Risk Factors for Tooth Loss

Who Is At The Highest Risk for Tooth Loss?

According to an article in the Journal of Periodontology, the loss of your teeth may be somewhat under our own control. The following is a list of who is in the high risk of tooth loss.

Males
Men over 35 years of age
Having a history of never brushing
Having a history of never seeking professional dental care
Smoking and being an ex-smoker
Being diabetic
Anyone who suffers from High blood pressure
Anyone who suffers from Rheumatoid Arthritis

Another threat is the loss of the front teeth to gum disease before the loss of the teeth in the back of the mouth for the same reason. However, as such, some of the indicators like age and sex are unavoidable, yet things such as having regular checkups and a well defined oral hygiene regimen can negate the loss of one’s teeth, even as a smoker. Naturally, this pertains to everyone in and outside of Ottawa Canada.

Results of Tracking Tooth Loss in Kuwait

The research began by tracking 21 different government dental clinics, most of which are general practice clinics run by the Ministry of Health in that country. The numbers are not really surprising, showing out of nearly 1,800 patients a total of around 4,000 teeth were removed, and only 14 had all of their teeth pulled. Administering the study was Al-Shammari, DDS, MS and his team who work at the Ministry of Health in Kuwait.

The Leading Reasons behind Tooth Loss

It is gum disease. This is the single leading reason behind tooth loss in Ottawa and the rest of the world. The study indicates that men are more likely to lose their teeth more so than women, specifically men over the age of 35. According to the results, 30% of the patients were ex-smokers or regular smokers, (3 out of 10). Subsequently, smoking habits are an undetermined factor due to a lack of a complete history of the patients in the study.

The Importance of Regular Dental Checkups

The rate of patients reporting never receiving dental exams, according to the study, is at 40%.

Another 13% claim their more recent exams were within a six month window prior to participating in the study. Surprisingly, as much as 60% of the participants stated that they were not consistent with their oral hygiene, (brushing irregularly or not at all), only 16% stated that they performed a regular oral hygiene regimen. While this study took place outside of Ottawa, Canada it raises the question who are those individuals living in and around Ottawa that fit into the aforementioned categories and will they be able to save their teeth.