Hesperian Health Guides
False Teeth
After a tooth comes out, it is a good idea to replace it with a false tooth. If you do not, the other teeth soon start to shift into the open space.
This weakens the bone around their roots. After some years, they too become loose and sore, and they have to be taken out.
Why false teeth are helpful
When you take out a tooth, it is like removing a brick from the center of a wall. The area around the space becomes weaker and begins to crumble.
To prevent this, a plastic tooth can fit into the space. This tooth is not for chewing food but to hold the remaining teeth in their normal, healthy position.
A full set of teeth allows a person to chew the foods needed to stay healthy and feel good. Moreover, teeth help you look good!
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A person without many teeth looks old. |
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With a new set of plastic false teeth, the same person looks and feels much younger. |
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If possible, after you take out a tooth, encourage the person to replace the tooth with a plastic tooth. Find out where they are made and how much they cost. Then explain:
- how to clean the remaining teeth to prevent them from going bad, and
- how it is possible to get a replacement plastic tooth.