If you’ve ever worried about losing teeth you’ve probably wondered about what causes it. There are a lot of habits and lifestyle choices that can contribute to tooth loss but there’s only two things that truly cause it: tooth decay and gum disease. No matter what you may do to make things worse it’s one of those two conditions that will get you!
At New Albany Implants we focus in replacing lost teeth but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to prevent them from being lost in the first place! We want to help you understand the seriousness of tooth decay and gum disease so that you can help protect your smile for life!
Tooth Loss Causes: Bacteria Bombardment
It might be gross but it’s absolutely true: your mouth is full of bacteria. Over 300 strains exist in the average person’s mouth, mainly in the form of plaque. That sticky white stuff that you brush off every night is bacteria that has been building up all day long.
Some of the bacteria in your mouth is harmless, but not all of it. There are also a lot of strains that cause serious damage by metabolizing sugar into acid. That acid eats away at your teeth to cause cavities and also gets below your gumline to cause gum disease.
Decay Disaster
When plaque bacteria eat away at your teeth the cavities start small: just a little pin prick hole that allows more bacteria below the surface. Oral bacteria tries hard to find spots you can’t brush or floss and the smallest cavities are the perfect place. Over time those cavities get larger and larger, eventually reaching the roots of your teeth.
If decay become severe enough you can end up needing extraction. When decayed teeth need to be extracted they are in really bad shape, usually beyond saving with a root canal. Teeth that are extracted due to decay are done so to protect the rest of your mouth. Decay at that level can spread infection to your gums, bone, and other parts of your body. We may have no choice but to extract in those cases!
Gum Disease: The Number One Cause
Bacteria under your gumline cause a lot of irritation. As the bacteria spreads your body tries to fight them off with inflammation but that just makes the problem worse! Your gums get inflamed and start to pull away from your teeth – this only gives bacteria more room to spread. As time goes on your gums will start to recede and even bone starts to be destroyed.
When gum disease gets bad enough it will cause teeth to loosen due to a lack of support from gums and bone. This is the beginning of the end in many cases: loose teeth often end up falling out completely if action isn’t taken fast.
The Chain Reaction Of Tooth Loss
When one tooth is lost it seriously jeopardizes the others next to it. Your mouth is tough but part of the reason for that strength is how each tooth backs its neighbors up! When one tooth is lost it throws the entire system off balance; your teeth start to shift to fill the gap and then they start loosening too. Before long your bite changes, more teeth loosen, and you’re faced with more and more teeth falling out.
When a tooth has already been lost it’s essential to stop the process right there. We focus in building both bridges and dental implants that can save your smile and save your teeth. While we always want to see you before it’s too late the loss of that first tooth is a definite sign that we want you at our New Albany dentist office as soon as possible!
Don’t Wait For Tooth Loss To Get You
If you’ve noticed cavities or the signs of gum disease it isn’t too late to save your smile. We’re ready and willing to help you prevent tooth loss or to replace teeth that have already fallen out. All it takes is a call to New Albany Implants today!
You can reach us at (812) 945-7645 or you can request an appointment by filling out our online form. We look forward to seeing you soon!