Some people believe that tooth loss is an inevitable part of aging, no matter how well they care for their smiles in the meantime. However, the truth is that adult teeth were meant to be permanent, and tooth loss typically occurs as the result of another underlying oral health concern that has grown severe. The good news is that, for most people, tooth loss is largely preventable with the right level of preventive oral health care. However, it also means that you may be more at-risk for tooth loss than you realize if you exhibit one or more existing oral health concerns.
Ignoring the presence of gum disease
There are many different potential factors that can contribute to tooth loss, but the most frequent cause of it is the presence of severe gum disease. When it occurs, severe gum disease erodes the tissues and jawbone structure that support your teeth roots, making their loss or extraction inevitable by the time you seek treatment for it. Yet, gum disease is progressive, and it can often be treated and managed before it reaches this level of severity. If you develop it, then treating it early can substantially lower your risks of experiencing tooth loss because of it.
Conditions that impact your bite’s function
While gum disease may be the most common contributing factor to tooth loss, it isn’t the only one. Patients who never develop gum disease may still suffer the loss of one or more natural teeth due to other reasons, such as a condition that impacts their bite’s proper function. When your bite is misaligned, the pressure it exerts when you bite and chew can become imbalanced. This can place one or more teeth under more pressure than they’re used to sustaining, which could lead to problems such as excessive tooth wear, damage, and more. If a tooth becomes compromised because of a bite dysfunction, then it will be a greater risk of being lost until the tooth and bite dysfunction are successfully treated.
A weakened jawbone structure
The foundation that supports your teeth, known as your dental ridge, is compromised largely of your jawbone’s structure, and the health and integrity of this structure are important to retaining your healthy, natural teeth. Some conditions can impact this health and integrity, such as severe gum disease or the previous loss of a tooth and its root. Losing a tooth root diminishes the stimulation in your jawbone, which creates a domino effect that weakens the bone structure and leads to increasingly higher risks of losing more teeth.
Learn how to lower your risks of tooth loss
There are multiple different factors that could contribute to a heightened risk of tooth loss, and addressing them as soon as possible could be the key to preserving your healthy smile. To learn more, or to schedule a consultation, call Santa Rosa Oral Surgery in Santa Rosa, CA, today at 707-545-4625.
