should separate teeth into groups: savable, questionable, and hopeless. That is usually more useful than hearing only 'everything goes' or 'everything stays.'

The honest point against trying to save teeth is that a second opinion may confirm that full extraction is the sounder option. But if even a few teeth have a good outlook and would help function, that can change the whole plan.

You likely need all of your teeth removed. Whether that is all at once or one at a time as they hurt is up to you. A denture can replace the missing teeth.

— r/askdentists

Common questions

Is full mouth extraction worth it?

Sometimes, yes, when most teeth are beyond repair and the mouth has become a cycle of infection, pain, and emergency visits. It is less likely to feel worth it when several teeth still have a good long-term outlook and could be kept with a realistic plan.

How do I know whether to save teeth or get dentures?

Ask for a tooth-by-tooth prognosis, not a vague opinion. You want to know which teeth are solid, which are questionable, what each would need, and how likely that work is to last.

When are dentures the best option?

Dentures are often the better option when many teeth are loose, broken down, infected, or too compromised to maintain predictably. They can also make sense when piecemeal treatment would be long, costly, and still unlikely to leave a stable mouth.

Will removing all my teeth change my face?

It can change facial support over time, especially after healing and bone changes. Dentures restore some support, but they do not perfectly replace natural teeth and roots.

Should I get all my teeth removed if I am scared of dental work?

Not automatically. Fear is real, but it should not be the only reason for a permanent decision; ask what can be done with sedation, shorter visits, or staged treatment before you decide.

Start by getting a clear list of which teeth are savable, which are doubtful, and which are hopeless. If you do not already have that in plain language, you do not have enough information to choose.

Then compare two full plans side by side: one that keeps the best teeth, and one that removes everything and replaces it. If the plans are close, lean away from irreversible treatment unless the prognosis for keeping teeth is honestly poor.