There are multiple factors that contribute
to tooth loss in humans, including oral hygiene practices, health status, smoking,
trauma, individual preferences and socio-economic status. Tooth loss impairs
overall quality of life, including the eating of most food items that need the
full masticatory function.
According to new research, tooth
loss can be used as a major indicator of a person's life expectancy. The
research study, published in the Periodontology 2000, deduced that the number
of teeth, we lose can be a key predictor of our quality of life and that those who
have a complete set of teeth when they are 74 are much more likely to reach 100
years of age.
This is presumed to be true
because of the fact that the bacteria in our mouths can pass into the blood
stream, where it can cause many potential health issues.
Scientists say that those who
have lost 5 or more teeth by the age of 65 have a higher risk of early death. This
is because poor health and physical stress often manifests early in the mouth.
The Nutrition Factor:
Considering other health factors
such as alcohol, obesity, age, sex, smoking, marital status, high cholesterol,
high blood pressure and diabetes, the researchers cited poor nutrition as a
reason people with un-replaced teeth may die earlier. Their inability to chew
nutritious food makes their system miss vital vitamins and minerals, which
leads to other problems in the body.
So, what these research studies
suggest is that tooth loss can be a sign of a poor quality of other areas of an
individual’s lifestyle and therefore a greater chance of someone having health
problems because of this.
Moreover, it depicts that diseases associated with
tooth loss, for example: gum disease also adds to an increased risk of life
limiting diseases.
It is very apparent that what is
going on in our mouths can be a useful window to our general health. It is
therefore important that we take good care of our oral health and pay close
attention to what is happening, as it could be an indicator of something very
serious.
These types of researches can be
upsetting for people; however, try looking the underneath statistics. Such studies
show that our body is working as a whole system.
Clearly, there are many factors
that play a crucial role in maintaining our oral and body health. Some are in
our control and some are out of our control, like our genetic make-up. This
implies that every person’s health is different. For example, some people never
go to the dental office for teeth cleaning and show no symptoms of gum disease,
while for the rest of us, regular dental visit is a necessity to maintain the overall oral hygiene.
If you feel that you neglected
your teeth earlier and now your teeth appear hopeless, remember that it's never
too late to turn the tide and start taking care of your mouth. Various oral
diseases can be treated with the latest dental procedures, decayed or damaged teeth
can be restored to their prior conditions, and missing teeth can be replaced,
so that you can chew properly again. This will give you a better chance to live
a long and healthy life.
A good dental team can teach you
how to look after your mouth efficiently and modify the treatment for you
individually. The goal of dentistry is to restore the patient’s mouth to normal
function, esthetics, speech, comfort and health, regardless of the disease,
atrophy or injury present within the oral environment.
However, as our
population ages, this goal becomes critically difficult, but at the same time
very important in order to preserve the health of the population. So,
simplistically talking, the better we take care of our body, the better our
body machine works and lasts.
