Generally, dental health is a crucial aspect of your overall well-being. Most common oral diseases result from unhealthy diets, tobacco use, and other habits that cause harm or tooth loss. Maintaining good health hygiene is a commitment that will help you avoid oral diseases.
At Smile Angels of Beverly Hills, we have years of experience treating the most common dental diseases and conditions. However, it is recommended that you practice proper oral hygiene habits to avoid long-term oral diseases and costly dental procedures. The following article will help you learn about a list of oral diseases and how you can prevent and treat them.
Table of Contents
Dental Cavities
Tooth decay or dental cavities is among the most common oral diseases, with most patients visiting dental clinics. Dental cavities usually occur when plaque on your tooth combines with starches and sugar from the food you consume. With time the combination produces harmful acids that erode your tooth enamel.
Cavity or tooth decay are oral diseases that can occur at any age, from young kids to older persons. To prevent tooth decay, be sure to brush twice a day, attend regular dental check-ups, and floss daily. Other causes of a dental cavity include some medication and dry mouth, especially with the old.
Additionally, make sure you avoid taking drinks and snacks with a lot of sugar and consume healthy food to avoid oral diseases. Also, during regular check-ups, your dentist might recommend treatments to prevent oral diseases such as dental cavities and tooth decay.
If diagnosed early enough, your dentist might help you reverse it with fluoride treatments. However, if the decay is not reversible, they might recommend filling as the best option to treat oral diseases. In some cases, the situation might get worse such that even filling cannot help, and your specialist would recommend other options like a tooth removal or dental crown. A root canal would be the best treatment option where the decay has penetrated the tooth’s pulp.
Periodontal Disease
Periodontal disease or gum disease is among the most common oral diseases that affect the gum surrounding your teeth. Gum disease is the primary cause of loss of teeth for most adults. If not treated early, periodontal disease can lead to heart disease.
Despite the age, this disease can affect anyone. However, people over the age of 30 are at a greater risk of experiencing these oral diseases. People who smoke and diabetic patients are also at a higher risk of these oral diseases. Some of the common symptoms of gum disease include:
- Red gums
- Bad breath
- Swollen gums
- Bleeding gums
- Sensitive teeth
- Painful chewing
Gingivitis and periodontitis are the major stages of periodontal disease. If you notice any of these signs, be sure to visit your dentist for early treatment and prevent other complications or other oral diseases. Dentists recommend regular toothbrushes and dental check-ups as the best practices to prevent gum disease. Flossing twice every day is also a crucial habit in preventing gum disease.
If the disease gets noticed during the gingivitis stage, your dentist can help you treat the gum disease. This treatment involves a professional cleaning to get rid of all plaque in your mouth. If the disease has grown into the periodontitis stage, surgery might be the best treatment. However, if the condition is not reversible, your doctor can recommend root scaling and planning.
Oral Cancer
Typically, oral cancer is among the deadly and serious oral diseases that affect most people worldwide. However, if caught early enough, oral cancer is curable. This disease mostly affects the individual with 40 years and above. The leading risk factors of oral cancer are alcohol consumption and the use of tobacco. HPV is also another factor that increases oral cancer risk.
Some of the common symptoms of oral cancer include:
- A lump in the mouth
- Lips or mouth sore that won’t heal
- A white or red spot in your mouth
- Persistent mouth pain, pain while swallowing, or ear pain
- Loose teeth
Visiting your dentist regularly for dental check-ups is essential in helping you diagnose oral cancer or other oral diseases before they develop into an advanced stage. Additionally, be sure to confirm with your doctor if an oral cancer examination is included in your regular check-up. It is also essential to see your specialist once you note any of the above signs.
Mouth Sores
Among the most common oral diseases is mouth sores which can be bothersome and pesky. While there are various mouth sores, they should cause no worries if they don’t last for more than 14 days. Such type of mouth sores usually disappears on their own.
Canker sores are among the common mouth sores that occur in your mouth but usually disappear after two weeks. Canker sores or aphthous ulcers can result from various causes; however, they are not contagious.
Another type of mouth sores are the cold sores or fever blisters, usually appears on your outer lips and are triggered by the Herpes simplex virus. Cold sores usually appear and disappear after some days. They are not completely curable, and they are also contagious.
Additionally, mouth sores might also appear in candidiasis or oral thrush, which is a yeast infection. It can appear in people with diabetes, denture wearers, during cancer treatment, and infants.
Tooth Erosion
Tooth erosion is generally a result of acid attacking your enamel that affects your tooth structure. It is among the common oral diseases that affect most people; however, it is a treatable disease, and you can also prevent it easily. Common signs of tooth erosion are tooth sensitivity, cracking, or even other severe signs and symptoms.
Tooth sensitivity usually results in discomfort and pain, especially when you take hot drinks, ice cream or cold drinks, and even cold air. Tooth sensitivity also leads to discomfort when flossing and brushing. Additionally, tooth sensitivity can be a result of tooth abscess. If you experience sensitive teeth, be sure to see your doctor prevent tooth loss. If not treated, tooth erosion can lead to jaw bone infection.
Mouth Injury Trauma
The World Health Organization report says that about 20% of individuals experience mouth injury during their lives. Mouth injury trauma is usually a result of accidents, unsafe conditions, violence, and some risk-taking habits. Sports activities can also lead to mouth injury trauma.
Some of the preventive measures of mouth injury include wearing a helmet and mouth guard, especially during sports. However, if you experience a mouth injury under any circumstance, be sure to seek medical care. Mouth injuries may include a knocked tooth that requires a replacement as soon as possible.
However, some injuries might require you to undergo multiple surgeries, which might be expensive. Other injuries can be traumatic, causing facial and psychological complications as well as other oral diseases.
Conclusion
Taking care of your teeth does not only help you maintain strong teeth, but it also helps you keep your mouth free from oral diseases. Practicing good oral hygiene will help you prevent most of the above-discussed oral diseases. Our dentists have a reputable record of treating a list of oral diseases. Additionally, be sure to regularly visit us at Smile Angels of Beverly Hills for dental screenings and treatment, including full mouth dental implants.