What are Common Oral Health / Dental
Problems ?
Avoid bad breath &
cavities
Good oral health means you have healthy teeth & gums. If you
want to avoid cavities and bad breath then daily ritual of brushing your teeth as well as flossing is
necessary.
Needles to say, it is always advisable to see your dentist to
evaluate whether you need any dental care.
Most common problems of Oral Health
are:
1) Bad breath
2) Tooth decays / cavities
3) Gum disease
4) Stained / discolored teeth
5) Dry mouth
1)
Bad Breath : Bad breath (Halitosis) is when breath
has an unpleasant odor. It is more of a social problem than a dental health problem.
Sulfur compounds in breath give rise to chronic halitosis. Sulfur compounds are
responsible for foul odor of breath.
Major factors which contribute to bad breath are:
• Food: Some food items contain
volatile sulfur compounds e.g. onions or some spices or garlic etc. This results in bad breath which is temporary.
Digested sulfur compounds enter blood stream and come out of lungs during exhaling, releasing unpleasant
odor.
• Dental problems: Any injury or
abscess at tooth base can be the source of bad breath due to hydrogen sulfur vapors emitted by
bacteria.
• Dry
mouth: Saliva keeps mouth clean. It also keeps it
moist. A dry mouth enables the accumulation of dead cells on tongue & gums. Decomposed cells cause bad odor.
Bad morning breath due to short sleep is one of the causes of dry mouth.
• Poor dental
hygiene: Decaying food particles trapped between teeth
give rise to foul odor. Good brushing & flossing can get rid of this problem,
• Smoking: Gives rise to unpleasant
mouth odor due to dry mouth.
2)
Tooth Decay : Common dental problem is Tooth Decay
or Cavities. Reason for this problem is the loss of minerals from the tooth enamel. Acids produced by dental
plaque attack this tooth enamel.
Tooth decay can be avoided if you reduce consumption of sweet snacks & acidic
fizzy drinks. Brush your teeth twice a day and after meals. Use toothpaste which contains fluoride.
Cavities are developed in between teeth or at gum root.
If tooth is not treated, destruction travels from tooth enamel to intermediate
dentin to inner most soft pulp. Nutrition, oral hygiene, or hereditary factors also are responsible for tooth
decay.
3)
Gum disease (Gingivitis or periodontal disease):
starts as an inflammation of the gums that if left untreated can affect and gradually destroy the tissues
surrounding and supporting the teeth.
Periodontal diseases are infections of the periodontal tissues, which include the
gums, periodontal ligament and alveolar bone.
Gingivitis and periodontitis are the two main stages of gum disease.
Without proper treatment of gum disease, the teeth will finally become loose, fall
out or have to be removed by a dentist.
4)
Stained Teeth : One of the most common problems is
stained teeth. People have some discomfort while they talk or smile due to this problem. Treatment for this
is teeth whitening which is easily available.
Tooth discoloration may be classified into three main categories:
Discoloration of
Extrinsic tooth- some foods or due to smoking tooth enamel
(External layer) is stained. These external stains are removed through the use of
non-bleaching whitening products such as whitening toothpastes.
These toothpastes contain abrasive ingredients which remove surface
stains.
Discoloration of Intrinsic
tooth- In this case inner structure of the tooth turns yellow in color. Normally whitening
products are used which can bleach and change natural
Tooth color.
Discoloration due to
age -- Yellowing teeth is a common symptom of aging. Their mineral structure becomes less
porous and makes teeth to appear darker. Underlying layer of yellowish dentin is seen through the enamel which
becomes thin due to age.
5)
Dry Mouth : In this, mouth becomes dry for want of saliva.
Saliva secreting from salivary glands, keeps mouth wet. Anxiety or nervous state produces dry mouth
temporarily.
Dry mouth condition is normally seen in elderly people.
By: Pradeep Mahajan
Last updated
: Feb 18, 2011
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