Tooth loss can majorly disrupt your life. A dentist can offer you tooth replacement solutions, like dental implants, that can restore the look, function, and health of your smile. But ideally, you should preserve the natural structure of your smile as long as you can.
You can best protect your smile when you know what dental issues might harm oral health, lead to missing teeth, or impact overall health. Read on to learn three ways that you might lose a tooth and how to prevent these concerns from causing tooth loss.
What Dental Problems Can Cause Tooth Loss?
Advanced Gum Disease
One of the primary causes of tooth loss is a common infection that affects about half of American adults: gum disease. This infection of the gum tissue occurs when the natural oral bacteria in your mouth spread. Early stages of this disease can present with swelling, bleeding, and soreness in the gums.
As the infection progresses, bacteria begin to eat away at the gums, teeth, and jawbone, creating extensive damage that may cause a tooth to fall out of its socket. Gum disease does not go away on its own. So to prevent its advancement, you will need treatment from a dentist.
Good oral hygiene will keep oral bacteria balanced. But you might want to try an antibacterial mouthwash to further prevent oral infections like gum disease. Attend routine exams with your dentist to diagnose gum disease promptly and therefore receive periodontal therapy as soon as possible.
Untreated Tooth Decay
Cavities, an early form of tooth decay, happen to most of the population. A dentist can treat a cavity by drilling away the decay and giving you a dental filling. But if you do not seek cavity treatment promptly, the decay will advance.
This can lead to severe dental damage that may cause you to lose a tooth. Do not delay the treatment of tooth decay so that you do not see this major damage to your smile.
You can fight tooth decay with proper oral hygiene, including regular teeth cleanings from your dentist. Learn more healthy oral habits that will protect your smile by consulting with your dentist.
Impact Trauma to the Face
While gradual dental conditions can cause tooth loss, you might also lose a tooth due to an acute incident such as a blow to the face. This can create impact trauma that may make a tooth dislodge from its socket.
If this occurs, your dentist might be able to put the tooth back in the mouth. But time is of the essence. You will need to see your dentist right away, preferably within an hour of losing the tooth, to increase the chances of successfully restoring the tooth.
Make sure you bring the tooth with you to the appointment and handle it by the crown rather than its sensitive root. Place it gently back in the socket to preserve the tooth if you can. If not, store it in a cup submerged in spit.