Tooth loss could be behind your blues
17 Jul 2008, 1252 Hrs

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Washington, July 17 (ANI): Feeling depressed or unable to face people? Well, in that case, check your smile, for tooth loss can be the reason why you're feeling so gloomy.

What's more, if you think it's just you whose facing crisis, well think again, for nearly 20 million teeth are extracted each year leaving scores of people to deal with the psychological affects of a less than perfect smile.

However, during the Academy of General Dentistry's (AGD) 56th Annual Meeting and Exhibits in Orlando, Fla., July 16-20, H. Asuman Kiyak, PhD, will address the psychological issues affecting people who must deal with the loss of a tooth, as well as explain how this loss can affect the quality of life.

In Dr. Kiyak's course, "Enhancing the Oral Health and Quality of Life for Partially Edentulous or Fully Edentulous Patients: The Importance of Communication," she will reveal the post traumatic effects a patient endures after the loss of a tooth and will also pinpoint ways a doctor can communicate with a patient to help them cope with and understand their options for restoring their smile.

"The major impact of tooth loss is on the appearance and social relations component of quality of life because people cannot change their appearance with missing teeth," says Dr. Kiyak.

In fact, recent results from a survey distributed to nearly 20,000 AGD members revealed that more than 86 percent of general dentists reported social embarrassment is one of the greatest problems associated with tooth loss and more than half of these patients avoid social interaction because of it.

Yet, Dr. Kiyak noted that there are ways that patients can learn how to cope with the loss of a tooth.

Dr. Kiyak encourages patients to weigh their options with the pros and cons for replacement teeth or even endodontic treatment to save a "hopeless" tooth and review videos or still photos of others who have lost teeth and their current teeth status with removable or implant-supported dentures.

Read testimonials of others who have undergone single, multiple, total tooth loss and replacement of these teeth with removable or implant-supported dentures, how they have coped with each stage and how they are functioning orally, systemically and psychologically with these dentures, says Dr. Kiyak. (ANI)