Will Dentures Cure Your Chronic Indigestion?
If indigestion seems to be a permanent problem that you can't get rid of, then you may have gone to your GP to see where the problem lies. Your doctor doesn't find a medical reason for your digestive problems and suggests that you talk to your dentist about them. Your doctor thinks that your teeth may be at the root of the problem.
When you mention this to your dentist, they tell you that having dentures fitted may help. Why?
How Your Teeth Affect Your Digestion
Your teeth are designed to chew food, breaking it down to manageable chunks that you can swallow easily. This food should then pass through your digestive system without a problem.
However, for this to work, you need all your teeth to be in place and in a healthy condition. If you are missing a few teeth or if some of your teeth feel weak and wobbly when you eat, then you may not be able to chew as effectively as you need to.
For example, if you're missing a few key back teeth, then you may find it hard to chew hard foods or stuff that is particularly chewy. Rather than breaking food into small pieces, your teeth may not be up to the job. You may chew food less and swallow larger pieces on a regular basis because your teeth aren't working as well as they should. This can give you indigestion problems and even regular stomachaches as your system tries to process food that hasn't been broken up enough.
How Dentures Help
While you can have dental treatment to replace the odd missing tooth or to repair a damaged one, there may be times when dentures are the best way to restore your teeth and to make them work more effectively.
For example, your dentist may recommend this route if you have a lot of missing teeth, gum disease, or bone loss in your jaw. The aim here is to give you a full set of working teeth again. Dentures may make it easier for you to process your food, which could, in turn, help with your indigestion and digestive pains.
Your dentist can tell you more about the pros and cons of switching to dentures. If you aren't ready to take this step just yet, then ask if there are any alternative treatments that may improve the situation.
For more information on your options, contact a dentist and ask about the different dental treatments available.