Your teeth are meant to last a lifetime. However, they need proper care and protection to do so. While there are excellent options in tooth replacement, including dentures and dental implants, the preferred choice is to keep your natural teeth. Here’s a closer look at the top three reasons why patients lose a tooth, or multiple teeth:
The leading cause of tooth loss begins with your gums, not your teeth. Gum disease starts as inflamed gums (gingivitis) and slows progresses to advanced gum disease or periodontitis if left untreated. Essentially, gum disease is an infection in the soft tissues that hold your teeth in place. As gum disease worsens, the gums detach from your tooth root and eventual jaw bone loss may result. Without proper support, the teeth will lose stability and either fall out or need extraction.
If you ignore a cavity or skip your routine dental checkups, a simple (and fixable) area of decay can worsen and damage your entire tooth structure. Eventually, your tooth may need to be removed to prevent infection or damage to adjacent teeth.
We cannot always control tooth loss, and an accidental mouth trauma is a good example. When a tooth is broken off at or below the gum line, it can typically not be restored. If you are an athlete involved in contact sports, consider wearing a custom mouthguard to protect your smile from blunt trauma to your teeth or gums.
These are only three of the many reasons for tooth loss. Whether you have lost teeth due to trauma, poor oral hygiene or an existing medical condition, we are here to help you at Grateful Dental. Our office offers ways to restore your smile and ensure you retain a complete and healthy set of teeth for years to come.
