08

Oct

Your oral health links to your overall well-being, and you should never ignore any discomfort in your mouth. From minor tooth sensitivity to sharp, unrelenting toothaches, dental problems often indicate underlying issues requiring immediate attention. Sometimes, a seemingly minor issue could signal a more serious dental condition. This article covers common tooth problems that may indicate you need to see a dentist.

Toothaches

Toothache is a common and painful dental problem worldwide. It can start as a dull pain and then progress into a shooting pain that makes you feel uncomfortable. The pain could also prevent you from eating, talking, or thinking clearly. Depending on the extent of your condition, a toothache might be mild or severe.

There are many causes of toothache, for example:

  • Plaque. ‘Plaque'—a sticky film of bacteria—can form on the teeth and release acids that dissolve the outer layer of the teeth (enamel). If the condition is left untreated, it progresses to affect more layers of the teeth, reaching the pulp, which leads to inflammation of the pulp and terrible pain.
  • A cracked or fractured tooth. Another possible reason is that you may have a cracked or fractured tooth, and the nerves inside the tooth become stimulated when you bite down or chew.
  • Gum disease. This condition causes the gum line to pull back, exposing the roots of teeth and causing pain.
  • Tooth abscess. This infection forms a pus-filled sac around the root of a tooth and can lead to severe pain, swelling, and hot or cold sensitivity. Sometimes, the pressure exerted by the wisdom teeth or sinus inflammation may lead to toothaches.

A toothache needs immediate medical attention. Treatment depends on the cause that has been diagnosed. For example, if the problem is tooth decay, your dentist may suggest a filling to repair the affected part of the tooth.

If the decay has reached the pulp, then the pulp may have to be removed through a root canal. When the pain is due to a cracked tooth, the tooth may be restored using a crown or bonding.

In the case of gum diseases, scaling and root planing effectively eliminate bacteria and promote healing. An abscess may need to be drained, and the patient may need antibiotics to clear the infection. Your dentist will check the case carefully and recommend the ideal treatment.

Bleeding or Tender Gums

Swelling of the gums is characterized by bleeding or tender gums. Although it may not seem serious at the onset, it is usually a symptom of a severe underlying condition.

Gum ought not to bleed when you brush or floss your teeth. If they do, it is commonly a sign of gum disease. If not managed properly, periodontal diseases worsen and can result in tooth loss, affecting general health.

The main reason for bleeding or tender gums is the presence of plaque at the gum line. Tartar is a hard deposit of calcium that forms on the surface of the teeth and is covered by a layer of plaque. When it is not eliminated by regular brushing and flossing, tartar forms on the teeth' surface, causing the gums to become inflamed, sore, and may even bleed.

The early stage of gum disease is gingivitis, which can easily be treated by regular brushing, flossing, and dental checkups. Nonetheless, if gingivitis is left untreated, it becomes periodontitis, a severe gum disease affecting the bone and other tissues that support the teeth.

Other causes of bleeding or tender gums include malaligned dental appliances, such as braces or dentures, which tend to rub against the gums, leading to bleeding. Fluctuations in hormones during pregnancy make your gums more sensitive to plaque, resulting in gingivitis. Also, diseases like diabetes, vitamin deficiencies, and certain drugs, including those that thin the blood, can lead to gum issues.

You must undergo treatment when your gums are bleeding or tender.

If gingivitis is the cause, your dentist will suggest cleaning the teeth to eliminate plaque and tartar and give you tips on better oral hygiene practices. If periodontitis has set in, more advanced treatments such as scaling and root planing, which clean below the gumline, may be necessary to stop the progression of the disease.

In severe cases, surgical procedures, including flap surgery or bone grafting, may be required to repair the damage caused by advanced gum disease.

Tooth Sensitivity

Tooth sensitivity is a short and severe pain people feel when their teeth are in contact with hot or cold substances, sweets, and acidic foods. Sometimes, even taking a deep breath of cold air can cause this kind of pain. This is a common condition, also known as dentin hypersensitivity, and it can be as mild as a tingling sensation or as severe as a sharp, throbbing pain that persists and can make it difficult to eat or even drink.

One of the causes of tooth sensitivity is the wearing away of the outer layer of your teeth’ enamel. The acids in the foods and drinks and brushing or grinding your teeth too hard can erode the enamel and reveal the dentin. Dentin comprises small channels that connect it to the nerve of the tooth. Therefore, it is easily affected by external factors.

