Russians were told about the effect of missing teeth on digestion

Constant abdominal heaviness, bloating, and other disorders of the gastrointestinal tract often force people to follow strict diets and take medications regularly for years. However, the source of the problem may not be in the stomach or intestines at all. Sometimes the cause of chronic dyspepsia is the condition of the oral cavity: the loss of even a few chewing teeth can disrupt the very first stage of digestion. In which cases complaints about the gastrointestinal tract should be addressed to a specialist. Maria Milova, a dentist and endodontist at the Atribyut clinic, told Izvestia about this on June 18.

According to her, the digestive process begins in the oral cavity. Teeth grind food, and saliva helps to form a homogeneous food lump for further digestion.

"If a person has lost molars — the main chewing teeth — he starts chewing food with only one side or swallows it insufficiently crushed. At the same time, the stomach is not able to replace the function of the teeth. It is a muscular organ that mixes food with acid and enzymes, but cannot mechanically crush large pieces. As a result, the load on the digestive system increases," explained Milova.

The expert noted that the regular ingestion of poorly chewed food into the stomach can lead to a whole range of disorders. Large fragments are digested more slowly, stay longer in the stomach and can additionally irritate the mucous membrane, supporting inflammatory processes.

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The most common consequences are a feeling of heaviness after eating, a feeling of an overfilled stomach and a change in eating habits. Many patients begin to avoid hard foods — meat, nuts, raw vegetables — preferring milder foods.

"Due to such restrictions, the diet becomes less diverse, which can lead to a deficiency of important vitamins and trace elements, including vitamins A, C, and folate. Tooth loss alone does not cause gastritis or other gastrointestinal diseases, but it often becomes a factor that supports chronic complaints and worsens the quality of nutrition," the dentist emphasized.

Maria Shamanskaya, a gastroenterologist at the Atribyut Clinic, added that many patients try to compensate for digestive problems by taking enzyme preparations, but this approach is not always effective. According to her, enzymes are involved in the chemical breakdown of food, but they cannot replace the mechanical processing provided by teeth.

"Enzyme preparations work at a different stage of digestion and are prescribed strictly according to indications. If the food has not been thoroughly chewed, it is more difficult for enzymes to fully affect it. As a result, some of the nutrients may simply not be absorbed. That is why it is important to chew food carefully, not to wash it down with a lot of liquid and not be distracted by gadgets or TV during meals," explained Shamanskaya.

The specialist noted that the habit of eating on the go and quickly swallowing large pieces of food often causes dyspeptic symptoms — heaviness, nausea, heartburn, bloating and abdominal pain. At the same time, evidence-based medicine does not consider taking enzymes "just in case" as an effective solution to such problems.

In turn, Milova recommended not to delay the restoration of lost teeth. According to her, prosthetics or implants can restore the normal mechanics of chewing and thereby reduce the burden on the digestive system.

"After the installation of implants or orthopedic structures, a person gradually returns to a full-fledged diet and begins to chew food normally. If the digestive disorders were related specifically to the absence of teeth, the first positive changes may appear within a few weeks after adapting to the new structures," the doctor noted.

Kirill Polyakov, Candidate of Medical Sciences, dentist and surgeon at Naudent Dentistry, reported on June 9 that some foods may be more dangerous to tooth enamel than regular sugar. He noted that dried fruits, including raisins, dates, dried apricots, and prunes, are often perceived as a healthy alternative to sweets, but they pose a risk to teeth.