What is Dental Care?
Dental care refers to the care of teeth and oral hygiene. It takes into account various dental diseases and their treatments. The common dental diseases include bleeding gums, dysplasia, dental abscess, receding and swollen gums etc. the other prominent diseases in this category are mandibulofacial dysostosis, oral cancer and tooth discoloration.
However, in a more general term and depending upon the nature of the diseases and their spread among the populations, the dental diseases may be broadly classified into tooth decay (cavities), gum diseases, dentures, dry mouth and oral cancer. The processes of treatment and diagnosis of these diseases are different but as mentioned earlier, taking some common steps and remedies, one can stay away from various dental problems.
Dental care refers to taking steps by which these diseases can be cured or diminished.
Symptoms of Various Dental Diseases
The most common symptoms of gum diseases include bad breath, bleeding, pus between the teeth and gums, red and puffy gums, and separation of gums from teeth etc.
The early symptoms of cavities include white spots on the teeth which gradually turn brown and become darker with the increasing cavity.
The symptoms of abscessed tooth include Tooth pain, swollen glands in the neck, sensitivity to heat and cold, and fever. Problems in speaking, difficulty in swallowing, constant sore throat, and hoarseness or dry nasal passages, burning sensation are the main symptoms of dry mouth.
Headache, a sore jaw or teeth sensitive to heat and cold are among the signs of teeth grinding or clenching of the jaw.
The various symptoms of oral cancer include pain, tenderness or numbness anywhere in the mouth or lips; a lump, thickening, rough spot and a crust or small eroded area. Other symptoms include persistent sore or irritation that does not heal; color changes and difficulty in chewing, swallowing, speaking or moving the jaw or tongue etc.
Diagnosis of Various Dental Diseases
The diagnosis of various dental problems varies according to the diseases. Basically, the diagnosis is made depending upon the symptoms. While most other diseases are easily diagnosed through their symptoms, oral cancer diagnosis is of a somewhat more cumbersome nature. To test whether there is any cancerous growth in the mouth, the sure shot way is to perform a biopsy. In this process, a small portion of the affected area is taken out for further examination. In general, biopsy is done with the help of local anesthesia. The pathologists usually check the portion of the affected area under microscope to see if the cells show any cancerous growth.
Causes of Various Dental Problems
The major reason of most of the dental problems is lack of proper hygiene. The most obvious cause for bad breath is infection in the gums. Behind bleeding of the gums, the major reason is found to be the attack of bacteria. Apart from this, bleeding may also occur due to injuries, infections in the gums, deficiency of vitamin C resulting in weaker gums, allergic reactions, failure in the clotting mechanism of blood and cancerous conditions such as leukemia etc.
The most common cause of dental abscess is tooth decay. Other reasons of abscess include injury to a tooth from a fall or a blow and attack of bacteria that resides in the cavities and between the tooth and gums.
The major causes of oral cancer, which develops through a series of changes, include use of tobacco and alcohol, syphilis, nutritional deficiencies etc. Oral cancer is also found to occur due to virus infection, exposure to sunlight and other miscellaneous factors such as trauma, heat, and irritation from sharp teeth, poorly restored fillings and ill-fitting dentures.
One of the common disorders, tooth discoloration may occur due to the stains of tobacco and smoking, bacteria that produces pigments and a salivary proteins layer covering the surface of tooth etc. Intrinsic causes of tooth discoloration include hereditary factors, tetracycline medication and excessive fluoride content of drinking water and high fevers in early childhood etc.
Types of Dental Diseases
There are at least three types of dental abscesses; namely gum or gingival abscess, periodontal abscess and periapical abscess.
In this section, it would be worthwhile to concentrate on the types of oral cancer as it can be classified into two categories depending upon the location of cancerous growth and the cells where the cancer starts. Most other diseases are generally not classified as there are fewer instances of these diseases having any special type.
Depending upon the location of the cancerous growth, oral cancer is divided into two types that are oral cavity cancer and oropharyngeal cancer. Oral cavity cancer includes the cancer that starts in the mouth, which includes the tongue, upper or lower jaw, lining of the cheeks, gums and teeth, the hard palate, the mouth’s floor, and salivary glands. Oropharyngeal refers to the cancer that starts in the oropharynx, which includes the base of the tongue, uvula, the soft palates (the back of the mouth) and tonsils.
Treatments of Dental Problems
In case of dental abscesses the most common prescription seems to be the antibiotics, especially if fever and swelling of lymph glands is present. Root canal therapy is rendered in case of periapical abscesses.
Tooth discoloration may be treated with bondings and veneers or with the help of OTC whitening agents. Proper brushing and flossing techniques are also important.
The periodontal diseases’ treatments include scaling and root planning. While these are non surgical approaches, periodontal surgeries are also available to treat the more severe cases of the disease. The procedures that are most commonly followed in case of periodontal surgery are pocket reduction and regenerative procedures, crown lengthening and soft tissue grafts. Recently, use of laser therapy in combination with surgeries has yielded quite encouraging results.
Oral cancer treatment starts with a biopsy. If the doctor detects a lesion in your mouth he would probably do a surgery to remove it. It is advisable to undergo surgery from an experienced and specialist surgeon for the safety and security of the patient. In early stages, oral cancer can be treated with surgery alone. However, in advanced stages, radiation combined with surgery seems to be the most plausible solution.
To avoid dry mouth problems, one should take plenty of water regularly. Sugar based foods should be avoided as far as possible to avoid dry mouth problems.
Living with Dental Problems
It is not very easy to curb the dental problems if right steps are not taken in the right time. People suffering from various dental problems should, first of all, keep the teeth and gums as clean as possible. Drinking large amount of water is also very helpful in diminishing dental problems.
For having healthy teeth, calcium is an essential substitute. Foods that are rich in calcium such as millets and sesame seeds are very effective in keeping the general health of teeth intact. Sunflower seeds are also very useful in curing tooth problems. Apart from these foods like parsley, turnip, beet and radishes should be included in the diet for keeping teeth healthy.
Prevention of Dental Problems
Preventing dental problems requires taking three basic steps, which are controlling bacteria on teeth, making teeth more resistant to decay and changing dietary intake.
Bacteria are very harmful for the health of teeth and gums but are very common among many populations. Therefore, ample care should be taken to prevent the spread and accumulation of bacteria in the gums or teeth.
The second step for prevention of dental problems includes minimizing the attack of acids. Acids are harmful for the teeth and are most influential in causing decays and cavities.
The third step is to minimize the harmful diet. Sugar based foods are the major reasons for tooth problems. Therefore, intake of sugary foods should be minimized to the extent possible to get rid of dental problems.
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