Another cause is the gum recession. When the gums begin to pull back, the tooth roots are exposed, and these do not have an enamel layer to protect them, hence the sensitivity. Also, cavities, chips, or other recent dental work, including bleaching or fillings, cause sensitivity.

Tooth sensitivity can only be managed if the cause is determined and eliminated. If the problem is enamel erosion, your dentist may prescribe fluorides to help build up the enamel or desensitizing toothpaste that helps seal the nerve endings.

If gum recession is the problem, treatment like gum grafting can replace the lost gum tissue and cover the tooth roots. In more severe cases, your dentist might suggest that bonding resin be applied over exposed dentin or that a tooth be filled if the problem is decay.

You should take proper care of your teeth and avoid acidic foods so that more damage is not caused and the sensitivity reduces with time.

Bad Breath or Halitosis

Halitosis is another common oral health problem that causes constant embarrassment in your everyday social interactions and personal life. It is acceptable to have bad breath occasionally after eating foods with strong odors, such as garlic or onions.

However, if you have chronic bad breath, this may result from some dental or medical condition. Halitosis, a constant and embarrassing problem, can signal a condition of the mouth or general health that needs attention.

The leading reason for halitosis is that the individual has bad oral hygiene. When you do not brush and floss your teeth, you will find particles of food that stay in your mouth, causing bacteria. When bacteria start to decompose these particles, they produce a foul smell.

These bacteria build up on the teeth, gums, and tongue, forming plaque. Plaque hardens to become tartar, worsening the situation. Gum disease mainly contributes to bad breath since the periodontal bacteria cause an infection that produces gasses with a foul smell.

Dry mouth, also called xerostomia, can aggravate halitosis. It plays an essential role in cleaning the oral cavity by removing food debris and neutralizing bacterial production of acids. These bacteria feed on saliva; where there is inadequate saliva production, they grow and spread, resulting in an awful smell.

Other causes of bad breath are smoking, which reduces saliva production and leaves behind a stale odor, and medical conditions such as sinusitis, gastroesophageal reflux, and diabetes, among others.

Halitosis may sometimes be a warning sign of other illnesses, including liver or kidney ailment, as these produce certain metabolic wastes that cause a foul smell.

Halitosis management involves focusing on the cause of the condition after its diagnosis. You must increase the effectiveness of your oral hygiene regime. This ranges from brushing your teeth with fluoride toothpaste at least twice a day, flossing your teeth, and rinsing your mouth with an antimicrobial mouthwash.

If gum disease is the cause, professional treatment such as deep cleaning, scaling, and root planing may be necessary to remove plaque and tartar below the gumline. Drinking plenty of water, chewing sugar-free gum, and using a saliva substitute can help alleviate dry mouth and improve bad breath.

If medical conditions are contributing to halitosis, you should consult your healthcare provider for appropriate treatment.

Chipped Teeth

A chipped tooth is one of the most frequent dental problems that may occur at any time, such as when chewing food, after a fall, or a blow to the face. A chip may seem like a small problem at first sight, but it weakens the structure of your tooth and may cause more harm if not addressed.

You may have a rough or jagged edge on the tooth or notice it is sensitive to hot or cold foods and beverages. If the chip reaches the nerve, it will be painful.

Common causes could include:

  • An injury. This can result from an accident, a sports injury, or someone biting down on something hard, such as ice or candy.
  • Dental caries. Cavities make teeth brittle and vulnerable to chipping because the decay erodes the enamel that acts as the shield to the teeth.
  • Teeth grinding. Clenching or grinding teeth can wear them out, making them brittle and prone to breakage.
  • Aging. As people age, they develop some dental problems, and the enamel of their teeth becomes thinner, making them more susceptible to breaks.

The treatment you receive depends on the extent of chipping. Tiny cracks in the enamel can be filed or bonded with a tooth-colored filling. Where the chips are deeper and reach the dentin, a dental crown may be required to strengthen and stabilize them.

If the chip goes down to the pulp where the nerve is located, you may need a root canal to remove the dead tissue and fill the area to avoid further complications, which is then a crown.

Receding Gums

Gingival recession is when the gum line surrounding teeth moves down and exposes more of the teeth or the root of the teeth. This condition may lead to discomfort and make teeth more susceptible to cavities, gum diseases, or even tooth loss.

