The findings, by the University of Adelaide, challenge conventional medical thinking on whether many people with tooth loss really need costly replacement fixtures.
 

Studies conducted by the University's Australian Research Center for Population Oral Health in the School of Dentistry found that people with tooth loss do not have their quality of life interfered with provided they still have a certain number and type of teeth left that enable them to maintain their functional use.
 

The study, based on data of more than 2700 Australians and to be published in the journal Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, noted there is a cut-off point at which tooth loss interferes with quality of life. But patients only need dentures when they reach that cutting off point.
 

"For years it has been taken for granted that if people experience tooth loss, they will need dentures, bridges, implants or other corrective processes to replace the missing teeth," said lead author Haiping Tan. "What we've found is that it really depends on the position of the teeth that have been lost, as well as the number. Most people have 28 adult teeth, plus the four wisdom teeth, but it is possible to have significantly less teeth as long as people have them in the right positions and in the right numbers.
 

"It's about getting the right balance of biting and cutting teeth at the front of the mouth with enough of the chewing teeth at the back — that can make a real difference to people's dental function."