Lost Teeth Impact Total Health -  Dr. Wiele Can Help
 

While such ignorance is rapidly becoming a thing of the past in St Louis, there is still not a general awareness of the seriousness of edentulism.

Multiple tooth loss is most commonly caused by periodontal disease, i.e. gum and bone disease.  At Gary B Wiele DDS we know that periodontal disease has a high statistical correlation with chronic debilitating diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and arthritis.  In fact, a recent Swedish study showed that people with tooth loss and periodontal disease were four (4) times as likely to get Alzheimer’s disease.

So it is not very surprising that studies now show a shortened life expectancy by as much as 10 years for persons who have lost their natural teeth, when compared to those who have kept their teeth.

In addition to longevity, quality-of-life differences are just as significant.  The functional efficiency of dentures has been measured to be only 20% of that of natural teeth.  Dr. Wiele feels that there cannot be any doubt that nutritional deficiencies will be much more prevalent in those without their natural teeth.

Loss of teeth often causes a feeling of loss of wholeness and a sense of deterioration and aging.  Given these factors, we feel at Gary B Wiele DDS that preservation of the natural teeth is integral to whole-person wellness.