nutrition due to altered eating habits, various health problems can occur, from the mild to the extreme. Lack of certain vitamins (A, E and C) and low levels of riboflavin and thiamin can produce a variety of conditions, ranging from constipation, weight loss, arthritis and rheumatism. There are more serious conditions such as heart disease and Parkinson's disease and even to the extreme, certain types of Cancer. Treatments include changing approaches to eating such as cutting food in advance to make eating easier and less likely to avoid as well as consumer health products such as multivitamins and multi-minerals specifically designed to support the nutritional issues experienced by denture wearers. Numerous studies linking edentulism with instances of disease and medical conditions have been reported. In a cross-sectional study, Hamasha and others found significant differences between edentulous and dentate individuals with respect to rates of atherosclerotic vascular disease, heart failure, ischemic heart disease and joint disease. Cause Edentulism is a condition which can have multiple causes. In exceedingly rare cases, toothlessness may result from the teeth not developing in the first place (anodontia). However, in most cases it is as a result of permanent tooth extraction in adulthood. This may or may not be due to dental caries, periodontal disease (gum disease), trauma or other pathology of the face and mouth (i.e. cysts, tumours). In those under 45 years of age, dental caries is considered to be the main cause of toothlessness, whereas periodontal disease is the primary cause of tooth loss in older age groups. Replacing missing teeth There are three main ways in which missing teeth can be replaced: Bridges: Used to replace one or more missing teeth. False teeth are supported by the remaining, adjacent natural teeth. Advantages: They are fixed, they do not require removal on a frequent basis. Therefore, they are easily maintained. Can be cleaned by normal brushing procedures. Unlike dentures, they do not require skill in their use. They will not move about. Disadvantages: They generally require the preparation of adjacent teeth. This is destructive and not required for the placement of a denture. They have a higher rate of failure than either Dentures or Implants. Dentures: False teeth are mounted onto an acrylic base. These may be partial (to replace some missing teeth) or complete (where all the natural teeth are missing). Dentures may be removable, or fixed in the mouth by dental