Blog

Many people around the world grew up in a time where a visit to the dentist meant getting a tooth taken out. In the 1950’s and 60’s it was common for a person to get all their teeth taken out as a present on their 21st birthday or before a wedding instead of braces.

When someone has lost their teeth they inevitably lose jawbone and this process continues throughout life. The result for many people is that they become dental cripples, unable to chew even with well-made dentures.

This unfortunately, as well as being unpleasant, can have unwanted health effects for which there is now growing evidence. Choking is a much bigger risk for people without teeth. At an inquest recently in Ireland the cause of death was choking on a beef pie. The reason for the death was a lack of teeth and the inability to chew properly. Choking is a significant cause of death worldwide and not having teeth is a major cause.

The teeth are normally the first part of the digestive system and their purpose is to allow food to be chewed into portions of a reasonable size which the stomach can deal with. When a person has no teeth they tend to avoid the most nutritious foods which are often harder (for example fruits and vegetables). They eat the foods which are easier to chew such as softer foods and often these are high in salt or highly processed. Even if a person does manage to eat the healthier foods they are not able to chew them to a sufficient degree which can lead to stomach problems and malabsorption of the nutrients.

There is now growing evidence that your mental health can be affected by the loss of your teeth. Studies have linked dementia to tooth loss and it is considered a predictor of future dementia in some studies. A person who wears a denture (even well-fitting) will on average have a bite force (chewing ability measurement) of approximately 50% of someone with teeth. This is a huge disadvantage. Over the years as the bone is lost from atrophy, this will get worse so that literally some people are unable to eat anything other than liquidised foods. Most people in nursing homes are unable to wear their dentures and as a result speed up their demise by eating less nutritious food groups.

The only solution to the problem of missing teeth is dental implants. There are several kinds available and the simpler types such as Seapoint Micro Implant Technology TM can be placed in patients well into their 80’s even with existing medical conditions. These new tooth roots allow in many cases the full return of full chewing function. As they are so gentle it is possible for the implants to be placed with no bruising and swelling and no stitches are usually required.

We have seen a tremendous transformation in patients who have had dental implants placed. Instead of being limited to soft foods everything is back on the menu. This can make a huge difference to a patient’s confidence as well as their general and mental health. Many patients are hugely embarrassed by their loose teeth and avoid social functions involving food as a result. Once they have some implants placed that all stops.