Although traditionally thought as an effect of aging, tooth loss or edentulism can take place at any age. Everyone from children to adults is at risk of tooth loss, in particular when oral hygiene habits are severely lacking.
Previous generations have been prone to tooth loss at the onset of senior years and recent trends suggest that this pattern may repeat itself among older adults today due to the prevalence of gum disease and high sugar diets, accompanied by poor dental hygiene.
Risks for tooth loss, however, vary significantly with age. For instance, while tooth decay and poor dental hygiene and healthcare are universal factors afflicting the general population, other causes are functions of the different stages of a person's life. Children, for instance, risk losing baby teeth prematurely to injury or neglect, whereas adults are more likely to increase risks of tooth loss due to smoking or serious health conditions like heart disease and diabetes.
In addition, poor dental health habits also contribute to the risks of edentulism. Some adults and children neglect to go to the dentist as needed out of either financial constraints or fears of the resultant pain accompanying the procedure.
The fundamentals of keeping teeth health for a lifetime include ingrained habitual good dental hygiene and regular dental checkups and recommended procedures. Preventing tooth loss is a lifelong commitment that can pay off well into the golden years.
Dr. Domenick Coletti is one of the head surgeons at Central Maryland Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Visit this website for more on the practice's many oral health procedures.
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ReplyDeleteTeeth do not die naturally, we kill them!
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