Take time for your teeth
What would your teeth like you to know when they ache? Why are your gums bleeding? What do mouth sores reveal when they hang around for longer than a week? This month, Dr. Rifeth Rasheed, General Dentist, takes us through some common symptoms and the dental problems that could be causing them. Here are 7 things you need to know.
1: Sharp tooth pain: If you experience sharp pain in a tooth, particularly when biting down or while eating sweets and drinking hot or cold beverages, you likely have a cavity, says Dr. Rasheed. Cavities, also known as tooth decay or caries, occur when a particular type of bacteria in your mouth convert sugar into acid. The acid causes destruction of the tooth surface leading to tooth decay and cavities). Not brushing your teeth well, frequent snacking on sugary food and sipping sweet drinks can also contribute to your developing cavities. If neglected, they can burrow deep into the tooth and become increasingly painful, eventually leading to infection and even tooth loss.
Any pain or discomfort in a tooth should be seen and examined by a dentist as soon as possible, says Dr. Rasheed, explaining it’s always better for early intervention and prevention. Keep in mind that regular dental visits and good brushing and flossing habits go a long way toward protecting you from tooth decay
2: Tooth sensitivity and muscle/jaw pain: If you are experiencing these symptoms and don’t know why, you may have a case of bruxism. Because most people grind their teeth during sleep, they are unaware that they are doing so. However, a dull, constant headache or sore jaw along with teeth sensitivity are tell-tale symptoms says Dr. Rasheed. In some cases, chronic teeth grinding can result in a fracturing, loosening, or loss of teeth. It’s worth noting that tooth sensitivity has many possible causes, among which can be tooth decay, exposed root surface due to gums receding in gum diseases, brushing too hard, tooth erosion, and these will have to be ruled out before treatment begins.
Why do people grind their teeth? It is often associated with stress and anxiety but may also be caused by abnormally placed or missing teeth. If you grind your teeth while you are asleep, you may need to wear a mouth guard at night to protect your teeth from further damage. However, simple life style changes may help a great deal. Doctors often recommend lifestyle changes like cutting back on caffeine and smoking, while reducing alcohol consumption in particular has proved useful.
3: Discoloured or stained teeth: More often than not, this is not a symptom to worry about. Dr.Rasheed explains that there can be internal and external causes for stained teeth. The external causes we know well – these include regular smoking and chewing tobacco, as well as consuming beverages like tea and coffee. Green and orange stains on the teeth could indicate accumulated dental plaque and tartar build up. However, discoloured teeth are sometimes the result of the death of a tooth (known as necrosis) due to trauma inflicted in an accident or may be linked to severe tooth decay and gum disease. Depending on the cause, stained teeth could be cleaned and the underlying disease may require cosmetic treatment like bleaching, veneers and crown. If it is a case of severe periodontal disease, surgical intervention with bone regeneration by the use of bone grafts may be required, but it varies considerably from case to case.
4: Bleeding gums: It’s not all about the teeth – you need to pay attention to your gums too! Swollen and bleeding gums are often a sign of gum disease, says Dr. Rasheed. Also known as periodontal disease, it can be severe or mild. The latter is known as gingivitis and accounts for the majority of cases.Gingivitis predisposes a patient to periodontal disease or periodontitis.Gum disease is often the result of poor dental hygiene. When plaque, known as a biofilm forms on the teeth and is allowed to build up, it can lead to all sorts of issues. Improving your dental hygiene by good plaque removal and taking care to brush twice a day may help to prevent gum disease and reverse a mild case of gum disease. When you brush, make sure you don’t brush hard and use gentle, circular or (up and down) motions to massage and clean the teeth and gums, instead of a back-and-forth motion that might only irritate the gums cause wearing of the teeth at the junction where the gums and teeth meet.
5: Shaky or crooked teeth: If you can feel your teeth wobbling or if they appear suddenly crooked and in danger of falling out, consider it an alarm bell. It’s likely that you have a typical case of periodontitis which at its most severe can cause bone loss around your teeth and jaw. This occurs when plaque is allowed to solidify and harden into tartar –which brushing doesn’t clean. Whether your gum disease is stopped, slowed, or gets worse will depend a great deal on how well you care for your teeth and gums from that point forward.
See a dentist immediately regarding any loose or newly crooked teeth.
6: Bad breath: Also known by the medical term, halitosis, bad breath can result from poor dental health habits. There’s some truth to the theories that bad breath can be made worse by what you eat – as part of the digestive process, the stomach disperses waste from food you’ve consumed. Ingredients with strong odours such as garlic and onion linger on the breath until completely digested. If you don’t pay attention to dental hygiene, the smell may also come from food particles trapped in your mouth or between your teeth. Plaque and tartar build up is one the main causes of halitosis. Often a cleaning/scaling will help to reduce bad breath
The same problems are multiplied in people with dentures, while smoking or chewing tobacco-based products can also cause bad breath, stain your teeth and irritate your gums. However, bad breath is a warning sign of periodontal disease, so if it persists, have your dentist take a look. To help combat it, maintain good oral hygiene by brushing regularly and use an antibacterial mouth rinse to prevent plaque formation. A dentist will be able to advise and show you proper oral hygiene measure on how to brush, floss, and if needed prescribe the use of a mouth rinse.
7: Ulcers and mouth sores: The round or oval sores that form in the mouth, often on the inside of the cheeks, are known as mouth ulcers and can be painful. Apthous ulcers, which are self-healing, are quite common and often subside within a few days says Dr. Rasheed. He sees many cases in which the ulcer is clearly tied to stress, such as in students during their exams. It may help during this period to stay off ‘heaty’ foods such as crab and cuttlefish. For some women, ulcers are the result of hormonal fluctuations, while for other individuals they are tied to vitamin deficiencies. The exact cause of apthous ulcers is not clearly known. A significant number of people with recurrent ulcers have a family history of them.Ulcers can also be formed in the soft tissue of the mouth due to a sharp or jagged tooth which irritates the soft tissue.
Use a soft toothbrush and avoid eating hard, sharp foods to give your ulcers a chance to recover. In general, eating a healthy, balanced diet, exercising regularly and learning how to manage stress will also help you control ulcer outbreaks.
Whatever their cause, ulcers that persist longer than a week must be brought to a doctor’s notice because they may indicate a more serious underlying issue. Some ulcers in the mouth are infectious and caused by bacteria or may indicate early cancer lesions or even be symptoms of herpes and syphilis.Treatments vary widely depending on the cause.