4 Worrying Dental Issues That Have Simple Solutions

There is nothing in this world that can trouble you as much as your own thoughts!

Overthinking is considered a bane of our existence today. Yet, it is what we do all the time, till it exhausts us. Amongst the many health and other related problems, are those which relate to our teeth. As long as we can bite, eat and chew, many of us don’t quite give the time and attention to our dental health. But a little bleeding of the gums, some tooth pain and swelling, and we get into panic mode wondering what serious problems lurk, what stage it is at and how we can get them treated at the earliest.

Not all dental problems are earth shattering though. Some dental issues we get worked up about can be sorted with easy, painless intervention. Here are 4 important ones that you can get treated seamlessly while visiting your friendly neighborhood dentist at Smile Station!

1. Chronic bad breath – When bacteria break down food particles trapped in the mouth or teeth, the combination of them and decaying food particles causes bad breath. The unpleasant odor tends to go away when brushing teeth regularly. But improper brushing, less gargling lets food remain decaying for longer, eventually deteriorating mouth health. Additionally, dry mouth is an often-ignored problem where saliva production is less, and this results in inability to keep the mouth clean and thus the odor.  Besides, gum disease, sinus infection, diabetes and liver disease also contribute to this symptom.

Bad breath is often not known till someone walks up and tells you your mouth smells. By that time, it can be too late for general brushing to do anything.

The simplest treatment of bad mouth odor is a simple dental cleanup at the dentist, which you are advised to get done regularly every couple of months. If the problem persists, then gum disease may warrant deeper dental cleaning. Thereafter brushing and flossing regularly is all that is needed to maintain dental hygiene. Besides this,

• Drink plenty of water to wash away food particles and gargle the mouth regularly.
• Clean your dentures, mouth guards, and retainers daily with clean water.
• Replace your old brush with a new one every 3-4 months.
• Get your dental checkup and cleaning done without fail every 6 months.

2. Protruding, disfigured teeth – Many adults live with protruding & misshapen teeth for most of their life, until it reaches a point where it affects their self-confidence, how they present themselves, their facial features and the career path that may be impacted. Protruding teeth also called overbite or buck teeth are when the upper teeth jut over the lower teeth causing self-consciousness and difficulty in chewing. The main cause of this is genetics but other reasons can include thumb sucking as a child or prolonged use of pacifiers.

Mishappen teeth have the simplest and easiest of management – invisalign or invisible braces. While traditional braces have been used forever, they can be uncomfortable, not presentable and lead to other issues such as mouth injury and interference in articulation.

Invisalign tends to be the most effective when teeth protrude due to their angle in the gum. Sometimes, the cause for protruding teeth is skeletal (in case of severe overbite) and surgery or other orthodontic treatment may also be needed to be done.

• Visiting the dentist at Smile Station gives us the opportunity to scan and assess your teeth.
• Design custom made aligners that can easily fit into your mouth.
• Keep adjusting the removable aligners while working with the dentist to ensure teeth alignment is slowly and steadily happening.

3. Bleeding or swollen gums – The commonest and perhaps the scariest of dental problems is gum disease. While bleeding may occur from rigorous brushing of teeth or wearing ill-fitting dentures in adults, frequent gum bleeding can indicate deeper problems like vitamin deficiency and periodontitis (advanced gum disease). Similarly swollen painful gums may be due to malnutrition, pregnancy or just poor hygiene. Plaque is the single main cause of both the problems and the simplest treatment is good old oral hygiene.

Plaque removal must be a continuous, ongoing process and it needs good brushing. Whenever you observe bleeding or swelling, it is good to visit the dentist immediately.

• Cleaning of teeth must be done thoroughly every couple of months to prevent plaque buildup.
• Hardened plaque called tartar is the main reason for dislodging that causes bleeding, so avoiding it reaching that stage is a must.
• Periodontitis or gum infection must be treated with antibiotics to prevent it from spreading to the jawbone and supportive mouth tissues.
• General blood test for identifying vitamin and mineral deficiencies can be addressed by taking suitable food and other supplements.

4. Toothache – When it begins as a mild niggling pain, it is often ignored. But when it flares up, toothache can be positively mind-numbing. Tooth pain isn’t just the discomfort one feels but the inability to chew and swallow foods comfortably. From pain, it often progresses to infection and dental abscess. Impacted tooth stuck in the gum tissue or bone can also cause pain. Among other causes of tooth ache are sinusitis, and less common are heart and lung disease.

• Toothache can be temporarily relieved at home with cold compresses.
• Tooth decay is most generally the cause for you to visit us at Smile Station and get yourself treated. The decay needs to be cleaned, drilled and filled to stop from spreading if severe. Before that any infection needs to be treated and brought down.
• If the cause is sinusitis, then further treatment with decongestants or in severe cases, even surgery to open nasal passages can be considered.

In the early stages most of the dental problems can be treated and addressed quickly and painlessly. The main thing is for you to visit us regularly, so we can catch any damage or infection before it becomes serious needing surgical or other intervention.