At-home brushing and flossing are great ways to maintain excellent oral and dental health. Regular dental check-ups, proper diet, and healthy lifestyle habits contribute greatly to oral health. Excellent oral health ensures you eat, speak, and brush normally and comfortably. Your risk of developing oral problems like gum disease and tooth decay reduces significantly.
Oral problems can occur in any part of the oral cavity, including the teeth, gums, cheeks, tongue, throat, palate, neck, jaw, and mouth. Common oral problems include:
Cavities, gum disease, and tooth loss are the most common dental problems in children and adults globally. According to WHO, about 60 to 90% of school children have developed at least one cavity.
Similarly, the majority of adults have had at least one dental cavity.
As far as gum disease is concerned, about 15 – 20 % of adults aged 35 – 44 years have severe gum disease. About 30% of adults aged 65 and above have lost all their natural teeth. In some places, 1 – 10 people out of every 100,000 have oral cancer.
Your oral cavity contains all sorts of good and bad bacteria and fungi. Some belong there while are found in the things you consume. In small qualities, these substances are typically harmless. However, some actions can cause them to increase and multiply, causing harm.
Poor oral hygiene is the number one reason behind oral problems. When you fail to brush and floss your mouth, bacteria in the mouth feed on the food left over in the mouth and multiply. Over time, bacterial plaque builds up on the teeth and around the gumline. More plaque accumulates and hardens to tartar or dental calculus if not removed. You will need professional cleaning to remove tartar.
Over time, these deposits release harmful acids that erode your teeth enamels, causing tooth decay and cavities. These acids also irritate and inflame your gums, leading to gum disease or gingivitis. Over time, bacterial plaque and tartar get below the gums and cause them to pull away from the teeth (receding gums). At this stage, a patient can experience severe symptoms like bleeding gums, loose teeth, tooth loss, jawbone damage, and tooth infection.
In general, below are risk factors that increase your risk of oral diseases:
Early diagnosis of oral issues allows for quick, less costly, and more successful treatment. Regular dental check-ups and cleanings are your best chance of catching oral issues early. It’s worth noting that most oral issues won’t show significant symptoms in their initial stages.
Common warning signs of oral conditions include:
If you have any of these symptoms, visit a dentist near you. Seek emergency care in a dental clinic near you if your symptoms are severe or/and accompanied by a high fever or neck swelling.
Use these tips to care for your mouth and prevent oral problems:
Depending on your specific condition, your dentist can use the following treatments to restore your oral health:
Research has linked poor oral health and hygiene to chronic health issues such as
The healthier your mouth is, the lower your risk of serious, costly, and long-term health issues.
Contact Belknap Dental Associates to speak with our dentist in Dover, NH, to learn more about your oral and dental health.
Our dentists in Dover, NH also welcome patients from the below given nearby areas:-
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