Millions of Americans suffer from tooth loss. With missing teeth, you will notice a decline in your oral function and dissatisfaction with the appearance of your smile. You might experience further oral health complications if you do not seek tooth replacement treatment from your dentist.
You can preserve the natural structure of your smile by seeking preventative dental care. And you can better protect your teeth if you know what may lead to tooth loss in the first place. Read on to find three dental problems that might cause you to lose one or more teeth.
3 Causes of Tooth Loss
Advanced Gum Disease
Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in the United States. This infection in the gum tissue affects about half of American adults, but despite its prevalence, its destruction to the smile can be immense.
Oral bacteria will begin this infection by causing inflammation in the gums. But as they reach the teeth and the jaw, bacteria will eat away at these parts of the mouth, giving you severe and irreversible dental damage. This could result in tooth loss.
Your dentist will need to intervene to get rid of gum disease. Thorough cleaning methods through periodontal therapy can eliminate the infection. But you can prevent gum disease with good oral hygiene and routine care from your dentist.
Severe Tooth Decay
A majority of people will suffer from a cavity at least once in their lives. But an untreated cavity will worsen without prompt treatment from a dentist. Severe tooth decay will continue to eat away at your tooth enamel.
This dental problem can become quite painful, and weakened enamel will not grow back. Without intervention from your dentist, tooth decay can damage a tooth to the extent that it will fall out.
Your dentist can treat a cavity by drilling away the decayed part of the tooth and filling the resulting hole with resin. More extensive damage will require a dental crown to cover the tooth for more expansive protection and restoration. Do not delay calling your dentist if you feel pain or other abnormal symptoms in your tooth.
Impact Trauma to the Face
Even when you seek effective preventative dental care, accidents can occur that can hurt your smile. If you suffer a blow to the face, for instance, the impact trauma may cause a tooth to dislodge from its socket. In this case, the tooth might be able to be saved.
If your tooth gets knocked out, call your dentist as soon as possible to schedule an emergency dental appointment. Bring your tooth with you to this visit, but handle it carefully, holding it by the crown if possible.
If you can, gently put the tooth back in its socket to preserve it on your way to the dentist’s office. Otherwise, keep the tooth in a cup or container submerged in your saliva. Your dentist can recommend tooth replacement options if the natural tooth cannot be secured back in your smile.