When everything goes as planned, you should lose all of your teeth only once. Baby teeth begin to erupt in most children between six months and a year old. Then, children begin to lose their baby teeth and gain permanent teeth when they are between five and seven years of age. Adults usually have their full complement of adult teeth around age 18 or 20 when their third set of molars, or wisdom teeth, erupts.
If you are lucky, you will keep your teeth throughout your adult life. However, there are occasions when adults lose their teeth, such as in a car accident. However, it is not normal to lose your adult teeth. Here are a couple of reasons why you might lose your teeth other than from trauma.
Tooth Decay
Many adults can lose their teeth due to tooth decay. If caught early, the tooth decay can be treated. Tooth decay begins with the plaque on your teeth left over from bacteria that are always in your mouth. Brushing and flossing twice a day wash out a lot of bacteria from your mouth. However, if you allow plaque to remain on your teeth, the acids bacteria leave can erode the enamel in your teeth. Over time, bacteria will eat their way through the outer layers of your teeth and into the middle of your teeth, called the tooth pulp. When the bacteria get to the center of your tooth, it causes an infection. People who do not get their teeth treated for the infection run the risk of losing them.
Gum Disease
Bacteria that cause tooth decay can cause gum disease as well. Gum disease leads to infected and inflamed gums. If your gums are diseased enough, you will begin to lose teeth.
One of the best ways to make sure you keep your adult teeth for life is to brush and floss your teeth daily. You should also visit our dentist twice a year so that your teeth and gums can be cleaned and checked for tooth decay and gum disease.
When everything goes as planned, you should lose all of your teeth only once. Baby teeth begin to erupt in most children between six months and a year old. Then, children begin to lose their baby teeth and gain permanent teeth when they are between five and seven years of age. Adults usually have their full complement of adult teeth around age 18 or 20 when their third set of molars, or wisdom teeth, erupts.