What Causes Teeth to Fall Out?

Visits from the tooth fairy stop after elementary school, but you may continue to lose teeth throughout your teen and adult years. While losing your baby teeth to make way for your adult teeth is a normal part of growing up, once you have your adult teeth in, you do not want to lose them. While there are many different reasons for teeth to fall out, there are also many ways to prevent this from happening. Milnor Orthodontics has put together a comprehensive blog to help you understand why teeth fall out and how to prevent it from happening. 

Baby teeth: born to lose them

Waking up to a little money under your pillow every time you lost a baby tooth is probably one of your core memories from childhood. Losing baby teeth is something everyone goes through—it’s normal and healthy, and makes way for your adult teeth. As you grow older, your jaw begins to grow and create spaces between your baby teeth. This is to make room for the adult teeth underneath your gums. Between the ages of six and twelve, your twenty baby teeth will start falling out and your adult teeth will begin breaking through your gums. It’s at this point dental hygiene becomes even more important, since your adult teeth are the ones you have for life. 

Why do adult teeth fall out?

Unfortunately, sometimes adult teeth fall out, leaving you with a space that has no new tooth to fill it. There are many different reasons for this:

• Periodontal disease – this is a disease that causes inflammation in your gums, leading to a weakening of your teeth and tooth loss. While periodontal disease is most common in men over age 35, it can happen to anyone. 
• Age – as you get older, you can lose teeth, especially if you have had poor dental hygiene throughout your life. While tooth loss is more common as you get older, it shouldn’t be considered normal. 
• Cavities – untreated cavities can cause tooth loss. Since cavities are basically rotting holes in our teeth, if they are left untreated, they will get larger over time, leading to root canals and tooth loss. 
• Accidents – injuries to your mouth can cause tooth loss. Most of these happen while playing sports and not wearing a mouth guard, but other trauma to the mouth can cause tooth loss as well. 

How do you prevent adult tooth loss?

The most important prevention is good oral hygiene. Make sure to brush your teeth twice a day and floss a couple times a week. Visit the dentist regularly to get your teeth professionally cleaned and any cavities taken care of immediately. While playing sports, wear a mouth guard to protect your smile from any injuries. With these simple prevention methods, you can protect your teeth and help them last a lifetime.

If you are ready to start your orthodontic journey to a healthier smile, contact Milnor Orthodontics today! We will help you prevent adult tooth loss and give you the healthy smile you deserve.