Dental problems may occur at any age and at any time of the year. Neglecting proper dental care may take its toll faster than you think, as thousands of bacteria are accumulated in the mouth every twelve hours. Your oral ecosystem is a diverse one, and too much of those bacteria can harm your teeth and gums.
You may have heard stories about how painful and costly to have a damaged set of pearly whites, but it is good to know that majority of them start off as a minor problem and are completely preventable. While information about dental care are easier to access these days, there are still people who need to work better on their dental hygiene. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of dental visits people make decrease as they get older starting from 83% in during the childhood and teenage years to 60% in adult to late adult years. This explains why prevalence of dental diseases are more apparent for the people belonging in the later age groups.
Just as dental problems can occur at any time, it’s never too late to cope with what your mouth needs. First, educate yourself with the most common dental problems you might encounter with the kind of lifestyle and food choices you have.
- Bad Breath
Most people, if not everyone, would agree that bad breath is a huge turn off. Persistent halitosis is an effect of a certain dental condition or medication of the patient. In fact, it is one of the earliest sign of a dental problem and a red flag that reminds you that you should take care of your teeth better. If you have a persistent bad breath, this means that there are too much bad bacteria on your mouth that needs to be washed out before making matters worse inside your mouth.
- Oral Cavities
Tooth decay could be the most prevalent dental problem that both children and adults experience. Cavities is the result of a prolonged tartar problem that has lead to decayed teeth since too much bad bacteria is present in the mouth. When you are having a difficult time brushing your teeth at least twice a day, a thin sheet of bacterial film forms around your teeth and calcifies if not removed. This calcification provides a home for bacteria to multiply even more, destroying the structure of your teeth.
- Periodontal Diseases
The bacteria in your mouth has a tendency to travel in your bloodstream via a gum opening. Periodontitis is a dental condition wherein your gums are softened, irritated, and inflamed. Because of such conditions, the gums are not able to hold on the teeth. What more, is that it allows the bacteria to enter the tiny veins in your tooth root to travel around your body. Periodontitis is linked to many systemic diseases such as cardiac arrest and erectile dysfunction.
- Tooth Erosion
Just when you thought that your teeth is strong enough to withstand acidity, think again. Tooth erosion has been more common in the past few years because of a rapid change in food choices. In dental erosion, the teeth’s external structure, particularly the enamel, is destroyed and washed away. Sugary foods and beverages with high acidity levels such as soft drinks are the main causes of tooth erosion for most people. Common signs and symptoms of such condition involves sensitivity from temperature and sweets.
- Malocclusions
Although many think of malocclusion as a cosmetic dental problem, the misalignment of teeth can actually affect your dental health. Since the teeth are not aligned well, maintaining a good dental hygiene would be more complicated than it should. People with overlapping teeth experience tartar more often than those whose teeth are aligned perfectly, considering that they have the same hygiene routines. Fortunately, modern orthodontics have provided solutions fit for various types of malocclusions.
Your dental health is quite easy to maintain but it takes a lot of perseverance and diligence to make things right. Your teeth aren’t like your bones. They don’t have the ability to heal itself. Once you lost it, you won’t get another natural, healthy teeth. The good thing is, most dental problems can be prevented by proper dental hygiene. Also, a regular dental visit would help you help you prevent dental problems before they even occur.
I am Valerie M. Preston, DDS with more than 20 years of experience in the dental industry. I’m an expert in restorative and cosmetic dentistry and a proud member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, the American Dental Association and the North Carolina Dental Society. I own VPreston Dental in Raleigh, NC, a dental clinic known for its spa-like ambiance. For more details, you can check out my website, Facebook and Twitter pages.
