Dental Healthcare & Healthy Lifestyle

Have you ever known that the state of your teeth affects your overall health? It is important to maintain your oral hygiene as it is the key to making the most of your smile.

Dental disorders are linked to a lot of health problems in other body parts such as:

·         Stroke

·         Diabetes

·         Heart attack

·         Rheumatoid arthritis

Dental healthcare is therefore vital to your overall health and can help you have a healthy lifestyle. Caring for your teeth is also important as teeth are very vital to your overall health as they help you chew and bite food.

In this article you will learn about the common dentaldiseases/disorders, their signs and symptoms and how to prevent and treat them.

Common Dental Disorders

Bad Breath

Bad breath is a very common oral disorder that can be experience by anyone at any age. Scientific reports states that one out of four people have bad breath. Bad breath is usually caused poor oral hygiene. If you fail to brush your teeth for a long time, bacteria are likely to build in your mouth producing toxins that make your breath to smell awful. Any pieces of food left in your mouth after taking a meal are broken down by bacteria releasing toxins with unpleasant smell.

Persistent bad breath can also be a sign of gum disease. Other causes of bad breath include:

·         Smoking

·         Certain type of medication

·         Oral infection

·         Eating flavored foods such as garlic

Prevention and treatment of bad breath

It is not easy to realize that you have bad breath. People around you may notice it first but feel uncomfortable informing you.

You can cure or prevent bad breath by simply taking care of your oral hygiene. You can improve your oral health and prevent bad breath by:

·         Brushing your gums and regularly

·         Flossing

·         Brushing your tongue regularly

Teeth Sensitivity

Teeth sensitivity is hurting of your teeth after taking cold or hot drinks. Sensitivity teeth can be caused by a number of things such as:

·         Passing cold air though your mouth

·         Taking acidic, sweet or sour foods or drinks

·         Damaged enamel

Preventing and treating teeth sensitivity

To help treat sensitivity teeth you need to first find the cause of the problem and find a possible solution. Below are a few tips on how you can prevent teeth sensitivity:

·         Taking care of your teeth enamel- Enamel is a teeth protective layer made of calcium that protects the internal or your teeth. When enamel is damaged, nerve endings get exposed resulting to sensitivity teeth. You can take care of your enamel by brushing your teeth lightly and taking foods rich in calcium.

·         Avoid acidic drinks and foods- You can help prevent teeth sensitivity by avoiding acidic foods or drinks that make your teeth hurt. You can also moisten your mouth with saliva to help clear acid and bacteria in your teeth that may eat away your enamel. You can also stick to high carbohydrates foods that can help get rid of this problem. The foods include:

o   Milk

o   Cheese

o   High fiber foods such as vegetables and fruits

o   Plain yogurt

o   Black or green tea

·         Avoid bleaching your teeth

Loose Teeth

Loose teeth are a teeth disorder that is mainly caused by chronic gum disease and gum recession. If bacteria and plaque invade the area around your teeth, it damages the attachment between the teeth and the surrounding support structures. If a gum disease gets active and go untreated, your teeth are likely to become loose. If your teeth become loose enough, you are at a risk of losing them.

Signs and symptoms of gum disease include:

·         Sore gums

·         Bleeding gums

·         Gum recession

·         Pus on the teeth surroundings

·         Swollen and red gums

·         Bleeding when flossing or brushing

·         Food packing between and under the gums

Many of the symptoms listed above are as a result of severe gum disease. Loose teeth are a sign of dangerous underlying conditions such as diabetes, stroke, heart attack and other systemic health conditions. Therefore, you need to identify loose teeth as soon as possible and get treatment to avoid tooth loss.

Prevention and treatment of loose teeth

Good oral hygiene, healthy diet and keeping systemic diseases at bay are simple ways you can prevent gum disease and tooth loss. You can decide to have a healthy lifestyle by exercising and eating balanced diet to help fight any diseases that can pose risk to your dental health.

Brushing your teeth is also another way of practicing good oral hygiene. Brushing your teeth with fluorine-containing toothpaste can help kill bacteria that can lead to periodontal disease.

Regular removal of plaque can also help prevent gum disease and loose teeth. You can remove the plaque by brushing or flossing into the gumlines.

Nutritional supplements such as essential oils can also help prevent gingivitis which is among the leading cause of loose teeth.

Treating loose teeth may involve conventional therapies such as:

·         Bone grafting

·         Deep teeth cleaning

·         Gingival grafting

·         Antibiotic therapy

·         Teeth extraction

·         Teeth replacement of the lost teeth with dental implants

Oral Cancer

Oral or mouth cancer is another dental problem that occur anywhere inside your mouth, either on the tongue surface, lips, in the gums, in the tonsils, in the salivary glands, in the mouth roof  and inside the cheek.

Oral cancer is caused by genetic mutation that disrupts mouth cells from their normal growth. Untreated oral cancer my spread to surrounding parts of the mouth such as the neck and head.

Some risk factors that may cause mutation and increase your risk of getting mouth cancer include:

·         Exposure of lips to ultraviolet rays

·         Human papilloma virus infection

·         Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD)

·         Prior treatment with radiations

·         Exposure to some chemicals such as formaldehyde, asbestos and sulfuric acid

·         Certain foods such as fried foods, red meat and processed meat

·         Smoking

Signs and symptoms of oral cancer include:

·         Sore throat

·         Pain during food swallowing

·         Painful tongue

·         Patches on the mouth lining

·         Loose teeth

·         Jaw stiffness and pain

·         Mouth sores

·         Hoarse voice

·         Ear or neck pain

Prevention and treatment

Prevention of oral cancer involves avoiding all risk factors that are likely to accelerate its development such as:

·         Quitting smoking

·         Avoiding processed foods

·         Avoiding direct sunlight

·         Treating any underlying conditions that may accelerate oral cancer development

·         Avoiding too much alcohol

Treatment of oral cancer includes procedures such as:

·         Chemotherapy

·         Radiation therapy

·         Targeted drug therapy

·         Surgery to remove cancerous tissue

Gum Disease

Gum disease is a condition that is caused by poor dental hygiene. Poor dental hygiene gives bacteria and plaque time to feed of food pieces left on your tongue and teeth producing toxins that may lead to gum disease. Gum disease is associated with signs and dental conditions such as:

·         Bad breath

·         Loose teeth

·         Bleeding when brushing your teeth or flossing

·         Teeth sensitivity

·         Redness and gum swelling

Prevention and treatment

Early stages of gum disease can be treated by maintaining a perfect level of hygiene. This includes:

·         Regular dental checkup

·         Regular brushing of teeth

·         Flossing regular

·         Dental surgery in severe cases

The bottom line

Maintaining good oral hygiene is best way you can care for your teeth and mouth for a healthy lifestyle. General measures to prevent dental disorders are as listed below:

1.      Taking a healthy diet

2.      Avoiding sugary foods to prevent tooth decay

3.      Avoid alcoholic drinks

4.      Quit smoking

5.      Taking foods rich in calcium to take care of your enamel

6.      Avoiding foods that can stain your teeth

7.      Regular dental checkups

8.      Exercising your teeth by chewing hard or raw foods such as cassava and sugarcane