Tooth loss, or edentulism, is when one or more teeth fall out or are extracted due to injury or disease such as mouth trauma, tooth decay or gum disease.
Kids, adults and seniors are all at risk for tooth loss, especially if proper oral hygiene is not practiced. Although tooth loss is typically associated with the elderly, research suggests that nearly 27 percent of patients experience their first tooth loss between the ages of 21 and 30. Tooth loss is expected to increase with aging baby boomers, perpetuating a phenomenon among a generation of people that saw their parents fall victim to tooth loss due to lack of dental care.
Kids: As kids become more active, they are susceptible to two types of traumatic tooth loss – premature loss of a baby tooth or loss of a permanent tooth due to injury or neglect. Children should wear protective mouth guards when playing sports, and parents should consult a dentist immediately in the case of an injury.
Adults: Most people do not know that gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss among adults. Tooth loss is also linked to smoking, heart disease and diabetes.
Seniors: As people age, plaque accumulates and becomes harder to eliminate.Gum recession, older fillings and dry mouth put seniors at a higher risk of losing their natural teeth.
Research on 445 families centered in two Pennsylvania towns and two West Virginia counties shows that 80 percent of adults suffer from more severe forms of periodontal disease, according to Richard Crout, D.M.D., Ph.D., an expert on gum disease and associate dean for research in the West Virginia University School of Dentistry.
"Leaving periodontal disease untreated is a major public health problem," Crout says. "Not only do we see cases where the inflammatory process has eaten down around the bone, ultimately causing tooth loss in many patients, but also more important the inflammation likely has traveled throughout the body. A person with periodontitis may be twice as likely to have a heart attack and almost three times more likely to have a stroke."
He added, "If a woman is pregnant, she is four to seven times more likely to have a preterm, low birth-weight baby compared to someone who does not have gum disease."
Unlike gingivitis, an inflammation of the gums that is reversible, periodontitis can create infections below the gum line leading to bone destruction and tooth loss if not treated. Bleeding of the gums can signal gingivitis. But in periodontitis, no pain or symptoms may accompany the infection spreading into the bone.
