It might surprise you to learn that over 20 million individual teeth
are extracted from American mouths every year – the devastating news is
that many of these extractions could have been avoided. Once teeth
“pass the point of no return,” costly implants or other techniques must
be used to restore a person’s smile or chewing function properly – and
if said person is unable to afford proper treatment, their missing
teeth may cause subsequent dental problems or humiliation and
devastating blows to his or her self-esteem, even harming job security,
depending on what career path said person has taken.
The sad fact of the matter is that less
than 10% of people suffering from tooth pain or other signs of future
tooth loss ever see a dentist (or dental professional); because nearly
all tooth loss is preventable, this is simply unacceptable! Dental
phobia, the fear of being judged by a dentist or financial troubles are
often contributing factors in why most people suffering from tooth pain
never see a dentist, but the consequence of delaying (or avoiding all
together) a dental check-up often results in loosing one or more teeth. Worst of all, oral health problems are
systematic (meaning they can affect other systems or parts of the
body), and problems grow with time, making the need to see your dentist
that much more urgent if you are suffering from tooth pain.
Of course, tooth loss in rare incidences
could be due to injury or genetic problems, mainly caused by poor oral
hygiene, bad oral habits leading to tooth and gum disease and
eventually tooth loss. For starters, brushing and flossing twice daily
and after meals is essential! When food particles are left behind
embedded between tooth crevices, bacteria begins a destructive process
which eats away at your teeth and gum. Secondly, eating sugary,
carbohydrate-laden foods and drinking sugary beverages [frequently]
without prompt proper care can erode the enamel on your teeth, making you more prone to tooth loss and gum disease.
Without timely dental care, these habits will lead to an untreatable
situation and inevitable tooth loss. To prevent all that unpleasantness
(and the costly consequences of tooth loss), the best solution is
prevention. Prevention means having a terrific home care program,
proper diet and habit and getting your regular dental cleanings and
check ups every year. When the problem is small (or in a earlier stage
of deterioration), problems are much easier to correct and restore. To
the end the effort is all worthy, and having a healthy mouth is truly
the foundation of good physical health (you can eat and digest healthy,
high fibrous food) and mental health (self esteem and being able to
smile with confidence)!
