Unbiased oral health information

Procedures

Removable dentures

Consequences of no treatment

Deciding not to undergo treatment for a dental problem is always an option, although it may not be in your best interest.

  • Poor chewing efficiency leads to improper nutrition and may contribute to poor general health.
  • Trauma to the edentulous ridges may occur and can alter their shape:
Complications of tooth loss in edentulous patients include gingival and bone trauma

Figure 1: Loss of the lower teeth and a failure to replace them led to this unfortunate situation in which molar imprints from the upper teeth can be seen on the lower edentulous ridges. Note how pressure on the edentulous ridges has caused the underlying bone to be pushed aside, widening and shortening the ridges. The soft tissue trauma was not perceived as a problem to the patient because it did not hurt. Fortunately, this situation was intercepted while the patient still had enough remaining bone to support a lower denture. Alveoloplasty was required to remove undercuts, prior to making the denture.

Not replacing missing teeth causes greater stresses on those that remain. Remaining teeth can move and tip, possibly leading to "bite collapse", and jaw joint problems.