What is the Principal Contributing Factor to Tooth Loss?
The problem of tooth loss in adults around the globe is steadily increasing. As the life span of humans increases, age becomes a more significant factor contributing to tooth loss. Because of this, the need for dental implants will grow.
While the under-45 age bracket can boast that only 2% of their population segment has suffered complete loss of their teeth, by the time they reach the age of 65, 27% of U.S. residents will have experienced complete tooth loss and a very large percentage of the remainder do not even have enough teeth to properly chew. This should cause some concern.
The minimum number of teeth that you need in your mouth for your mouth to be considered functional is 21. The average number of teeth a 65 year-old has left is 18-19, and they lose more teeth every year. The most common solutions of dentures and bridgework often only exacerbate the problem, resulting in even more tooth loss as well as bone loss in the mandible and maxilla.
The numbers worsen exponentially with age: 30-45% of people over the age of 75 in the U.S. have no teeth at all. This follows a pattern of both tooth loss and bone loss that increases every year. These people often suffer with ill-fitting dentures and solutions that leave them very dissatisfied.
The absolute best solution for tooth loss is a dental implant. Implants support the replacement teeth and range from replacing a single tooth to several or all the teeth. Implants can stabilize the other teeth in the mouth and prevent many other problems that could occur later on.
If you have lost any teeth, from one to all of them, please consider implants. The teeth they support look, feel, and work like natural teeth. They are by far the best solution for missing teeth and helping to keep any teeth you still may have.