As common as tooth loss can seem, many people might believe there’s a secret to preventing it from ever occurring to them. However, the truth is that the tips for successfully preventing tooth loss aren’t really a secret. Many people just forget at times, leaving their smiles exposed to the common threats that grow more severe and threaten their teeth. Today, we help refresh your memory by revisiting a few not-so-secret tips for avoiding tooth loss, or preventing it from happening again if you’ve already experienced it.
Prevent the things that cause tooth loss
The most effective way to prevent tooth loss from occurring initially is to prevent the common things that lead to tooth loss. Despite seeming like a natural part of aging sometimes, tooth loss is always caused by an underlying factor (or several). In many cases, it can be prevented by avoiding those factors. For example, preventing gum disease from forming will eliminate one of the biggest risk factors – more people lose teeth to the disease than to any other chronic oral health issue. Fortunately, you can prevent gum disease by practicing excellent hygiene every day and visiting your dentist for checkups and cleanings on a consistent basis.
Address them if they’ve already developed
Unfortunately, it may be too late for many people to prevent issues like gum disease from forming. In fact, nearly 80% of people exhibit gum disease to some degree, and once it develops, it remains a constant concern for many patients. The best way to protect your smile if you develop gum disease is to address it and get it under control as soon as possible. You may not be able completely reverse the disease, but you can stop it from causing more damage to your smile and increasing your risks of losing one or more teeth.
If you’ve lost a tooth, consider dental implants
If you’ve already lost a tooth, then the fight to prevent tooth loss isn’t over yet. With excellent care and help from your dentist, you have a good chance of avoiding further tooth loss by restoring your healthy smile. This often means replacing the lost tooth or teeth with an appropriate number of dental implants, which are designed to give your replacement tooth a prosthetic, lifelike anchor that closely mimics your healthy teeth roots.
Learn about protecting your smile from tooth loss
Protecting your smile from tooth loss could be simpler than you think, even if you’ve already experienced it once. To learn more, schedule an appointment with us by calling Dreem Dentistry in Leawood, KS, today at 913-681-5500. We also serve patients who live in Overland Park and all surrounding communities.
