Do Tooth Loss and Dentures Cause Body Image Disturbance?

Area of Science:

• Oral health
• Psychology
• Sociology

Background:

• Tooth loss is a common issue with potential psychosocial consequences.
• Dentures are a common prosthetic solution for tooth loss.
• The psychological impact of dentures, even when technically successful, requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the psychological morbidities associated with tooth loss.
• To compare psychological disturbance in individuals with tooth loss who wear dentures versus those who do not.
• To explore the relationship between personality traits and body image dissatisfaction in edentulous patients.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study.
• Compared 138 participants (70 denture wearers, 68 non-wearers).
• Utilized validated questionnaires for psychologic disturbance, functional difficulties, and personality traits (Eysenck Personality Questionnaire).

Main Results:

• Denture wearers had a 5.75 times higher probability of body image disturbance compared to non-wearers.
• Older age and male gender were associated with lower probabilities of body image disturbance.
• Somatic symptoms of depression/anxiety were elevated in both groups; body image impairment correlated with higher neuroticism scores.

Conclusions:

• Tooth loss and denture use can be linked to body image dissatisfaction and psychological morbidity.
• Patient-centered care planning is crucial before tooth extraction and prosthetic rehabilitation.
• Further research into the psychological aspects of oral rehabilitation is warranted.