Your mouth is, in many ways, a window to your general health and it can become devastating if not well taken care of. For such a small part of your body, your mouth is hugely crucial for playing key roles, such as smiling, eating, and even speaking. Thus, keeping it healthy should be a part of your daily routine.
The majority of common dental problems usually arise due to factors that are well in our control. This means that by following a simple oral health strategy, you’d live to enjoy the fruits of a healthy mouth.
This post highlights the major dental problems that most patients suffer from and medically proven ways that you can follow to prevent such issues from arising.
Three most common dental problems
Here are the most common dental issues that most people suffer from, yet easy to avoid:
1. Bad breath
Did you know that bad breath is actually a dental condition? It is medically referred to as Halitosis and is mainly characterized by an unpleasant odor in the mouth.
Some of the key causes are lingering food particles, dry mouth, and of course, poor dental hygiene. There are various ways to address such a common dental issue, including regularly brushing and flossing your teeth. Using mouthwash is also another good way to start.
2. Gum disease
Gums are a crucial part of your mouth as they hold the teeth together. If not well taken care of, some problems may arise that can affect your teeth, such as Periodontitis.
Gingivitis is a mild form of gum disease that usually causes the gums to be swollen, occasioned by redness and bleeding. Periodontitis is an advanced stage that occurs when plaque build-up affects beyond the gum line. This affects the gums and bones that support your teeth to deteriorate.
Gum disease is also another easily preventable dental condition. With proper oral care and hygiene programs, your chances of getting to deal with this painful (and rather expensive to treat) condition greatly reduce.
3. Tooth decay
Tooth decay is yet another common dental problem that’s quite prevalent yet easily preventable. It is a condition that occurs whenever plaque produces acids that cause the enamel to decay, bringing out cavities.
Basic oral maintenance is essential to preventing cavities from forming. This entails regular brushing and flossing after meals. Furthermore, it is also recommended that one uses fluoride toothpaste to strengthen and harden the enamel.
Five ways to prevent common dental problems
Treatments for dental issues are usually costly. You wouldn’t want to undergo the pain and expenses that would be needed to sort out a problem that you would have easily prevented in the first place. Here are six simple tips to get you started:
1. Give up smoking
Smokers have a higher risk of getting oral infections, gum problems, tooth loss, and even developing mouth cancer. Furthermore, they are also likely to take longer to heal after dental procedures or from an infection, unlike non-smokers.
Smoking dampens the body’s immune system, making it more difficult to fight back any diseases. This proves the scientific belief that smokers are up to six times more likely to develop gum disease.
Tobacco is also known to inhibit blood supply to the gums, making them deteriorate.
Besides affecting the gums, some components in tobacco, such as tar, may cause your teeth to discolor, blocking you from having a brilliant smile. Tobacco smoking is also connected to bad breath.
Why would you want to go through all this hassle? It is best to quit smoking today and boost your oral health.
2. Use aligners to straighten your teeth
The discomfort that comes with some conditions, such as Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ), can easily be avoided by using aligners to straighten your teeth. Besides Invisalign, there are other equally effective products that you can try out, such as the invisible byte aligners for daily use.
3. Minimize sugary foods
To help you sustain a healthy mouth, you should also strive to minimize, if not avoid sugary foods. Sugars or starches form acids whenever they come into contact with plaque. These acids attack your enamel hence risking the development of tooth decay.
Ensure that you maintain a regular teeth brushing program immediately after consuming sugary foods. However, it would be good to minimize the intake of sugary foods altogether to avoid all that hassle and still maintain a healthy mouth.
4. Brush and floss your teeth daily
This would probably point towards truism, but oral health experts never tire of reminding us that the key secret to maintaining a healthy mouth is regular cleaning. This entails brushing your teeth after every meal and flossing at least once daily.
This helps get rid of all lingering food particles that would have otherwise become acidic, eating into your enamel and even causing bad breath.
5. Schedule regular dental checkups and cleanings
It would be prudent for you to plan for regular dental checkups. Your dentist will be able to conduct a thorough cleaning of your mouth, as well as making it possible for the experts to detect any impending issues before they become much more severe.
Bottom line
Your mouth plays a vital role in your life, and taking care of your oral health should be on your priority checklist every day. As you can see, it is pretty easy to avoid some of the most common dental issues, eventually helping you to save up on unnecessary medical bills.
Image by Darko Stojanovic from Pixabay
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