Dental care is highly encouraged in its observance in the UK. The assuring point is that this gets instilled in children at a young age. While there is no problem with regular tooth brushing, flossing is less observed.
Both habits are important to avoid dental issues. But that’s not all. You can’t stop there.
We have listed a number of dental problems that are commonly encountered and how to avoid them:
1. Bad Breath
This condition, medically referred to as Halitosis, characterized an unpleasant odor in the mouth. Causes include lingering food particles, residue from certain odorous foods like fish, dry mouth, and poor dental hygiene.
For a rather common dental issue, there are various ways to address and prevent bad breath. The most common means to do this is by maintaining oral hygiene. Brushing the teeth and using mouthwash are good ways to start.
Brushing allows you to remove the plaque build-up. Another is by using a tongue scraper or a toothbrush to brush and scrape at the tongue to remove bacteria.
Bad breath brought about by a dry mouth is best addressed with chewing gum or mints, or by drinking water at regular intervals.
If the source of the bad odor is a disease or a dental infection, consult a dentist for treatment.
2. Gum Disease
The gums are tissue that holds your teeth together. If they are not cared for, there may be problems that can affect your teeth, such as Periodontitis. Two types of diseases affect the gums and their severity varies between them.
The first is Gingivitis, a milder form of gum disease that causes the gums to be swollen, red, and may have occasional bleeding. The advanced stage of this, called Periodontitis, is when the plaque build-up has gone past the gum line. This means that the bacteria can cause the gums and the bones supporting the teeth to deteriorate.
The best way to prevent this is proper oral hygiene, with regular tooth brushing and flossing. Ensure that the plaque and bacteria get removed during cleaning, as treatments for these are notably costly. These treatments to address gum disease may include antibiotics, scraping, or even surgical means. 3. Cavities and Tooth Decay
Another of the common dental problems that you can encounter is tooth decay, being as prevalent as the common cold. This happens when plaque produces acids. These acids cause the enamel to decay and may cause cavities, which are small holes in the tooth.
With basic oral maintenance, you can prevent cavities from forming. This includes regular brushing of teeth after meals and flossing. Also, ensure that you are using a fluoride toothpaste as it aids in hardening the tooth enamel.
Treatments for tooth decay may depend on the severity of the damage. You may find it surprising that a majority of children don’t get cavities treated.
One involves the removal of the decay and filling the hole with a dental filling. Another is with use of a crown to replace a part of the tooth. There is also the root canal procedure, which involves the removal of an infected pulp in the tooth.
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