While you may want to keep your natural teeth, there are times when it is impossible. If you visit a dentist twice a year along with caring for your teeth with brushing and flossing, then you are less likely to lose any teeth. Here are the causes of losing some or all of your teeth.
Tooth Loss Reason 1: Extensive Tooth Decay
If you have extensive tooth decay, then you can lose your teeth because you have deep cavities that infect the pulp and nerves inside your teeth. In some cases, your dentist can perform root canals that require removing the interior portions of the infected teeth. These procedures also require the removal of the roots of the teeth, and the outer shell of a tooth is filled with a durable resin. A dentist will make a customized dental crown for a tooth after a root canal procedure. However, some root canal procedures fail, and you will lose the tooth, leaving an ugly gap in your mouth.
Tooth Loss Reason 2: Major Gum Disease
When your gums are swollen, bleeding or inflamed, it is essential to visit your dentist immediately. A dentist can treat gingivitis in a variety of ways such as prescribing antibiotics and scraping away the bacteria that is causing an infection. The process of eliminating gingivitis can take weeks or months, and there is no guarantee that it will work. However, a dentist will do everything that she can to save your natural teeth.
Tooth Loss Reason 3: Trauma Injuries
While playing sports or riding a bicycle, you can experience a trauma injury to your teeth. When you don’t use a mouth guard during intense physical activity, you risk breaking or dislodging your teeth. First, make an emergency visit to a dentist’s office to determine if it is possible to save the damaged teeth. Dentists can often repair broken or dislocated teeth with surgical methods and restorations. When it is impossible to fix a tooth, a dentist may need to remove its roots from your gums. The good news is that dentists can create dentures for your mouth after your gums are healthier.
Tooth Loss Reason 4: Drug or Tobacco Use
Tobacco products and illegal drugs can damage your oral cavity, leading to the loss of teeth from long-term poor hygiene habits along with lack of nutrients. These bad habits cause inflammation throughout the mouth, damaging the gums, teeth and roots. In this situation, you may lose all of your teeth, requiring a full set of dentures so that you can consume food and have an aesthetically pleasing smile.
How To Learn More About Dentures
When you have missing teeth on the top or bottom of your mouth, have an examination with x-rays at your dentist’s office. After your mouth’s gums and alveolar bones are healthier, it is possible to wear customized dentures that fit comfortably, making it possible to talk normally along with chewing food.