A person’s image is his/her bright radiant smile. As such, good oral health is critical for our general wellbeing, both physically and emotionally. Prioritizing your oral health helps to prevent bad breath, tooth and gum diseases, and boosts your confidence, especially when communicating. It also makes you aesthetically pleasing as your smile becomes healthy and functional. As if that was not enough, cardiovascular surgeons will tell you that poor oral health can also cause issues such as heart disease, so taking care of your teeth ad gums is vital for your physical health too.
This proves how important good dental health is for our interpersonal relationships. According to Rodney Baier DDS, a Dentist in Atlanta, GA, brushing with fluoride toothpaste and drinking fluoridated water helps to prevent tooth decay and other dental diseases.
Ideally, you should see your dentist every six months or yearly, to have your teeth checked as a preventive measure. However, don’t wait that long when you have the following signs and symptoms, and Find a top dentist for your dental needs.
Toothache
Unless your toothache is a result of chewing something hard, you should visit the dentist when the pain persists for more than a week. Causes of tooth pain include tooth cracks, inflamed gums, and cavities among others. You may sometimes also experience such pain when biting, or have sensitivity to hot and cold drinks. Whatever the pain is, visiting the dental hospital for a checkup is essential to avoid it aggravating.
Chipped Tooth
The human tooth is very strong, yet can be susceptible to a heavy impact to cause breakages. Cavities on the other hand can weaken the tooth and make it easy to break. If your teeth start breaking or cracking for no obvious reason, book an appointment with your dentist to check the situation. It is best to find a reliable family doctor or a dedicated dentist you can visit routinely to have dental health assessed.
Bad Breath or Halitosis
One of the most embarrassing dental/oral health problems is halitosis. With bad breath as its main symptoms, halitosis can severely damage your confidence and self-esteem, forcing you to remain in solitude to avoid embarrassment. Causes may include poor oral health, improper cleaning of the teeth, and periodontal diseases among others. There may be other underlining conditions triggering the bad breath. To avoid the discomfort that comes with it, visit a dental clinic as soon as you start experiencing bad breath for no reason.
Bleeding Gum
Bleeding gum has several causes including plaque buildups in the gum area. These plaque buildups when not removed gradually inflame the gum or bring about gingivitis. When left untreated, the condition can advance into periodontitis, a gum and jawbone disease. This would ultimately lead to tooth loss after destroying the bones that support it. With this detrimental effect of untreated bleeding gum, don’t wait until things deteriorate before seeing a dentist.
Tooth Sensitivity
Teeth sensitivity is the condition where our teeth become very sensitive to both cold and hot drinks and foods. According to the American Dental Association, it results from tooth decay, weak tooth enamel, exposed tooth roots, or cracked tooth caused by improper oral health. This exposes the tooth nerves, and anytime they encounter a hot or cold substance, you experience sharp pain within the tooth. A dentist can help treat the condition when visited on time. Reach out to the dentist in pasadena if you are concerned that it may lead to even more complications.
Accidental Loss of Teeth
We grow with our teeth and just as the body becomes weak in old age, the gum holding the tooth grows weak. This leads to us losing some teeth naturally. However, sometimes we can lose some teeth due to an accident or strong external impact. When this happens, visiting a dental clinic for replacement becomes the only choice.
How to Ensure Good Oral Health
Brush Your Teeth Daily and Properly
After eating, residues of the food are left in the teeth and mouth. Bacterial and germs feed on these residues and after decaying, cause mouth odor and other oral health issues. Hence, brushing your tooth twice (morning and evening) is recommended. Brushing gets rid of all the residues left in the mouth and teeth, to promote good breath.
Gaggle with Water or Mouthwash
Another way to get rid of food residues in the mouth and teeth is to gaggle with warm or saltwater or mouthwash after eating. An intense gaggling for about 30 seconds flushes off all food leftovers in the mouth.
Clean the Tongue
Brushing your teeth alone is not enough to guarantee good breath and oral hygiene. The tongue, being an important component must also be given proper care to avoid germs and plaques buildups. When brushing your teeth, gently brush the tongue as well to remove residues.
Don’t Forget to Floss
Even after gaggling, some stubborn pieces of food may still be stuck between your teeth. The only way to get rid of such remains is by flossing. Flossing helps reduce plaques in the tooth and reduces possible inflammations that would have been caused by the food residues.
You may also need to reduce or stop the intake of surgery and acidic foods and have less coffee. In addition, stop taking very hot or cold foods or drinks if you want to ensure good oral health. When you start experiencing any dental problem, see your dentist ASAP.