Diagnosis: complete absence of teeth
Partial edentia means that the patient is missing several teeth. Multiple edentia is a condition in which more than 10 teeth are missing. If the patient has lost the entire dentition - on one or both jaws, then the doctor diagnoses “complete edentia”. As a rule, people in adulthood face this problem, but in exceptional cases, this diagnosis can occur in young people and even children.
There are two types of edentia.
- With primary adentia,
a person is born with dead/undeveloped tooth rudiments. Even partial primary adentia occurs in only 1% of cases of all dental anomalies, and complete primary adentia is an extremely rare diagnosis. The congenital absence of tooth buds is caused by various hereditary factors or diseases that provoke disturbances in the development of the dental plate. Thus, the cause of congenital adentia can be ichthyosis, hypothyroidism, pituitary dwarfism, and infectious diseases. - Secondary complete adentia
is most common in adulthood, affecting about 20% of people over 65 years of age. This form is considered acquired; it is provoked by:
- metabolic disorders;
- age-related changes;
- injuries to teeth and jaw;
- gum disease;
- caries and its complications.
Periodontitis, periodontal disease, periostitis, pulpitis, periodontitis without high-quality and timely treatment can lead to complete or partial adentia even at a young age.
How to learn to smile naturally with teeth: advice from photographers
Peter : a forced smile is worse than closed eyes when the lens is shuttered. Before making a photo engraving, I try to get the person talking, cheer him up a little and show him how to behave correctly in the frame. If you're feeling stiff and tense, try drinking a sip (but only a sip!) of alcohol before taking photos. And most importantly, listen to the master.
Inessa : everyone laughs with selfies, but as a photographer with 20 years of experience, I recommend at least 5 selfies a day with different emotions. Today, the need for a photo can arise at every step, and what is the result? You don't want to be the worst face in a group photo, for example? This means learning not only to look and behave with dignity, but also to pose with dignity. And remember, the first 100 selfies will be funny, unsuccessful, annoying if you have external or internal clips. But from the 101st selfie everything will go completely differently. Just look at the photo, analyze and change.
Do you want to improve your photo posing skills? You will be interested in our articles:
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Orthopedic treatment of complete edentia
In case of complete edentia, the doctor can offer two main correction options: implantation followed by prosthetics or wearing a complete removable denture.
Removable dentures were very popular before the advent of implant prosthetics, accessible to a wide range of people. Now removable dentures are used, but are not considered the optimal solution to the problem. In modern dentistry, several types of removable dentures are used:
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acrylic;
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nylon.
Acrylic removable dentures consist of a solid base and attached artificial teeth. The lack of flexibility gives these prostheses several special qualities, which are both the main advantage and the main disadvantage. On the one hand, a solid base contributes to an even, healthy load on the entire jaw when chewing food. However, this same property makes the prosthesis more fragile and less comfortable to wear compared to more elastic structures. Acrylic dentures have a porous structure on which bacteria and plaque accumulate; the monomer in their composition can cause an allergic reaction. When choosing this design, we recommend paying attention to Acry Free prostheses, made from the latest type of plastic without toxic substances. They are more modern, durable and flexible, but their cost is higher than other acrylic prostheses.
Nylon prostheses are more flexible and aesthetic. They are made from hypoallergenic materials. However, they have insufficient rigidity, which affects the quality of chewing food and contributes to rapid atrophy of bone tissue. Because of this, nylon dentures made of polyurethane and other materials are not recommended for use in completely toothless jaws.
Expert opinion
Roman Borisovich Alekperov
orthopedic dentist
Experience: 24 years
The removal of a tooth is a reason to immediately think about its restoration. Ideally, you should think about this even on the eve of removal. So, for example, in some cases, the doctor can offer you the safest, painless and bloodless implantation - when an artificial root is implanted into a fresh socket of a just extracted tooth. Next, a crown is placed on it, and you get a full-fledged new tooth instead of the extracted one.
Completely edentulous upper jaw
In case of partial absence of teeth, the prosthesis rests on the remaining units. If it is full, there is no such possibility of fastening, which may cause difficulties with the installation of the prosthesis. Therefore, dentures for the upper and lower jaws have significant design differences. Dentures for the upper jaw include a volumetric base that imitates the anatomy of the palate, which ensures a tight fit. To improve fixation, special gels are used. Dentures for the lower jaw do not require additional fastening elements, since they repeat its alveolar part.
