Edentulism
Updates to Article Attributes
Edentulism (or edentulousness) means absence of the dentition and can have a significant impact on a patient's quality of life, in addition to the negative cosmetic effects.
Terminology
When edentulism is used as a standalone term it usually means that all the teeth are absent, i.e. complete edentulism. However, sometimes it is used for partial loss of teeth, when it is known as (partial edentulism). The adjectival form is edentulous, e.g. an edentulous mandible.
Epidemiology
As many as 30% of Americans maybemay be edentulous 1.
Clinical presentation
Lacking all teeth can have a marked deleterious effect on an individual's wellbeing:
- cosmetic
- dietary deficiencies
- secondary to dysfunctional mastication, loss of taste
- altered phonation
- psychological effects
- loss of self confidence due to one or more of the above
Pathology
Severe periodontal disease, caries, and pain may all lead to loss of the teeth, via pathological loss and/or planned extractions.
Loss of teeth leads to a loss of normal mechanical stresses on the maxillary and mandibular alveolar processes which gradually resorb. This may be exacerbated by osteopenia/osteoporosis.
Radiographic features
Other than the obvious lack of visible dentition, the most striking finding is the gradual loss of the normal morphology of the maxilla and mandible,. This is due to the resorption and attenuation of each alveolus secondary to loss of the normal stresses exerted by chewing.
Treatment and prognosis
Dentures (false teeth) are the main treatment for edentulism.
-<p><strong>Edentulism</strong> (or <strong>edentulousness</strong>) means absence of the <a href="/articles/teeth">dentition</a> and can have a significant impact on a patient's quality of life, in addition to the cosmetic effects.</p><h4>Terminology</h4><p>When edentulism is used as a standalone term it usually means that all the teeth are absent, i.e. <strong>complete edentulism</strong>. However sometimes it is used for partial loss of teeth, when it is known as <strong>partial edentulism</strong>. The adjectival form is <strong>edentulous</strong>, e.g. an edentulous mandible.</p><h4>Epidemiology</h4><p>As many as 30% of Americans maybe edentulous <sup>1</sup>. </p><h4>Clinical presentation</h4><p>Lacking all teeth can have a marked deleterious effect on an individual's wellbeing:</p><ul>- +<p><strong>Edentulism</strong> (or <strong>edentulousness</strong>) means absence of <a href="/articles/teeth">dentition</a> and can have a significant impact on a patient's quality of life in addition to the negative cosmetic effects.</p><h4>Terminology</h4><p>When edentulism is used as a standalone term it usually means that all the teeth are absent, i.e. <strong>complete edentulism</strong>. However, sometimes it is used for partial loss of teeth (<strong>partial edentulism</strong>). The adjectival form is <strong>edentulous</strong>, e.g. an edentulous mandible.</p><h4>Epidemiology</h4><p>As many as 30% of Americans may be edentulous <sup>1</sup>. </p><h4>Clinical presentation</h4><p>Lacking all teeth can have a marked deleterious effect on an individual's wellbeing:</p><ul>
-</ul><h4>Pathology</h4><p>Severe <a title="Periodontal disease" href="/articles/periodontal-disease">periodontal disease</a>, <a title="Dental caries" href="/articles/dental-caries">caries</a>, and pain may all lead to loss of the teeth, via pathological loss and/or planned extractions.</p><p>Loss of teeth leads to a loss of normal mechanical stresses on the maxillary and mandibular alveolar processes which gradually resorb. This may be exacerbated by osteopenia/osteoporosis. </p><h4>Radiographic features</h4><p>Other than the obvious lack of visible dentition, the most striking finding is the gradual loss of the normal morphology of the maxilla and mandible, due to the resorption and attenuation of each alveolus secondary to loss of the normal stresses exerted by chewing.</p><h4>Treatment and prognosis</h4><p>Dentures (false teeth) are the main treatment for edentulism.</p>- +</ul><h4>Pathology</h4><p>Severe <a href="/articles/periodontal-disease">periodontal disease</a>, <a href="/articles/dental-caries">caries</a>, and pain may all lead to loss of the teeth via pathological loss and/or planned extractions.</p><p>Loss of teeth leads to a loss of normal mechanical stresses on the maxillary and mandibular alveolar processes which gradually resorb. This may be exacerbated by osteopenia/osteoporosis. </p><h4>Radiographic features</h4><p>Other than the obvious lack of visible dentition, the most striking finding is the gradual loss of the normal morphology of the maxilla and mandible. This is due to the resorption and attenuation of each alveolus secondary to loss of the normal stresses exerted by chewing.</p><h4>Treatment and prognosis</h4><p>Dentures (false teeth) are the main treatment for edentulism.</p>
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