SELF-HELP PREVENTION: DENTURE PROBLEMS
What are they?
There are many problems connected with wearing dentures, many of which are related to the fact that they are not nearly as stable as natural teeth. Advertisements suggest that denture fixatives are the answer and they certainly do work, but even the best false teeth are clumsy and cannot match up to natural teeth. Surveys have found that between 15 and 45 per cent of denture wearers are unhappy with them, and that 20 million people wear dentures in the US alone. This amounts to a very large number of individuals worldwide. One study found that about 30 per cent of denture wearers thought they needed refitting, or that they needed new dentures.
What causes them?
Some problems with dentures are inevitable because they are not fixed structures like natural teeth. They are only as good as the bony ridge or foundation on which they sit. In a fair percentage of denture wearers the bony ridge shrinks away. As this happens the dentures fit less and less well. This bone loss can be prevented.
Prevention
• Take more calcium. One study of people with denture problems found that those with good underlying bone were consuming about 900 mg calcium a day and that those who had jawbone problems were getting only about 500 mg calcium. Another trial looked at dummy tablets versus vitamin D (which helps with calcium absorption and better bone formation) for jawbone loss. After a year those taking the supplemental calcium had lost 34 per cent less bone from their upper jaws and 39 per cent less from their lower jaws than had the un-supplemented group. This study also found that the ratio of calcium to phosphorus the person consumed was important too. As levels of phosphorus rose jawbone resorption speeded up. The ideal ratio of calcium to phosphorus is 1:1. In red meat, though, there is twenty times too much phosphorus and in refined cereal products six times too much. They found that meat, bread and potato eaters experienced more of this bone loss than did other people. Also, soft drinks contain lots of phosphorus. Even teenage girls have been found to have started losing bone abnormally as a result of their soft-drink intake. This study recommended taking Dolomite, a phosphorus-free calcium and magnesium supplement. It can be bought at health-food shops and chemists. All of this is interesting even to those of us who still have our teeth, because the breakdown of tooth support is seen in gum disease. A study of people with bleeding, inflamed gums found that taking l g of supplemental calcium for six months produced considerable improvement. X-rays of the jawbones showed that bone loss reversed in 70 per cent of the cases.
*134/72/5*
Leave a comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.