The term edentulous means lacking teeth. In dental terms, an edentulous patient is one that is missing teeth. This may be someone that is missing a couple teeth as a result of an injury or someone that is missing a majority of their teeth due to a periodontal or gum disease. Periodontal diseases can weaken the gums causing the teeth to fall out.
The field of cosmetic dentistry helps edentulous patients by providing dental implants or dentures. A dental implant is when individual teeth are created and implanted into the gums, so the teeth appear real. They can be brushed like normal teeth, and are not removed. They become permanent fixtures in the mouth.
Contrary to dental implants, a bridge or dentures are fake teeth that are removable. They have to be removed each day and cleaned in order to keep them fresh and to make them last. Bridges are sometimes called partials because they are used when the patient still has good teeth. The bridge will fill in the gaps where the missing teeth are without interfering with the healthy teeth. Dentures are when all the teeth are missing or damaged enough that they need to be removed.
The dental implant cost is higher than the cost of dentures, but they are also permanent and have to be individually implanted. An experienced cosmetic dentist can fully explain the differences in your options as well as the costs based on your individual needs.
The number of partially edentulous patients has been on the rise, and it is believed that it will continue to increase over the next 15 years. The majority of American adults are affected by edentulism. Approximately 15% of these patients will have dentures made each year.
This condition is most prevalent in the poor communities where many do not receive proper dental care throughout their lives. Statistics show that one in five people have untreated cavities, and the poorer you are, the more likely you are to be part of that 20%. 65.4% of the people living with untreated cavities are at or below the federal poverty line, and 66.9% of those people do not have a high school diploma. This demonstrates the connection between income and lack of proper dental care.
Men are more likely than women to have untreated cavities. 56.4% of men do, compared to 38.4% of women. Additionally, smoking is also linked to poor dental health. 64.2% of those living with untreated cavities are smokers. Untreated cavities present a serious health concern because the longer the cavities go untreated, the more likely they are to completely destroy the tooth. Additionally, untreated cavities are a strong indicator of overall poor dental hygiene.
Age is a significant risk when it comes to periodontal disease. 47.2% of adults over the age of 30 have a form of periodontal disease, and 70.1% of people over 65 have periodontal disease. These are the patients that must then talk to their dentist about their options.
According to a survey conducted by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, over half of all Americans over the age of 50 feel that a smile is the one feature that stays attractive as people age. Similarly, another survey by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry found that 99.7% of adults feel that a healthy looking smile is socially significant, and 96% of adults feel that a healthy looking smile is more appealing to potential romantic partners.
Finally, 74% of adults believe that an unattractive smile could hurt their opportunities for career success. They feel they are judged based on their appearance, and their smile is an important part of their appearance. While dentistry is primarily about maintaining dental health, physical appearance is also an important aspect of that, which is why cosmetic dentistry has grown so significantly in recent years. People want a healthy beautiful looking smile.