THE 10 MOST COMMON DENTAL DISEASES – AND HOW TO PREVENT THEM
Right now, modern medicine is at the peak of its development. You no longer need to keep a thermometer for minutes. Instead, just put an electronic thermometer on your body, and in a split second, the device will give out the real temperature. The pain of any localization can be diagnosed using MRI or CT – innovative devices with the highest quality image visualization. High complexity operations are performed using optical systems that act as a navigator for the surgeon. Dentistry did not stand aside either.
Over the past 10 years, there have been a lot of changes in the world of dentistry, that have greatly facilitated the work of specialists and the lives of patients. If you ever have a dental problem, may it be the need of a root canal, toothache or a simple cleaning, all you have to do is search on Google for a dentist near me and voila! Soon you will be off to waving the tooth worry goodbye.
Everything often starts quite harmlessly: with plaque, tartar and the “wrong” bacteria in the mouth. If dental diseases progress, they often rob us of our healthy smile in addition to nerves and sleep. Read here what the 10 most common dental diseases are and how you can protect yourself against them.
Dental diseases not only affect the teeth themselves. Many disease processes begin with inflammation of the gums and oral mucosa. In the progressive course, dental diseases can finally spread from the teeth to the jawbones. Sometimes inflammatory processes in the mouth even affect the entire organism, for example, when pathogens from pus come into the bloodstream.
1. Caries
Over 90 per cent of all people experience tooth decay at some point in their lives. It means bacterial destruction of the tooth structure, which does not necessarily have to cause pain in the initial stage. It starts with tooth decay, which is an ideal breeding ground for “bad” bacteria. Caries bacteria feed on sugar and then convert it into acids. This acid extracts important minerals from the tooth enamel. It slowly destroys the tooth structure, creating the well-known cavity.
Caries preferably develops in hard-to-reach areas such as depressions and grooves (fissures) or the area between the teeth. Children’s milk teeth are also particularly at risk because their tooth enamel is less robust. Caries is, therefore, one of the most common dental diseases in children.
2. Inflammation of the gums
When brushing your teeth, the toothpaste often turns pink? Frequent bleeding gums is a warning sign that can indicate inflammation of the gums. It is caused by bacteria that like to settle under tartar, on the gum line or in gum pockets and feed on food residues and dead cells there. Their metabolic products trigger defense and inflammatory reactions in the gums. Among other things, this creates substances that damage your tissue. As the inflammation progresses, the gums often retreat, allowing the bacteria to move deeper into the area between the tooth and gums.
3. Toothache
Untreated gingivitis will lead sooner or later into a periodontal inflammation on (periodontitis), one of the most common dental diseases in adulthood. In the course of the disease, the fine retention fibers that connect the gums, tooth and jawbones are also damage. It has fatal consequences: the tooth loses its firm hold, becomes increasingly loose and can eventually fall out, even if it is in itself healthy.
4. Toothache infection
If caries pathogens are not stopped in time, they can work their way down to the inner pulp. There they hit the nerve of the tooth: A dental infection is one of the most painful dental diseases and drives even dentists to the dental office in a very short time. If the pain stops “by itself” at some point, it can be an indication that the dental pulp has died.
5. Tooth inflammation
Untreated tooth decay or pulpitis can lead to tooth-root infection. Bacteria spread through the fine root canals and lead to very painful inflammation in the area of the root tips. From there, the pathogens can finally get further into the jawbone.
6. Pine cysts
Jaw cysts are fluid-filled cavities in the jawbone that grow slowly and often cause little discomfort at first. They often arise as a result of inflammation, for example, in the area of the tooth roots. In some cases, these are undesirable developments that have no infectious causes. If such cysts become too large, they can cause pain and hollow out the jawbone from the inside.
7. Tooth granulomas
Tooth granulomas are lens-sized, encapsulated nodules in the jaw or tooth root area that are filled with inflammatory cells. They often develop as a result of dental diseases such as tooth decay or periodontitis and are noticeable through pain and bleeding.
8. Pain-sensitive tooth necks
Teeth that are sensitive to pain are a widespread and very uncomfortable problem: sweet, sour, hot or cold triggers a sudden, intense pain in those affected, which often reduces the joy of eating. Exposed tooth necks, which are due to dental diseases such as periodontitis, are often to blame. Because the tooth necks have no protective enamel layer, stimuli can then reach the nerves in the tooth unhindered.
9. Grinding of teeth (bruxism)
Those who “clench their teeth” too often pay for this by irreversible damage to the teeth. We are talking about gnashing of teeth at night, which unfortunately those affected cannot consciously control. Often, the tooth enamel is grounded down, which can promote dental diseases such as tooth decay.
10. Bad breath
Bad breath is not one of the actual dental diseases, but it can be a consequence of it: foci of inflammation in the mouth are often noticeable through unpleasant smells. Sometimes the cause is poor oral hygiene or a mouth that is too dry.
PREVENT DENTAL DISEASES: YOU CAN DO THAT
Whether you are susceptible to dental diseases or largely spared from them also has to do with hereditary predisposition. Nevertheless, you have a substantial part of your dental health in your hands.
You can do the following to prevent tooth decay, periodontitis and the like:
- Tooth-healthy nutrition: Trick or Treat – unfortunately, both are bad for the teeth. Nurture yourself therefore low sugar as possible and wait for half an hour by brushing teeth, after eating acidic fruit.
- Correct oral hygiene: Thorough, regular dental care is essential to prevent dental diseases. Do not forget the interdental spaces and tongue cleaning.
- Regular checks at the dentist: Most dental diseases are easy to treat in the early stages. If you advance unnoticed, they often cause irreversible damage to your teeth or result in unpleasant complications. It is why regular check-ups at the dentist are so important – even if you have no acute complaints.
- Professional teeth cleaning: Even with good oral hygiene, hard coverings tend to form in hard-to-reach areas, against which you are powerless with a toothbrush and dental floss. To master these deposits and the bacteria living in them, you should treat your teeth regularly to professional teeth cleaning.
- If you have any complaints, go to the dentist immediately: Even if visits to the dentist are rarely a pleasure – do not wait if you notice that something is wrong with your teeth. The earlier dental diseases are treated, the sooner the damage can be kept within limits.
CONCLUSION
Teeth are one of the most important features of our body because they help us do the one thing that eliminates all worries; laugh out loud! Make sure you take good care of your pearly whites.