Edentulous is the condition of having no teeth. In organisms that naturally have teeth, it is the result of tooth loss. Organisms that never possessed teeth can also be described as edentulous, such as members of the former zoological classification order of Edentate, which included anteaters and sloths, all of which possess no anterior teeth and either no or poorly developed posterior teeth. In naturally dentate species, edentulous is more than just the simple presence or absence of teeth; it is biochemically complex, because the teeth, jaws, and oral mucosa are not static objects; they are dynamic (changing over time). Processes such as bone remodelling (loss and gain of bone tissue) in the jaws and inflammation of soft tissue in response to the oral micro biota are clinically important for edentulous people. For example, bone resorption in the jaw is frequently how the teeth were able to detach in the first place; the jaw in an edentulous area undergoes further resorption even after the teeth are gone; and insertion of dental implants can elicit new bone formation, leading to Osseo integration. Meanwhile, bacteria and yeasts of the oral cavity and the immune system of their host create an immensely complicated and constantly changing interplay that presents clinically as gingivitis, caries, stomatitis, and other periodontal pathology. When an individual's mouth is at rest, the teeth in the opposing jaws are nearly touching; there is what is referred to as a "freeway space" of roughly 2–3 mm. However, this distance is partially maintained as a result of the teeth limiting any further closure past the point of maximum intercuspidation. When there are no teeth present in the mouth, the natural vertical dimension of occlusion is lost and the mouth has a tendency to over close. This causes the cheeks to exhibit a "sunken-in" appearance and wrinkle lines to form at the commissures. Additionally, the anterior teeth, when present, serve to properly support the lips and provide for certain aesthetic features, such as an acute nasiolabial angle. Losses of muscle tone and skin elasticity due to old age, when most individuals begin to experience edentulous, tend to further exacerbate this condition.

The tongue, which consists of a very dynamic group of muscles, tends to fill the space it is allowed, and in the absence of teeth, will broaden out. This makes it initially difficult to fabricate both complete dentures and removable partial dentures for patients exhibiting complete and partial edentulous, respectively; however, once the space is "taken back" by the prosthetic teeth, the tongue will return to a narrower body. Edentulous is a condition which can have multiple causes. In exceedingly rare cases, toothlessness may result from the teeth not developing in the first place (anodontia). However, in most cases it is as a result of permanent tooth extraction in adulthood. This may or may not be due to dental caries, periodontal disease (gum disease), trauma or other pathology of the face and mouth (i.e. cysts, tumours).In those under 45 years of age, dental caries is considered to be the main cause of toothlessness, whereas periodontal disease is the primary cause of tooth loss in older age groups.

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Sarah eve

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Journal of Oral Hygiene and Health