Common oral health problems include gum disease, cavities and TMJ. There are other oral health issues you may encounter but these three are the most common.
A healthy body starts with a healthy mouth. Research has shown an association between gum disease and other serious conditions like heart disease and stroke.
But there are simple strategies that can help you avoid common oral-health problems, including gum disease (also known as gingivitis, and its more advanced form, periodontitis), cavities, and the clenching and grinding that can lead to temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ).
Preventing gum disease
Up to 30 percent of people are generally susceptible to gum disease. Maintaining good oral hygiene is the best thing you can do to stave off gingivitis, or keep it from developing into periodontitis.
To prevent gum disease, floss once a day and brush twice a day using toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush. Toothbrush options include manual toothbrushes, and for extra brushing strength, power brushes.
You can also rinse daily with an antiseptic mouthwash. It's recommended that you get a professional cleaning from your dentist twice a year, quitting smoking, and eating a healthy, balanced diet.
Smokers and people with diabetes both have a much higher rate of gum disease. If you smoke or have been diagnosed with diabetes, bring it up with your dentist. You may need to be screened for gingivitis more frequently.
Keeping cavities at bay
Tooth decay is the second most prevalent disease after the common cold. In addition to keeping your mouth clean with regular brushing and flossing, ask your dentist about sealants or fluoride treatments.
If you're prone to cavities, these measures can help prevent more decay from occurring. In addition, you should reduce your consumption of sugar, especially carbonated sodas, which also contain enamel-harming acid.
Besides reducing your risk for gum disease, quitting smoking can help you avoid cavities as well. The tar from cigarettes makes the surface of the teeth sticky, which allows bacteria to cling to your enamel.
And the heat from smoking also dries out your mouth, which means there's less saliva to wash away bacteria.
Avoiding TMJ
More than 15 percent of adults suffer from some chronic facial pain, such as jaw tenderness, jaw popping, headaches, and neck aches. Grinding or clenching the jaw is the most common cause, although TMJ can also occur because of arthritis of the jaw joint or trauma to the head, such as the blow from an airbag during a car accident.
Grinding can also increase your risk for other dental problems, such as gum disease, tooth erosion, and cracked teeth. If you suspect that you're grinding or clenching your teeth, talk to your dentist.
Your dentist may prescribe a custom mouth guard, or splint, to reduce the pressure on your teeth and jaw. Stress-reducing techniques such as meditation can also help you cut down on the grinding that leads to TMJ. Try applying a warm, wet washcloth to the jaw to relax the muscles.
Canker Sores
These cause painful, round ulcers develop on the linings of the cheeks and lips, the tongue or the base of the gums. The tendency to develop these ulcers is inherited.
There can be one or many ulcers at the same time, and they are recurrent, which means they keep returning. Multiple ulcers are scattered across the lining of the mouth, not clustered.
Most people get one to three of these lesions at each episode, but a small number of people get more than a dozen ulcers at a time. The cause of canker sores is not known, but most theories involve an immune abnormality.
Certain blood diseases, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, allergies, trauma and Crohn's disease cause similar ulcers. Canker sores are often confused with cold sores, which are caused by a herpes virus.
People tend to have two to six ulcers per episode and have several episodes each year. For most people, canker sores are merely an annoyance, but some people experience large, painful, frequent sores that can reach 2 to 4 centimeters in diameter.
The ulcers can interfere with speech and eating and can last for weeks or even months, causing significant pain and disability. When they do heal, they may leave scars that can make it more difficult to move the tongue and can destroy oral tissue.
Author Resource:-
Ronald Pedactor is a former dental assistant and has authored hundreds of articles relating to oral health. He worked for a Baton Rouge dentist before becoming a guest dental lecturer for the past 13 years.
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