Taking care of your teeth isn’t that hard, but it’s something a fair amount of people fail to do. Even though it’s recommended that you visit a dentist at least once a year — preferably twice, the average time people go between dental visits is three years. There are a number of reasons for this. Some people have no dental insurance and have trouble affording dental care. Others have an irrational fear of the dentist and avoid visiting unless absolutely necessary. And still others simply let it slip their mind.

The consequences of failing to see the dentist can be many. It’s estimated that 20% of the U.S. population has untreated cavities, which can lead to even bigger problems of they do not get taken care of. Cavities and other dental issues that don’t get treated can lose to tooth loss. Most people don’t just lose one tooth. People who don’t take care of their teeth often winding up losing several of them. In fact, more than 30 million Americans have lost their teeth on either the bottom or top of their mouth — or both. Tooth loss is a serious problem, as it can cause both health and social problems. There are some solutions for tooth loss, depending on how substantial it is.

For people who have lost one or two teeth, implants can be an option. About 3 million people already have at least one implant, and that market is growing by about 500,000 people each year. Implants are great for filling in noticeable gaps in your mouth. Implants also are permanent, which can make them better options than some other types of replacements.

If you have two or more teeth in a row missing, you might be a candidate for a dental bridge. Dental bridges literally bridge the gap in areas where there are missing teeth. You can get either a removable or permanent dental bridge, although these days permanent dental bridges are usually the preferred choice.

If you have lost all the teeth on one or both of your jaws, then dentures are the likely solution. Because of their need to replace an entire set of teeth, dentures typically are removable.

Taking care of your teeth is important, because if you neglect them you could lose them. However, it’s important to know that if you have lost teeth you do have options to replace them.