Edentulism is a condition that plagues many people. It indicates partial or total tooth loss. The main issue with edentulism isn't that you're missing teeth--the main issue is what those missing teeth mean for the rest of your mouth and facial structure.
How Does Someone Get Edentulism
Edentulism implies that all teeth are missing, or one full row. When many teeth are missing, but not all, it's called partial edentulism. Many different paths can lead to edentulism. It's one of those things that can happen gradually as you age, or it can happen all at once in an accident.
It's also something that can occur because of poor hygiene, bad habits, or dental procedures. While most people never consider they will lose the majority of their teeth, it can happen.
What Other Problems Come with Edentulism
As if missing most or all of your teeth isn't enough, there are other problems that edentulism can cause. When you lose teeth, you also lose jaw stimulation. When you lose jaw stimulation, your jaw slowly collapses and changes your facial structure.
In addition, if you have partial edentulism, your remaining teeth may start to move in odd directions because they lack support. A lot of this is cosmetic, but edentulism represents a loss of functionality as well. If you cannot chew, your diet will change. And your speech patterns will change depending on which teeth are absent.
What You Can Do About Edentulism
Take care of your teeth. Brush, floss, and maintain your dental checkup appointments. That's the best way to prevent the kinds of oral health problems that can eventually lead to edentulism. If you're already suffering from edentulism, the good news is there are options to treat it. There are two main paths available to you.
Dentures and Implants
Dentures are great for appearance and for restoring some lost functionality. Implants are a better option, but also the most expensive. Implants can literally replace teeth in a way that no other option can.
A good middle ground is with implant-supported dentures. With implant-supported dentures, it's not necessary to receive a mouth full of implants. You will only need anywhere from two to six of them to support a full, immovable denture.
Everyone's situation is different. You should first speak to a professional dentist like Joe Rosenberg, DDS about your options. You need to figure out what your situation, budget, and insurance options can do for you when it comes to edentulism.
Share4 September 2015
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