Your mouth and teeth are extremely important yet highly ignored. We use them during speaking, eating, drinking and breathing; and they also have an impact on our friendships, relationships and career.
The health of our mouth plays such an important role in our everyday life and it’s often one of the first things that people notice and hence they define your personality.
But what happens when something goes wrong? Sabka Dentist in this blog talks about the five most common oral health problems and offers advice on how we can avoid them.
1. Toothache:
It should be obvious that toothache is our most common oral health problem. Dr. Manan Dhulia (B.D.S – Dental Director at Sabka Dentist) quotes that “Generally toothache is caused due to tooth decay. When we eat or drink anything that contains sugar, the enamel and the dentine of the teeth will be softened by an acid attack.
The acid attack is due to bacteria that thrive on the sugary food and drinks. These acids attack the teeth and cause harm to the enamel by softening and dissolving it. Over time, this acid can cause holes or cavities on the tooth surfaces which in turn causes the nerve-endings underneath to get exposed. This results in an experience of pain or a toothache.”
The most effective way to avoid a toothache is to brush our teeth with a soft bristled toothbrush for two minutes atleast twice every day with a fluoride toothpaste. This will help to remove the plaque which is the reason for the acid which attacks the teeth.
Dr. Manan Dhulia BDS further states that “Personally, I use a good fluoride toothpaste, and I recommend the same to my patients. I strongly recommend patients to subscribe to our SDprotect plan which covers the entire years supply of oral care products like toothbrush, toothpastes, floss and mouthwash.
We personally check the product and include only products that we believe are worthy for the good dental health of our patients”. We must also understand that we should not rinse after brushing because we need to give the protective fluoride the best chance to stay on the teeth and do its job.
2. Ulcers:
Mouth ulcers are next on the list of most common dental issues, being a problem for almost three out of every four Indians. Generally, a single mouth ulcer could be due to damage caused by biting the cheek or tongue, or by sharp teeth, brushing or poorly fitting dentures.
Any ulcer which stays longer than three weeks or 21 days must be checked by a dentist because it may be an early sign of mouth cancer. “mouth ulcers can be easily avoided by getting a regular dental check-up at a dental clinic” says Dr. Reena Waghela BDS who is a Dental Director for clinical operations at Sabka Dentist.
“A dentist will be in the best position to check for anything in your mouth which could cause an ulcer and treat the issue before it becomes a painful problem. Eating a good diet which is rich in vitamins A, C and E, and includes foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables is also a good way to keep ulcers away and maintain good oral health.”
3. Bleeding gums:
Almost seven out of ten Indians suffer from bleeding gums. There are many causes of bleeding gums but the primary reason for the same is gum disease.
Gum disease or periodontitis is a condition which generally is visible as swelling, soreness or an infection of the tissues or gums that are supporting the teeth. Without getting the correct treatment gum disease will often lead to loss of teeth. Gum disease has also been linked to heart disease and diabetes.
Dr. Reena Waghela BDS further states that: “To prevent and treat gum disease, we need to make sure we remove or flush the bacteria which are on our teeth every day by brushing twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste. We should also ensure that we clean between our teeth every day using a floss or a inter dental brush.
You can avoid gum disease by ensuring that you visit a dental clinic regularly for a preventive dental check-up. The recommended frequency for a preventive dental check-up is once every 6 months”.
4. Cold sores:
Almost everybody has had cold sore at some point in our life. A cold sore is a small, painful bulged area on the cheeks or gums which is formed by small, fluid-filled blisters. They most commonly happen at the point where the lip joins the surrounding skin.
Cold Sores are very painful and get dried up to create a yellow crust which gradually heals in five to six days. “The Herpes Simplex Virus causes the Cold sores and most Indians get infected by it in childhood.” adds Dr. Reena Waghela BDS. “Cold sores usually appear when we are down with a flu or are sick.
They are also very infectious and can be passed on when we come into close contact with someone.” Once the cold sore virus has been contracted, the infection stays with us for a lifetime and there hence we cannot do anything by bear as they keep appearing over our lifespan.
The frequency at which a cold sore appears varies from person-to-person.For some people sunlight seems to bring on a cold sore, it is advised to put sunblock on the lips when going out in the sun.
5. Bad breath:
The last problem in our list of the most common oral health problems is bad breath, also called halitosis. 95% Indians suffer from bad breath but they do not know the same. Dr. Reena Waghela says: “Bad breath can be quite unpleasant but many people who suffer from it are often completely unaware they have it.
A good test to check for bad breath is to lick the inside of our wrist and smell. If the smell is bad, we can be fairly sure that our breath is smelling bad too.” Persistent bad breath is usually caused by the foul smelling gases released by the bacteria that may be present on our teeth, gums and tongue.
Also, pieces of food that are stuck in between our teeth and on the tongue will get rotten and eventually cause an extremely unpleasant smell. Strong smelling foods like garlic, coffee and onions can also cause bad breath and hence add to the problem.
One of the early signs of gum disease or periodontitis is when we consistently keep having a bad breath or a bad taste in our mouth. “To keep our breath fresh, we must keep our mouth and oral environment clean and healthy.
The key to this that we brush our teeth with a soft bristled toothbrush and clean our gums as the last thing at night and at least one other time during the day.
Using a fluoride toothpaste provides a better result. We must brush the tongue also, or use a tongue scraper to clean the tongue” adds Dr. Reena Waghela BDS. Reducing the intake of sugary foods and drinks also help in avoiding the build-up of bacteria that cause bad breath.
Regular visit to a dental clinic to get a preventive dental check-up and a professional dental cleaning and scaling removes the plaque and tartar and hence avoids bad breath. Chewing sugar-free gum can also help is temporarily alleviating bad breath, especially if it is being caused by a dry mouth.
However, for a permanent solution you need to visit a dentist.”
You can discuss any of these problems or have any other oral health questions at our clinics over a Free Dental Check-up. To book a Free Dental Check-up at a Sabka Dentist Dental Clinic please click here.
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