Effects on soft tissue
As the bone loses width, then height, width, and height again, the attached gum gradually decreases. When there is severe atrophy of the lower jaw, it is usually covered by a thin layer of attached tissue or is completely absent. The gums are prone to sedimentation, which is caused by the overlying prosthesis.
Conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, anemia, and eating disorders have a devastating effect on the blood supply and quality of nutrition of the soft tissues under the removable denture. As a result, the thickness of the surface tissues gradually decreases. All this leads to the formation of bedsores and discomfort from wearing removable dentures.
A patient's tongue with edentulous ridges often enlarges, filling the space previously occupied by teeth. At the same time, the tongue is used to limit the movement of the removable denture and takes a more active role in chewing.
Which prosthetics are better for complete edentia?
Classic removable dentures are affordable, but they are not able to provide everything necessary for a high quality of life:
- functionality;
- comfort to wear;
- quality of chewing food;
- healthy load on the jaw;
- restoration of the natural shape of the face.
This is a half-measure that does not allow us to fully restore a decent quality of life. This is why dental implantation is the best solution for complete edentia. Computer modeling methods allow you to understand what your smile and overall face will look like even before implants and prostheses are installed. At the same time, computer programs help to accurately determine the location of future implants to restore the natural shape of the face, eliminate deep wrinkles, hollow lips and cheeks caused by missing teeth.
In case of complete absence of teeth, two concepts of implantological treatment are provided: classical and mini-implantation.
With mini-implantation, which is considered a temporary solution, the prosthesis is installed immediately after implantation. With mini-implantation, only removable prosthetics are available, and the design is inferior to classical prosthetics in terms of reliability and durability.
In the classic version, the patient undergoes the procedure of engrafting several implants - artificial roots made of titanium, which will serve as support for the future prosthesis. To securely attach the prosthesis, a minimum of 4 implants are required in the upper jaw and 3 in the lower jaw. But in a number of clinical cases, to achieve better stability, it is recommended to use a larger number of implants. After 6 months, when the implants have finally taken root, a permanent prosthesis is installed on them.
Demmy Moor
“All diseases come from nerves,” stars without teeth can say. Demi Moore has had dental problems since childhood. Genetics failed: the teeth crumbled and suffered from caries. Dentists created a Hollywood smile in the celebrity's mouth.
Despite the dentists' efforts, Demi admitted that her teeth still hurt. And recently, fans saw a photo where the actress does not have an incisor. It turned out that two front teeth fell out at once due to nervousness. Dentists installed implants for the performer, and now she again shines with a snow-white smile.
It's only June, but we're guessing all Demi Moore wants for Christmas is her two front teeth: https://t.co/r0oa43AzNz pic.twitter.com/FbQdubn9kS
- E! News (@enews) June 14, 2022
Features of treatment
Complete dentures on implants can be removable or conditionally removable. Removable ones are used for mini-implantation. Conditionally removable dentures are removed only in the dentist's office.
In classical prosthetics on implants, different fastening methods are used.
- Push-button fixation
is carried out using abutments - equatorial or spherical. When the prosthesis is fixed, the lock is activated. With some force, the prosthesis can be removed for inspection and hygiene procedures. - Another method is beam fixation.
First, a beam is made to connect the already installed implants. The prosthesis itself is attached to it. Prosthetics using this method are more reliable, but more expensive. From a technical point of view, it is more difficult to carry out.
Bite with complete absence of teeth
With complete edentia, the jaw looks unaesthetic, and the shape of the patient’s face changes significantly. In this situation, specialists need to recreate the correct bite so that the prosthesis does not protrude or sink.
In order for the prosthesis to fit correctly, correcting aesthetic and functional problems caused by edentia, it is necessary:
- calculate the occlusal height of the upper jaw;
- form a prosthetic plane;
- determine the height of the lower facial region;
- determine the central relationship of the jaws and fix it with notches.
To determine central occlusion, the doctor holds the corners of the patient's mouth. After the patient swallows saliva, the jaws close correctly.
