Are you worried about losing your natural teeth? Tooth loss can be costly and embarrassing and some remedies may seem less than ideal. Here are a few ways to help ensure you will keep your natural teeth for years to come. There is no defined age where problems begin so thinking ahead regardless of age is a good idea.
Periodontal Disease
Periodontal disease is the number one destroyer of smiles. Once it begins, it can be proactively and professionally managed. Maintain your regular visits, and if you’re placed on a periodic maintenance routine where you visit your dentist more than twice a year, be sure to keep those appointments. Keeping those appointments will help you keep your teeth.
Systemic Disease
There are a host of diseases that can adversely affect oral health, (diabetes, heart disease, etc.) so being mindful of this connection. Maintaining an open door of communication with your doctor and dentist while undergoing treatment may help you minimize the effects these diseases can have on your teeth.
Poor Habits
It’s no surprise that a diet high in sugar, starch and acid harms surface enamel and lessens a tooth’s ability to protect itself from decay. Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can also do significant harm. For example, both cigarette smoke and alcohol rob gum tissue of the moisture needed to keep it healthy, leaving it acidic and prone to decay, and smoking can interrupt the mouth’s natural healing mechanisms. Consistently gnawing on objects not designed to be in the mouth all day, like pencils, pipes, paper clips and ice cubes, are not good habits to pursue. Additionally, using your teeth as a vice to open bottles and rip apart bags is best left to those among us committed to losing teeth, not keeping them.
Prescription Medication
Certain prescription medicines can dry out the mouth in ways similar to smoking and alcohol, so if you’re taking prescription drugs, be sure to keep your hydration in check as per your doctor’s recommendations, or use chewing gum with Xylitol to help maintain saliva production throughout the day.
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