Losing teeth is a reality for many people, and for others it’s a complete nightmare – literally! Plenty of us have dreams about losing our teeth, and even if you don’t there’s a good chance you’ve thought about it at some point in your life.
At Edgewood Dental Care we’ve replaced countless lost teeth over the years, but there’s something better than simply replacing them: preventing that loss in the first place. Knowing how to keep your teeth healthy means knowing what the risk factors are, and that’s just what we’re going to talk about today.
Who Is At Risk For Tooth Loss?
There are a number of risk factors for tooth loss, but most every cause boils down to one basic problem: gum disease. When bacteria gets beneath your gums it causes an infection that prompts inflammation, but unfortunately that inflammation doesn’t resolve easily. Instead of clearing the infection your gums end up bleeding, swelling, and eventually receding.
As your gums recede your teeth become less and less stable, eventually losing their ability to stay in place. They might loosen at first, but the end result of untreated gum disease is a chain reaction of tooth loss that will eventually affect your entire mouth.
When considering risk factors for tooth loss you have to think of them as the same as gum disease. If you find yourself identifying with any of the traits listed below you’re likely at risk for periodontal disease that will lead to tooth loss unless you seek treatment.
- Patients over the age of 35 have much greater chances of developing gum disease and losing teeth.
- Men have a higher chance of tooth loss.
- If you don’t brush or floss properly your chances of losing teeth increase.
- Patients who don’t see the dentist for preventive care every six months have significantly higher chances of losing teeth.
- Smokers have incredibly high rates of gum disease and tooth loss. Around 50 percent of tobacco users will develop some form of periodontal disease.
- Diabetes and the medications that are used to fight it both increase risks of developing gum disease and tooth loss.
- High blood pressure increases tooth loss risks.
- Rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic inflammatory disorders increase the likelihood of gum disease and tooth loss.
How To Reverse A Tooth Loss Trend
If you’re worried that your oral health is heading toward tooth loss you don’t have to give up and accept it as fate. There are plenty of things you can do to reverse course on tooth loss.
- Quit smoking as soon as possible.
- Control your blood pressure.
- If you’re diabetic be sure you stay properly hydrated and pay close attention to your oral health.
- See the dentist twice a year.
- Brush twice a day and floss every night.
- If you’re starting to notice signs of gum disease or loosening teeth make an appointment right away. Gum disease can be treated!
What If You’ve Already Lost Teeth?
Losing one or more teeth can cause a significant change in your day-to-day life. Your confidence drops, it becomes harder to eat, and you’re probably a lot less happy with your appearance. Don’t worry – we can restore missing teeth with state-of-the-art dental implants!
Implants are the best choice for restoring lost teeth because they perfectly mimic the look, feel, and function of natural ones. Implants are small titanium screws anchored to your jawbone just like a natural tooth root would be. Once they heal they’re just as strong as a real tooth, and they stabilize the bone, which stop a chain reaction of tooth loss from happening.
We can restore single lost teeth, several, or even mount full mouth bridges that are a replacement for dentures. All of our implant solutions are as strong as natural teeth and will give you the look and function that you’ve been missing since you started losing teeth.
The Only Thing Better That Dental Implants
We love being able to restore so much function with dental implants, but there’s one treatment we prefer over it: preventive dental care. With proper care we can have your teeth lasting you for a lifetime despite risk factors you may have, but we can’t do it alone. Controlling your risks and caring for your teeth are a fundamental part that only you can do.
If you’re concerned about tooth loss or simply want to get your oral health checked out we invite you to call our Edgewood office as soon as possible. We’d love to give you a clean bill of dental health! You can reach us at 859-474-7830 or you can request an appointment online. We look forward to seeing you soon.