Dentures cause

Dentures are common among older people, as oral hygiene becomes more difficult and the years take their toll on the teeth. If a person in the twilight of his life has lived without teeth for a long time, the density of his jaw may not allow the placement of dental implants. She may not have the necessary budget on a fixed income. Or perhaps health issues and advanced age make surgery unfeasible from a safety standpoint.

In these cases, dentures are a great way to enable form and function. when all teeth are missing. If a person sleeps with their dentures on, they may think it's no big deal. However, a recent study from Nihon University Dental School, Japan, found that among other dangers of wearing dentures (dentures) 24 hours a day, there is an increased risk of pneumonia among elderly people.

Japanese denture study

Toshimitsu Iinuma led a team of Japanese researchers to conduct research on a group of elderly people over 85 years old. The study was published by the International and American Associations for Dental Research (IADR/AADR) in the OnlineFirst portion of the Journal of Dental Research (JDR). Titled "Denture Wearing During Sleep Doubles the Risk of Pneumonia in Very Elderly," the study looked at a large group of older people. A total of 296 women and 228 men were interviewed about their oral hygiene habits, oral health and general health. Blood tests were carried out and the participants were followed for three years.

Danger of dentures?

Among the group, it was confirmed that 48 study volunteers had contracted pneumonia. Statistics have shown that wearing dentures at night is a common factor among these people. Wearing dentures at night leads to difficulty swallowing during sleep.

In addition, people who did not remove and clean their dentures at night had more plaque on their teeth. tongue and prostheses. Since plaque is of bacterial origin, this means that the risk of pneumonia is higher in denture wearers.e night, but also other general health problems. Oral bacteria have been implicated in dementia, Alzheimer's disease, stroke and heart disease. Sleeping with dentures therefore puts patients at higher risk for a wide variety of life-altering health problems in addition to pneumonia.