Hello and welcome back to the online home of Beaumont Family Dentistry–the go-to place for comprehensive dental solutions in the Bluegrass. With today’s blog post we wanted to talk about a tough topic: adult tooth loss. An astounding number of folks (something close to 70 percent of American adults) will lose at least one tooth over the course of a lifetime. Shocking, right?! So, why is this happening–and more importantly, what can be done to prevent that kind of loss in your own life? Keep reading, and then be sure to schedule your next appointment with Dr. Takacs!
#1 Poor Hygiene
Lack of a strong oral hygiene routine leads to a buildup of plaque, which is the sticky white film made of bacteria that lives in everyone’s mouths. If it builds up it will have the chance to assault your teeth, causing decay and gum disease that can lead to complete loss of your teeth. It is so easy to make a better effort in this realm. You’ll be so glad that you did.
#2 Tooth Decay
Tooth decay that goes on for too long is a leading cause of tooth loss. While you can still end up with cavities even when you are taking good care of your teeth, brushing and flossing diligently will increase your protective factors. Cavities can lead to tooth loss and/or extraction in cases that go undiagnosed or untreated.
#3 Periodontal Disease
Just like cavities, gum disease is caused by oral bacteria. When that bacteria gets below your gumline it starts to cause inflammation, infection, and eventual weakening of your gums. They’ll start to recede, showing more and more of the roots of your teeth until they start to lose stability.
The loss of stability as a result of untreated gum disease will get worse and worse until your gums and bone can’t support your teeth anymore. Most gum disease patients lose multiple teeth rather quickly as the infection spreads from one tooth to another!
#4 Injury
This one is hard to anticipate. A vehicular accident, sports injury, or just a slip-and-fall injury at the pool can happen without much warning. Teeth are lost from that kind of trauma all the time!
In a lot of cases a traumatically damaged tooth can be saved with a crown or other restoration, but that isn’t always the case. Sometimes there’s nothing that can be done. But we will set you up with a great replacement plan if that is the case.
#5 Fear Of The Dentist
Periodic professional cleanings are essential for eradicating food particles, bacteria, etc. And oral exams are able to catch problems like cavities far earlier than you can spot them. The same applies for gum disease. We’ll be here for you, but we can’t do much good if you never come to see us on a regular basis.
Schedule Your Tooth-Saving Appointment Today!
Contact us right away to set up your next visit to our Lexington, KY dentist’s office. We look forward to seeing your smiling face in one of our chairs this summer!