Unless you are a 9-year-old, expecting a visit from the tooth fairy, a loose tooth is nothing to be excited about. Once your adult teeth make an appearance, you need them to last a lifetime. There are many reasons why teeth become damaged and loose, and only one of the following shows symptoms right away.
Bad to the Bone
Periodontal Disease is a chronic condition where bacteria cause the tissue and bone holding teeth in their sockets, to become destroyed. Poor home care is a leading cause of periodontal disease and if not treated early enough, the results are devastating. Other factors like medical conditions and stress can also tie into how fast the gum disease progresses.
Trauma
Accidents happen, and sometimes a direct hit will deaden the nerve of a tooth and/or cause fractures. Hockey players are subjects to losing teeth to trauma, despite the fact that they wear mouthguards. Having a good dentist doesn’t always mean that every tooth can be saved when a traumatic event takes place. Unlike the other three reasons for bone loss listed here, trauma is the only one that may have instant pain.
Bad Habits
Smoking causes quite a bit of dry mouth and increases tartar formation. Recreational drugs have been directly linked to tooth loss due to dry mouth, teeth grinding, high acidic levels and poor home care. These all usually go hand and hand with these habits. Our best advice is to just say “No!”
Poor Occlusion
When teeth are crowded or tilted, unusual biting forces can cause cracking, chipping and drifting. A crooked smile will often lead to trauma within the bone surrounding multiple teeth. Some treatments are available to help with poor occlusion.
Daxon Dentistry is proud to offer our patients Invisalign, an effective alternative to standard metal braces. Investing in a straight smile today could save you thousands on future appointments for damage cause by malocclusion!