1. Beyond Cavities – Extractions
The first thing that happens absent good dental hygiene is that plaque and tartar build up on teeth and create cavities. But a filling may not always be enough. Extractions are sometimes necessary.
Everything from simple extractions to more complex, surgical extractions can occur. While modern tooth replacement methods are available, it is always better to keep your natural teeth. Brushing, flossing, using dental mouth wash, and consuming teeth and gum friendly foods/drinks isn’t too much to ask to prevent tooth loss.
2. Root Canals
Sometimes, you won’t actually have to have a badly damaged tooth extracted, but the inner pulp will be too far gone for repair. That means that a root canal procedure would be your best option. Capped with a dental crown, a root canal tooth can last for 15 years or more and function much like an ordinary tooth.
In the end, a dental implant may be necessary if a root canal is not a viable option or if the root canal tooth has simply gotten to the point that it needs to be removed.
3. Deteriorated Bone Tissue
Below the gum line, where tooth roots connect to your alveolar ridge (on your jawbone), harmful bacteria can do damage you won’t be aware of until it is already far advanced.
First of all, bone deterioration can cause teeth to come loose or even fall out. But the bone itself can also thin out, and once there is no longer the daily pressure of a tooth’s biting, chewing, and talking above it – the bone tissue can resorb into your body.
This is why bone graft surgery is sometimes necessary before placing a dental implant. Bone resorption may have left too little bone for the implant to rest on/in. But bone can be grafted in and new bone tissue can grown around the graft.
4. Periodontal Disease
In the rush to protect your teeth, don’t forget about your gums! Gingivitis (mild gum disease) and periodontitis (advanced gum disease) can develop when plaque and bacterial “biofilms” live on the surface of your periodontal tissue.
Over time, gums may easily bleed, become painful to the touch, recede from a normal gum-line height, and begin to effuse white pus. In its most advanced stages, gum disease can lead to tooth loss and dangerous infections. Modern periodontal treatment can usually reverse these problems, but “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
5. Ill Effects On Your Overall Health
Good dental hygiene is a much bigger issue than just what concerns your mouth. Bad oral health can affect your overall health. Poor gum health in particular increases one’s risk of heart disease, strokes, Alzheimer’s Disease, pneumonia, osteoporosis, and more.
Maintaining good dental hygiene is a serious issue. Contact Ormond Beach Periodontics & Implant Dentistry today for oral health tips or for help in correcting existing dental/oral health problems.