Tooth Loss
Greensboro, NC
 While we may find it cute when children lose their teeth, as adults losing teeth is never funny. Not only does it cause serious difficulty when we want to eat or chew on our favorite snacks, it also affects our confidence and makes us conscious of our smiles and laugh. Effects of tooth loss do not stop there as there are more grave effects on our oral and general health.
Understanding the reasons for tooth loss can help us prevent them.
Accidents, Injuries, and Trauma
Trauma to the face and mouth is a strong cause of tooth loss. This trauma that happens from car accidents, bike accidents, or accidents from any kind of vehicle can seriously affect the mouth and teeth. Sports accidents and injuries from playground activities often contribute to trauma of the face and mouth.
Most times, these trauma result in broken teeth, or cracked and chipped teeth. Teeth that are badly damaged usually require an extraction. While some accidents cannot be foreseen, dental trauma from sports injuries can usually be prevented when athletes use protective headgear and prescribed mouth guards.
Bad Eating Habits
This is a popular cause of losing teeth. As much as we need to eat to nourish our bodies and keep our energy levels up, consumption of food that has unhealthy levels of sugar is bad for our teeth. Food and drinks that have strong acidity and plenty of sugar can increase the possibility of decay and cavities. These foods provide particles for bacteria to feed on. These bacteria then produce acids that gradually harm our teeth. Over time, they get deep into the teeth, damaging them while causing pain and serious toothaches that will require the removal of such teeth.
Poor Oral Hygiene
Keeping up good oral hygiene is not so hard, but ignoring these small practices can gradually result in tooth loss. When patients do not brush and floss regularly, the bacteria and plaque around our teeth attack our teeth. They even attack the gums, causing inflammation and gum disease. Prolonged gum disease can cause loose teeth and even infect the jawbone and the root of a tooth.
Bad Oral Habits
Patients who smoke or suffer bruxism, which is also known as teeth grinding, also run the risks of losing one or more teeth. Grinding or clenching teeth uncontrollably weakens the teeth, as well as causes them to be loose in their sockets. This may eventually result in tooth loss. Smokers also run the risk of losing teeth as they are easily susceptible to gum disease. Quitting smoking is an easy way out to avoid losing teeth.
Dealing With Tooth Loss
Losing teeth is never the end of the world. There are currently many tooth replacement options such as dentures, dental bridges, and also dental implants. In fact, dental implants have options of single tooth implants for patients missing one tooth, and multiple tooth implants for patients missing many teeth. While all these options are amazing, choosing a suitable one for your replacement will require thorough assessment and evaluation. Please call us at 336-852-9699 to speak to our experts at Tammy D. Lee, DDS today. |
