Different Oral Diseases To Prevent
Taking care of the mouth is important to make ourselves look presentable but it is not the only reason why we should take proper care of our mouth. Other than affecting our outer appearance, taking care of our mouth affects our overall health. Ignoring oral disease may result to loss or damage of teeth and damage to the gums. Our health will be at risk if we do not take proper care of our oral health. Many experts think that oral disease has a connection to cardiovascular disease, stroke, and diabetes. Oral disease may also harm the child in a mother’s womb.
The first type of oral disease is the tooth disease. Examples of tooth diseases are cavity formation and tooth decay. It is believed that plaque is the main reason why people suffer tooth diseases. Plaque is a sticky and colorless substance which gives it a creamy appearance. Plaque is formed when foods that contain sugars and starches are left on the teeth. The plaque contains bacteria because bacteria from our mouth grow well on food that contains carbohydrates. The bacteria formed would later on produce acidic waste that can destroy the surface of the teeth such as the enamel, resulting to formation of cavies or tooth decay.
The second type of oral disease is the gum disease also called as periodontal disease. Gum disease has two different stages. The first stage is gingivitis which can be described as the inflammation of the gum tissues. Like teeth disease, gingivitis is experienced because of the acids produced by the bacteria in the plaque. Gingivitis’ symptoms include swollen gums, halitosis or bad breath and bleeding of gums. If we do not treat gingivitis, it can progress to the second type of gum disease called periodontal disease. Periodontitis can be classified into three subcategories namely early, moderate and advanced periodontitis. It can affect the support system that binds the teeth together in their place. Unlike gingivitis which can be treated by proper oral hygiene, periodontal disease’s damage is permanent.
The third type of oral disease is oral cancer. Oral cancer affects many parts of the mouth and throat such as lips, gums, larynx, cheeks and tongue. Some symptoms of oral cancer includes swelling and lumps in the mouth, sores on neck, mouth and face, and difficulty in moving the jaw. The causes of oral cancer are smoking, sun exposure, genetics and excessive consumption of alcohol.
Then there are pulp diseases that often lead to far more serious oral diseases. Many dental experts consider dental pulp problems to be root causes of the oral diseases mentioned above. First, there’s pulp exposure, a condition wherein the when the external surface of the tooth is damaged which exposes the pulp of your teeth. Exposing the pulp of your teeth makes it prone to bacteria which might lead to infection. When the pulp is hit with the food you eat it could really be painful and could introduce more bacteria to it. To treat this disease you should ask your dentist if it’s not that big that you could let it be covered by filing it or if it is severe root canal or removing the teeth is needed.
There’s also the pulpitis condition, classified as either reversible or irreversible pulpitis. This is the condition where an inflammation of the pulp or a crack in the tooth wherein the pulp becomes visible. The difference or reversible and irreversible pulpitis is based on its severity. The reversible pulpitis is the milder case while irreversible pulpitis is the more severe case. The symptoms of having pulpitis are swollen pullp, sensitivity to the coldness and hotness of the drink or food and tooth ache. To treat reversible pulpitis you should change your brushing habit, your lifestyle and if needed undergo a filing procedure. To treat irreversible pulpitis root canal or tooth extraction should be done. Lastly, there’s dental pulp stones. This is a condition wherein a hard structure surrounds the pulp of the teeth. The hardening of the pulp tissue is called calcification, to detect if you have pulp stones you should undergo x-ray examination. To treat pulp stones you must undergo root canal process to remove the pulp tissue which became hard.