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ShareKeerti Sakaria, 53, started having trouble with her teeth in 2007. Over the next two years, Sakaria, a resident of Sion, had to get all her teeth removed. While the dentist's job was over after he fitted her with a set of dentures, she was far from healed.
"I stopped going out for dinner with my family and friends," says Sakaria. "Simple acts like eating and speaking caused acute pain in my lower jaw as my dentures did not fit well."
A majority of those who use dentures are unhappy with traditional dentures. They are either loose or hurt while chewing. To tackle this problem, the Edentulous Support Society, for people without teeth, launched in June, tries to bring a 'toothy' grin on their faces. The group offers edentulous people support and guidance, and also helps them to identify solutions.
"Over 19% of India's adult population is edentulous," says Dr Vijay Tamhane, founder director of the Edentulous Support Society. Edentulism (toothlessness) is a medical condition which affects oral health and the digestive system. Teeth are not just for chewing but also have a psychological importance --- they play a role in increasing the confidence of senior citizens.
"Over 6.2 crore people in India are toothless, of whom only 30% currently use complete dentures," says Tamhane. "Apart from dentures, we discuss options like implant-supported bridge (teeth) which will improve their quality of life."
Currently, the implant treatment available in India is out of the common man's reach. "We want to increase awareness and also give them various options," Tamhane says. Traditional dentures cost between Rs5,000 and Rs20,000 for a whole set. Implant-supported dentures cost above Rs40,000. But implants can be fixed properly with minimum pain and discomfort to the patient.
The support society plans to provide free consultation through 26 workshops across Maharashtra. "We plan to mobilise more than one lakh people by 2010," says Tamhane. The support group has launched a website, www.essindia.org, and a helpline, 020-30785050.
