Preventive Dental Care

The Primary Cause of Lost Teeth
It is important to know that most tooth loss is not due to decay, but gum disease. This infection can be completely unnoticed until it reaches the advanced stages, when gum surgery is necessary. If you have the symptoms of bleeding gums from brushing or flossing, or loose teeth, you can reverse the problem with nonsurgical methods if treated in the early stages.


Gum Disease Can Contribute to Heart Disease and Even Stroke
Medical research has identified a link between gum infections and life-threatening conditions like stroke, diabetes, and heart disease. Dentists now consider gum disease a more serious matter than simply losing your teeth. The American Dental Association has announced that 80% of all Americans have some stage of gum disease, and dentists consider this percentage and condition an epidemic.

As the bacteria in the gums travel throughout the bloodstream, it can have a harmful effect on vital organs. The American Academy of Periodontology reports, “studies found periodontal infection may contribute to the development of heart disease, increase the risk of premature, underweight births, and pose a serious threat to people whose health is already compromised due to diabetes and respiratory diseases.”


But There Is Good News
Gum surgery can almost always control and reverse an advanced condition of gum disease. This is necessary when the infection is at a severe level. In milder cases, nonsurgical methods are used. Together with better daily hygiene, it can stop the spread of the infection to heal the gums to a healthy state. Both procedures are generally covered by most dental insurance plans.

What’s So Bad about Losing a Tooth?
Is it a big deal to lose a tooth? More than you may think. Eventually, other teeth will start to loosen or shift and move. This can affect how you chew and how many nutrients you absorb from your food. If healthier natural foods become difficult to chew, you may start to eat softer foods that have a higher calorie content, resulting in weight gain. Missing teeth can change the appearance of your face and give you a sunken look without the support of all your teeth. Your speech may also become hard to understand, and that can be embarrassing.

We recommend replacing missing teeth with dental implants for as many teeth as you have missing. They give full functionality for eating and speaking and look so good, you will be smiling with a gorgeous smile again.

Hagen Dental
Dr. Lawrence Hagen, DDS
4998 Glenway Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45238
(513) 251-5500
HagenDDS.com