You’re grandfather had dentures, your father had dentures and even your great aunt on your mother’s side had dentures. Dentures are a sure bet for your future—right? Not necessarily.
When it comes to the risk factors for tooth loss, most people think heredity determines their luck. This idea, which is only partially true, leads people to think preventing tooth loss is simply out of their hands. As your Noblesville dentist, I would like to inform everyone who thinks dentures are an unavoidable part of aging—that you’re in luck. You may be able to avoid fake teeth after all.
The Journal of Periodontology published a report suggesting there are a number of other risk factors at play—nine to be exact. Here are the nine risk factors for tooth loss:
• Being older than 35
• Being male
• The fact that front teeth are more likely to be lost than back teeth
• Smoking
• Not brushing your teeth
• Never seeking professional dental care
• Having diabetes
• Having high blood pressure
• Having rheumatoid arthritis
The report lists nine individual risk factors for tooth loss, but only four of these are linked to things that are out of your control. The rest of the factors can be either worsened or improved through behavior, which means that you may have more control over tooth loss than you thought. Making a commitment to brush your teeth, visit the dentist and lead a healthy lifestyle to reduce your risk for diabetes and high blood pressure are all steps you can take to avoid tooth loss.
If you’ve put your oral health on the back burner because you thought tooth loss was out of your hands, it is never too late to
start getting your oral health back on track. Remember, the sooner you take action, the better your results will be. Contact your Noblesville dentist to start taking control of your teeth’s future today.
