It may go without saying that none of us want to deal with tooth loss. Fortunately, complete tooth loss is not as much of a concern as it once was. Advanced dental care techniques and increased access to dentists mean that most people who keep up with dental hygiene won’t have tooth loss. However, it’s still common for some people to lose one tooth or multiple teeth. This is one reason why the use of dental implants has risen steadily over time.

While dental implants give us viable options in terms of what to do if you experience tooth loss, you may still want to know why tooth loss occurs. Currently, 6 in 10 adults have a chronic disease, making tooth loss an important subject to discuss. With that being said, let’s dive into the reasons why tooth loss occurs in the first place.

1. Gum Disease

You’ve likely been educated about gum disease by your dentist, and there’s a good reason for it, regardless of your dental health. Gum disease is the number one cause of tooth loss. The issue behind gum disease is that bacteria builds on the surface of your teeth which will inflame your gums. While this initially takes the form of gingivitis, it can eventually progress to periodontal disease, which is more advanced and can result in tooth loss.

2. Trauma

A second major reason why people invest in dental implants is that they’ve experienced dental trauma of some form. Since tooth loss can occur if you’re in an accident or if you fall on a hard surface such as pavement, it’s important to seek dental treatment right away. 

3. Chronic Disease

As previously mentioned, chronic disease is becoming more common. For example, arthritis, diabetes, and hypertension can all affect the quality of your teeth. Furthermore, many of the medications that you may take to treat these chronic illnesses come with the side effect of causing dental decay. If you have a preexisting condition and are worried about tooth loss or decay, we encourage you to reach out to your dentist and schedule an appointment. In the appointment, we will discuss how your current medications may be affecting your dental health and come up with alternative solutions to improve your dental hygiene.

Thankfully, realistic dental implants allow you to maintain your smile. We encourage you to reach out to PS Dentistry and schedule an appointment today!