Dental News

New Study Shows Benefits of Dental Implants for Older Women

June 26, 2015

Women who received dental implants reported higher sexual and emotional satisfaction in their lives.

New Study Shows Benefits of Dental Implants for Older WomenAmong the many risk factors for losing teeth are age and decreasing bone mass in the jaw. Menopausal women with osteoporosis have both.

Losing teeth can have a dramatic effect on quality of life. Elders may retreat into themselves due to feelings of embarrassment regarding their appearance, and their overall health may suffer as well if the missing teeth affect their ability to eat properly.

The good news is:

Dentists offer several different options for replacing missing teeth. Depending on the patient, this may include:

  • A bridge
  • A partial denture
  • Full dentures
  • A dental implant
  • Implant-supported dentures

For many years, it has been common knowledge among dentists that dental implants provide the best solution to missing teeth from an oral health perspective. Dental implants are the only restoration that completely replaces all the functionality of the tooth—including the biting surface and the stabilizing root.

However…

…now, for the first time, hard evidence has shown that the benefits of dental implants go far beyond your oral health and can actually improve your overall well-being and satisfaction with your life.

Study Shows Women Happier After Dental Implants

According to a study recently published in the Journal of International Dentistry, dental implants may be the best treatment for menopausal women with osteoporosis and tooth loss. The study, which was conducted by the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine, analyzed dental outcomes for women with osteoporosis to discover how treatments affected their overall quality of life.

The researchers surveyed 237 women for their study. All of the women had lost at least one tooth other than a wisdom tooth or third molar, and some of them had lost several adjacent teeth. Of these women, 64 got dental implants, 60 got a fixed partial denture, 47 got removable dentures, and 66 got no treatment at all.

When asked 23 questions about their satisfaction with their work, health, emotional, and sexual lives, the women who had received dental implants reported a higher overall satisfaction than any other group. They also reported the highest satisfaction in their emotional and sexual lives, perhaps because of the renewed confidence that totally natural-looking dental implants can provide. The runner up treatment was the fixed partial denture, followed by traditional dentures. Women who received no treatment scored the lowest on their satisfaction.

If you are interested in getting dental implants to replace your missing teeth, please call California Dental Group to schedule an informative initial consultation with one of our expert implant dentists.

Read Our Reviews