Many people suffer from teeth loss due to dental diseases, decay, cavities and injuries. Complete tooth loss is termed Edentulism, which results in an inability to chew food. Because food is not chewed properly, that patient is also unable to digest food.
Edentulism is a result of various biological and lifestyle factors. It causes not only physical pain, but also plays a major psychological role as it alters the way you look thus affecting your appearance and self-esteem at large. In an image conscious society like the one we live in, oral rehabilitation becomes extremely important in order to restore facial and smile aesthetics.
Causes of Edentulism
Although tooth loss is majorly related to elderly, it can also occur in children and adults, especially when proper oral hygiene is not maintained.
Children: Falling of ‘milk teeth’ is a natural process in small children as it gives way to permanent teeth. But many children suffer from permanent tooth loss due to two major traumas: loss of baby teeth prematurely, loss of teeth due to injury or accident. Another major cause of tooth loss in children is dental cavities due to which the teeth starts to rot and eventually breaks down. Dental caries is one of the most common diseases in children. It is 5 times more common than asthma and it is 50% more likely to affect children from lower income group.
Adults: Amongst adults, dental caries and gum disease known as periodontitis or gingivitis are the leading causes for edentulism. Periodontitis is a chronic bacterial infection that not only affects the tooth but also the gums supporting it. The disease causes the bone and gum tissue to deteriorate loosening the tooth thus resulting in tooth loss. Smoking and heart conditions in adults may also lead to tooth loss. Nearly 19% of adults in age group 25-44 are diagnosed with severe gum diseases.
Elders: Plaque is a common cause of tooth loss in elderly. Other reasons include dry mouth, gum recession and hardening.
Besides periodontitis and dental decay, there are many risk indicators that are associated with tooth loss:
- Women are more likely to experience edentulism than men.
- An Italian study proved that varied factors affected men and women differently.
- Tobacco abuse was a precursor to edentulism.
- Radiotherapy and chemotherapy were indirectly causes of complete teeth loss.
- Ethnicity and race are also important factors for determining edentulism. According to studies, non-Hispanic black males are more likely to experience complete teeth loss than non-Hispanic white males.
- Poverty is also a major cause that determines edentulism. Those living below the poverty line are at a greater risk of edentulism than those living above the poverty line.
Other Causes of Edentulism
Other Causes of edentulism include:
- Poor diet: Food that is high in sugars and carbohydrates cause tooth and gum decay which result in tooth loss
- Bad habits: Bad habits such as drinking, smoking and tobacco chewing cause the tooth to decay, resulting in tooth loss.
- Not seeking medical intervention when faced with dental problems. Either most people are scared of dental procedures or are embarrassed to face their actual dental condition, thus avoid treatment which cause tooth loss.
- Health conditions: Systemic conditions such as respiratory disease, heart disease, HIV, tuberculosis, diabetes and malnutrition all cause periodontis thus resulting in tooth loss.
- Medical treatments such as immunosuppressive treatment, chemotherapy, radiation therapy etc increase tooth infection occurrence which cause tooth extraction.
- Lack of knowledge regarding tooth loss: Lack of understanding regarding causes and consequences of tooth loss cause people to become careless about oral hygiene and the risks associated with it.
- Financial constraints: Many people either delay or forgo dental treatments due to the high cost factor associated with the treatment. Unfortunately people do not realize that by delaying treatment the condition worsens subsequently leading to costlier solutions.
- Special Needs patients are often neglected with oral care as due to multiple medical issues
- Modified dietary intake causes higher risk of dental caries leading to tooth loss
Consequences of edentulism
An important consideration of edentulism is with regards to its consequences. Very few people are able to comprehend the consequences that complete tooth loss can have on their lives. Not only physical but it also has many negative effects on a person’s well being.
- Edentate person is at a higher risk of malnutrition due to adjusted diet.
- Many studies have proven that edentulism leads to increased risk of coronary diseases, hypertension and stroke (Choe et al., 2009).
- Due to edentulism there are anatomical changes in the upper airways which lead to pharyngeal collapse. This is a common cause for obstructive apnea (Bucca et al., 2006).
- It presents many mental challenges and alters the way of life, compromising on the quality of life of the patient (Hugo et al., 2009; Star and Hall, 2010).
- Loss of self esteem and a general lack of confidence.
- Speech and language development issues.
According to a recent study, complete edentulism prior to the age of 65 increases the chances of death 1.5 times more than death from all causes. The study clearly proved that poor health leading to edentulism is an important public health issue which needs to be addressed urgently. (Brown.,2009)
Treatment for edentulism
Patients must formulate treatment plans along with their oral health practioner in order to ensure prevention and early detection, especially when suffering from partial edentulism. Dentists can inform patients about the causes and consequences of the condition and the available treatments along with stress on maintaining oral hygiene. A preventive as well as a therapeutic approach can help fight this problem.
In many cases tooth loss becomes inevitable, but thanks many evolving restorative procedures, they can be refurbish the smile and mouth aesthetics.
Dental Implants
These are one of the most common and highly effective techniques used to restore missing teeth. Artificial tooth roots are attached into the jawbone and a real teeth-like crown is placed above it. These dental implants not only look but also function like original teeth. The process of osseointegrate, wherein the bone and the implant fuse together, might take 3 to six months. In such a case a temporary replacement tooth can be worn at the site of implant.
Dentures
These are removable replacement teeth which fill in the gaps where there is occurrence of teeth loss. This option is effective when the patient suffers from partial teeth loss. In case of total edentulism, complete or full dentures can be used. There are two types of dentures, “immediate” wherein the denture is placed immediately after tooth loss and “conventional” which is placed 3-6 months after tooth loss.
Dental Bridge
This treatment is a viable option only if the patient has not lost all his teeth. It is essentially a false tooth fixed between two porcelain crowns thus forming a bridge where there was loss of tooth. Such bridges are secured in their places and thus this procedure is an irrevocable treatment.
Professionals treating this condition
General dentists have the required knowledge and experience to handle patients suffering from edentulism, yet it is advisable to consult with specialists. You may choose to consult a prosthodontist who specialize in replacement of missing teeth as well as restoration of the remaining teeth. A periodontist helps in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of periodontal diseases. He is also capable of conducting dental implants procedures. Endodontists focus mainly on pulp problems and can help save even ‘hopeless’ teeth.
Your dentist must be able to come up with a dental plan that meets all your clinical, financial and personal needs. You must establish a good rapport with the dentist and should be able to convey your limitations easily.
By overcoming the anxiety and shame about having no teeth, you will be able to make informed choices which will enable your dentist to create long and short term goals to improve the quality of your life. This will help restore and maintain your beautiful smile and give you your life back.