What is Dental Bone Loss?
Bone loss around the teeth and in the jaws is actually quite common and will happen after losing teeth or, more frequently, as a result of periodontal disease or gum disease. This disease is from the bacteria in dental plaque causing the bone supporting the teeth to gradually disintegrate.
Bone loss can affect people of all ages, even if you have perfectly healthy teeth. However, it is more common in the older population.
What is Dental Bone Loss?
Dental bone loss is when the bone that is around and supports your teeth begins to shrink or atrophy because of infection, and will lead to the teeth becoming loose, and even falling out.
Bone loss can also affect the jawbone when a tooth is lost or must be extracted, and this can lead to shrinkage of the jawbone and gums.
How Do You Know If You Are Suffering from Bone Loss?
If your teeth have started to loosen, move, or your gums are receding, swollen or bleed, then most likely you are suffering from gum disease and therefore bone loss. It is crucial that you see your dentist for an evaluation and treatment soon, as you could end up losing your teeth.
Common signs are sagging pockets developing around the teeth, bad breath, loose teeth, swollen or bleeding gums or gum recession.
If you notice any of these symptoms, please contact your dentist for an examination.
Common Causes of Bone Loss Around Your Teeth
Tooth loss and gum disease are the primary causes of bone loss. Another common cause of bone loss around the teeth can be from the damage caused by trauma, such as an accident, or a sporting injury.
One of the biggest factors influencing the susceptibility to gum disease and bone loss is smoking. There is a great deal of research that proves unequivocally that smoking increases gum disease and bone loss, and significantly increases the amount of damage done by the disease. Smoking will also reduce the effectiveness of treatment proposed by your dentist.
A poor diet and poor nutrition, as well as several serious medical conditions, will also increase the rate of bone loss.
How To Save Your Teeth with Bone Loss
There are a variety of ways that teeth with bone loss can be saved. Improved periodontal therapy in combination with good preventative home oral hygiene, which focuses on proper tooth brushing, flossing and interdental cleaning, can eliminate the disease and even regrow some of the bone loss.
The bone around your teeth can also be restored through regenerative grafting to maximize bone support and maintain healthy teeth. The jawbone can also be regenerated after losing a tooth so a dental implant can be surgically placed to restore the missing tooth.
How to Prevent Bone Loss
Prevention is always a better and easier route than the cure. Consistent, good home dental care and oral hygiene, which means brushing twice a day for two minutes each time, and flossing at least once a day, a healthy diet and lifestyle, avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol intake are all good habits that will help keep your teeth and gums healthy.