Although you may see the geriatric population to be on the heavier side of the scale, decline of food intake is still a prevalent issue. Many things happen as people age that greatly affects their nutrition, and one of them is loose dentures.
Ruined Taste
Psychogeriatric studies report that the eating habits and the control of appetite in the elderly, plus the physiological, emotional and social wellbeing are factors in the anorexia of aging. Physical factors, such as poor dentition and ill-fitting denture, or age-associated changes in taste and smell may influence food choice and limit the type and quantity of food consumed.
So how do ill-fitting dentures affect food taste? You enjoy food when you can fully extract its taste and aroma through chewing. Without the proper bite and unstable false teeth, you cannot practically eat. Add to the equation the reduction of lingual papillae or taste buds, and you may abhor mealtime.
Social Stigma
Cranmore Dental & Implant Clinic cannot emphasize more the social concerns of elderlies with loose dentures. Obviously, they are afraid of their dentures slipping from their mouths in front of their family and friends. To prevent this embarrassing situation, it is easier to decline food, even if they are still hungry.
Impaired Confidence
In some studies in the UK, it appears that anorexia and bulimia, and their relationship to oral health, are cyclical. Acid from vomiting and lack of nutrition causes tooth decay, erosion and other oral function degeneration. These eating disorders lead to low self-esteem and in turn lead to poor oral hygiene.
Oral Pain
Unclean and ill-fitting dentures also leave room for bacteria and germs that leads to oral problems. This includes inflammatory papillary hyperplasia, denture stomatitis, traumatic ulcerations and epulis fissuratum. These can make chewing painful with all the bumping and scraping swollen areas can get.
It is perplexing how having a loose false teeth can affect your body. Make a move and do not let ill-fitting dentures ruin your enjoyment of food.