Tooth loss can cause serious effects on the ability to chew daily, leading to a decline in the digestive system and adversely affecting health. In addition, there are many other potential risks to the body. Let’s learn more about this issue in the article on the harmful effects of tooth loss on the digestive system from BIK International Dentistry.
Causes of tooth loss
Tooth loss in adults can occur for many different reasons, but the most common is old age. In addition, teeth can also be lost due to improper oral care or unexpected incidents such as accidents, collisions, or severe trauma. In addition, tooth loss can also be caused by oral diseases such as:
- Tooth decay.
- Periodontitis.
- Damage to the dental pulp.
- Wisdom teeth grow crookedly or grow hidden, affecting neighboring teeth.
How does tooth loss affect the digestive system?
When having dental problems, especially tooth loss, the most easily noticeable harm is the decrease in chewing ability.
In this case, the food is not chewed thoroughly, making it difficult to digest, causing the stomach to secrete more gastric juice to process it. At the same time, the stomach also has to contract more strongly to digest the food. All organs in the digestive system must work at full capacity to metabolize and absorb nutrients.
In the long term, tooth loss affects the digestive system, making the stomach susceptible to damage, ulcers, and stomach pain. Symptoms such as digestive disorders, difficulty absorbing nutrients, and physical weakness can also appear. This causes many people to not only suffer from digestive diseases due to long-term tooth loss, but also seriously affects the quality of life and work.
Some other complications after long-term tooth loss
In addition to tooth loss affecting the digestive system, there are many other problems related to tooth loss that you need to pay attention to at this time. Tooth loss will make the face less beautiful, affect the jawbone and can lead to misaligned bite,…
Oral diseases
People who have lost teeth for a long time are at high risk of gingivitis, periodontitis and problems related to adjacent teeth because the lack of teeth causes bacteria to accumulate and grow stronger than normal.
Jaw bone loss
After a long period of tooth loss, the adjacent teeth tend to tilt towards the gap left by the missing tooth. The opposing tooth in the remaining jaw will be misaligned when biting, causing misalignment of the upper and lower jaws.
Displacement of adjacent teeth
Tooth loss can affect digestive function and weaken the jawbone, leading to a wrinkled face and premature aging.
Therefore, to protect health, doctors advise people with missing teeth to restore as soon as possible. After dental implants, chewing function will be improved, helping to prevent complications and especially eliminating tooth loss that affects the digestive system.
What to do when losing teeth for a long time
Porcelain bridge
Porcelain dental implants help restore chewing function and create a more natural beauty than using removable dentures. This method is often applied to restore teeth in cases of missing 1 – 2 adjacent teeth. However, to make a pillar for porcelain teeth, it is necessary to grind the adjacent teeth, which can cause pain and discomfort during treatment.
Removable dentures
Removable dentures are a method of restoring the shape of teeth by using a tray simulating teeth and gums, attached to the gums so that the user can use it flexibly. This technique allows the user to chew comfortably while wearing dentures. Built on the simple principle of physical adhesion, this denture restoration technique ensures high aesthetics for the jaw. Thanks to that, users can be confident in communication and daily eating activities.
Implant dentistry
Dental implants are an effective method of restoring teeth for people who have lost teeth. This method is safe and durable by creating a fake tooth to replace the lost tooth by attaching a titanium post to the tooth bone.
Long-term tooth loss not only causes dangerous complications such as misaligned bites and jawbone deterioration, but also affects the digestive system, which is also an issue that needs attention. Hopefully, through the article on tooth loss affecting the digestive system, you can learn the most suitable method to overcome tooth loss and prevent negative effects on health.
