Some people believe they’ll never lose a tooth because they take excellent care of their smile whey they can. Others believe they’re destined to lose one or more teeth, no matter how well they care for their smiles. The truth is that neither of them are correct. Tooth loss isn’t a natural occurrence that everyone must experience. It can be prevented, but it takes consistently good dental hygiene and dental care. At our Santa Rosa, CA, office, we can help you understand your specific tooth loss risks and mitigate them to reduce your chances of ever needing a tooth replacement.
Risks that Most People Share
The most common risk factors for tooth loss are things that everyone is at risk for. For example, gum disease is the leading cause of adult tooth loss, and nearly anyone can develop it if they don’t take proper care of their smiles. Tooth decay, another common chronic dental condition, may erode enough of your tooth structure that it falls out before you seek treatment, or requires extraction by the time you do. Fortunately, such common risks can largely be controlled with excellent hygiene at home and routine preventive care at your dentist’s office.
Ways to Reduce Your Risks Over Time
In addition to keeping your teeth clean and healthy, preventing tooth loss also means protecting your teeth when other risks appear. For instance, if you play contact or extreme sports, then wear a mouthguard every time to reduce your risks of accidental trauma knocking a tooth out. If you develop an issues such as tooth decay or gum disease, then seek treatment as soon as possible to manage it before it grows more severe. With your dentist’s help, even existing issues that normally threaten tooth loss can be effectively managed to help you preserve all of your teeth.
Lowering Your Risk After Losing a Tooth
Some of the biggest risks of tooth loss come after you’ve already lost a tooth. That’s because your teeth are vital to maintaining the health and integrity of the jawbone that supports them. Lose one, and the root that supported it, and you lose some of the stimulation that signals your body to send your jawbone enough nutrients. Over time, this weakens your jawbone, making it more likely that you’ll lose more teeth in the future. In many cases, this can be avoided by replacing the lost tooth as soon as possible with a dental implant, which replaces the root of your lost tooth and the stimulation that it provided.
We Can Help You Reduce Your Risks of Tooth Loss
Some tooth loss risks are common, and some are unique. To help you better preserve your smile, we’ll help you identify and control all of yours, regardless of what they are. For more information, schedule a consultation by calling Santa Rosa Oral Surgery in Santa Rosa, CA, today at 707-545-4625.