When gums shrink, pockets are formed between the tooth and the gum line, which are home to bacteria. In the beginning, you may notice that your gums are receding since the process occurs gradually. Nevertheless, after some time, you may start feeling discomfort or pain in your teeth when eating hot or cold food products, or your teeth may look longer than they used to.

Some of the causes include:

  • Poor oral hygiene
  • Brushing the teeth aggressively
  • Using a toothbrush with stiff bristles
  • Bruxism
  • Smoking
  • Hereditary predisposition

If the recession is mild, you can change your brushing technique to gentle brushing using a soft brush to avoid further recession. If the problem is in the gums, scaling and root planing may be necessary to remove the tartar and plaque. In worse cases, surgical procedures such as tissue grafting, where tissue is taken from another part of your mouth and put over the exposed root, are recommended.

Tooth Discoloration

This dental problem affects the color of your teeth, making you embarrassed to smile or laugh in public. Your teeth may become yellow, brown, gray, or have white spots. The discoloration can be external or internal. The former refers to discoloration of the outer surface of your teeth, while the latter occurs within the teeth.

Extrinsic stains are usually caused by daily habits, such as smoking cigarettes, drinking coffee, tea, or even red wine. On the other hand, intrinsic discoloration can be caused by factors that include trauma to the tooth, excessive use of fluoride, or taking drugs such as tetracycline, which causes grayish discoloration of the teeth.

Food deposits accumulate if you do not brush and floss your teeth, causing them to become yellow. Also, the enamel wears out with age, and the yellowish dentin shows through.

Other causes of tooth discoloration include health conditions or treatments, including chemotherapy and head and neck radiation.

If tooth discoloration is mainly on the outer layer of the teeth, then professional cleaning and teeth-whitening procedures may greatly help. Your dentist might suggest ways to brighten teeth, such as in-office or at-home bleaching kits. Extrinsic stains are mainly on the outer layer of the tooth and can be removed by simple procedures such as scaling. In contrast, for deeper intrinsic stains within the tooth, other more complicated procedures like veneers or bonding may be used to cover the stains.

Maintaining good oral hygiene practices, such as brushing with fluoride toothpaste and flossing daily, is critical to preventing further discoloration.

Loose Teeth

It is always a big concern when adults experience loose teeth. While children’s teeth are expected to become loose as they grow older, adults who experience the same problem may have a severe one. A wiggly tooth suggests that the supporting tissues around the tooth, like the gum, bone, or ligament, are affected somehow. Initially, you may not have pain, but the feeling of movement alone should make you visit your dentist.

The most common cause of loose teeth in adults is periodontitis, an advanced gum disease. In this condition, bacteria form layers beneath the gum and cause an infection that weakens the bone holding the gum. As the bone becomes compromised, it cannot firmly hold the teeth, making them loose.

Another cause is a traumatic injury of the jaw. A sports injury or a simple fall may cause a direct impact that damages the ligaments that hold the tooth in place and thus become loose.

At times, you may grind your teeth, which also causes pressure on the teeth, causing them to loosen. The disease, associated with losing bone density, can also affect the jawbone, resulting in loose teeth.

If the cause of loose teeth is gum disease, your dentist could recommend scaling and root planing since the issue is underneath the gum line. In the worst-case scenario, gum surgery or bone grafting may be needed to fix the problem with the bone structure. If an injury leads to a condition where the tooth becomes loose, the dentist may recommend splinting, where the dentist will hold the loose tooth in place by cementing it to the adjacent teeth. This enables the ligaments to regain and the tooth to regain its position.

In cases where bruxism contributes, wearing a custom night guard can prevent further damage from teeth grinding. If osteoporosis or bone loss is suspected, your dentist may collaborate with a healthcare provider to manage the condition and strengthen the bones.

Find a Whittier Dentist Near Me

When facing any common dental issues, whether a persistent toothache, bleeding gums, or something as unsettling as a loose tooth, you should address these problems promptly. Ignoring them could lead to more severe complications, including infection, tooth loss, or even systemic health problems like heart disease.

At The Whittier Dentist, we offer comprehensive dental care, from routine checkups to restorative treatments and emergency care. Call us at 562-632-1223 to book your consultation, or visit our office in Whittier, California.