Do Tooth Loss and Dentures Cause Body Image Disturbance?

To investigate the psychologic morbidities associated with tooth loss despite treatment with technically successful dentures.

This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study compared the psychologic disturbance and functional difficulties in two groups: individuals with tooth loss who wore optimal-quality removable dentures (test group), and individuals with tooth loss who did not wear dentures (control group). The questionnaire used was developed and validated previously. The short-form revised Eysenck personality questionnaire was also used to assess the relationship with personality traits. A total of 138 participants were recruited (denture group = 70; control group = 68).

There was a significant difference in body image dissatisfaction between the groups (χ² = 7.72, P value = .005). The denture group had 5.75-times higher probability than the control group of suffering from body image disturbance. Older patients were predicted to have 75% less probability of body image disturbance (OR = 0.25), and men were predicted to have up to 70% less disturbance (OR = 0.3). As for psychologic morbidities, participants in both groups presented with somatic symptoms related to depression or anxiety, which were nearly double that expected in the general population (15.7% and 7.8%, respectively). Furthermore, participants who complained about body image impairment were more likely to have higher scores on the neuroticism scale (OR = 3.64).

Tooth loss and dentures could be associated with body image dissatisfaction and psychologic morbidity. Planning for patient-centered care is paramount prior to extracting any teeth and providing replacement options.