Purpose: To investigate the psychologic morbidities associated with tooth loss despite treatment with technically successful dentures.
Materials and Methods: 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 shortform 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).
Results: 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).
Conclusion: 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.
