Did you know: allergies caused by pollen can make your teeth hurt?
Those beautiful blossoms coming out now can be a source of pain for your teeth: sinus problems that are worsened with the onset of pollen season often show up as tooth pain.
Showing posts with label oral health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label oral health. Show all posts
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Monday, March 23, 2015
National Puppy Day
| One of the biggest challenges in raising a puppy is dealing with all of the chewing they do. It can be a bit less frustrating if you consider that for almost the first year of his life, your puppy is dealing with some big changes going on in his mouth. |
Dogs have two sets of teeth: 28 deciduous (baby) teeth, which will eventually be replaced by 42 permanent (adult) teeth. When a puppy is two or three weeks old, the deciduous teeth begin to erupt through the gums, starting with the incisors, followed by the canine teeth, and finally the premolars. All of the deciduous teeth should be in place by about eight weeks of age. These first teeth are small, and painfully sharp, as owners of young puppies know. This is part of the reason most mother dogs begin to wean their pups at five or six weeks of age.
Losing Their Baby Teeth
By eight to twelve weeks of age, the roots of the deciduous teeth are starting to resorb and the teeth begin to loosen and fall out. This makes room for the permanent teeth to erupt normally. As with the deciduous teeth, the permanent incisors are the first to come in, followed by the canine teeth, and the premolars. The last teeth to erupt in the adult set are the molars. Puppies do not have molars, which is why there are fewer deciduous teeth. In most breeds of dogs, all of the permanent teeth should be present by about eight months of age.
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Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Dentists Detect Diseases
Diabetes? Heart disease? Osteoporosis? Your dentist may know before you do.
Bill Radley is 62 and, like many “baby boomers,” he is thinking about retiring in the next few years. He’s worked hard most of his adult life, and he’s looking forward to getting some rest and relaxation while traveling with his wife Susan.
Your dentist may be the first to know
Bill recently scheduled a dentist visit because he had noticed he had bad breath that wouldn’t go away no matter how many times each day he brushed his teeth or used mouthwash. During the oral exam, his dentist also noticed that Bill’s gums seemed red and inflamed and were bleeding. Bill’s dentist advised him to go to his physician for a medical check-up, since his persistent bad breath and bleeding gums could be an early indicator of diabetes.
Bill scheduled a check-up with his physician and took a series of diagnostic blood tests. When the results came back, Bill found out he had diabetes. “I couldn’t believe it!” he said. “I never had a sweet tooth and I’m fairly active, playing golf regularly. Sure, I’m a little overweight, but I just figured it was typical for my age.”
Oral health reflects overall health
Research shows that more than 90 percent of all systemic diseases have oral manifestations, including swollen gums, mouth ulcers, dry mouth and excessive gum problems. Some of these diseases include:
- Diabetes
- Leukemia
- Oral cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Heart disease
- Kidney disease
Baby boomers are especially vulnerable to developing diabetes, osteoporosis and heart disease, the risks of which increase with age. Researchers believe that symptoms of these conditions can manifest in the mouth, making dentists key in diagnosing the diseases. For example:
- Bad breath and bleeding gums could be indicators of diabetes.
- Dental x-rays can show the first stages of bone loss.
- A sore and painful jaw could foreshadow an oncoming heart attack.
Seeing the dentist regularly is a good idea
Bill hadn’t visited the dentist in over two years and it had been even longer since he’d been to his physician for a regular check-up. “I wasn’t having any problems other than the usual aches and pains, so I didn’t see any need to go to the dentist or to my doctor. Boy, am I glad that I went to the dentist! If I hadn’t gone to see the dentist about my bad breath, I wouldn’t have discovered my diabetes so soon. Now I can get the treatment I need and prevent it from getting any worse.”
In many cases, a dentist may be the first health care provider to diagnose a health problem in its early stages since many people have regular oral examinations and see their dentist more often than their physician.
What can you do?
Seeing a dentist regularly helps to keep your mouth in top shape and allows your dentist to watch for developments that may point to other health issues. A dental exam can also detect poor nutrition and hygiene, improper jaw alignment and signs of developing oral and overall health problems.
When you visit your dentist, be sure to provide a complete medical history and inform him or her of any recent health developments, even if they seem unrelated to your oral health. In addition, you can play a major role in improving your oral and overall health by following these practices:
- Brushing your teeth for two to three minutes, twice a day, with fluoridated toothpaste. Be sure to brush along the gumline.
- Flossing daily to remove plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach.
- Eating a healthy diet to provide essential nutrients (vitamins A and C, in particular).
- Avoiding cigarettes and smokeless tobacco.
- Limiting your alcohol intake.
- Carefully following your physician’s and dentist’s instructions about health care, including using prescription medications, such as antibiotics, as directed.
- Seeing your dentist immediately when you have any unusual oral symptoms like bad breath, mouth sores, red or swollen gums or sore jaws.
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Know the Symptoms of Gingivitis
There are many ways that you can treat gingivitis and reverse the condition before you need to face dental surgeries and procedures that are just as costly as they are painful. While it is relatively easy to treat and reverse gingivitis, many people do not know the symptoms of gingivitis.
In addition, people rarely visit their dentists for check-ups as often as they should. Therefore, many people do not realize there is a problem until they are suffering pain and the condition can no longer be ignored. In order to protect your oral health and avoid having to undergo dental procedures, you should know about the symptoms of gingivitis. That way you can begin treating it early and recover your total oral health.
This article will explain what some of the symptoms if Gingivitis are, and what you should look out for:
Inflammation And Swelling Of The Gums
Inflammation and swelling of the gums are instant warning signs that you are developing gum disease. When you start developing gingivitis, you will feel inflammation of the gums and you may also feel a slight sense of burning in your gums. The inflammation and swelling are caused by the build-up of bacteria and plaque on the teeth and gums, which irritate the gum tissue. When you have gingivitis your gums will be very tender and sensitive, but they will not generally be very painful. Painful gums tend to indicate that the condition has become more advanced and may have become periodontitis, which is a much more serious oral health condition.Purple Or Bright Red Gums
When you have gingivitis, you will notice that your gums have become bright red or even purplish. This change in the natural color of your gums is caused because they are irritated by the bacterial infection that is starting up on the tissue. This is often a symptom that is overlooked by people unless they are in the habit of studying their gums.Bleeding Gums
Bleeding gums are far more difficult to ignore than the changing color of your gums. This often happens when you are brushing your teeth or if you eat something crunchy. Often your gums will bleed because they are not as strong as they should be due to the bacterial infection there.Bad Breath
Bad breath or bad taste in your mouth is a very common sign that you have developed gingivitis. The reason that this occurs is that the toxins in the bacteria emit foul odors and gases. When you experience this, you will still notice the taste or smell even after you have just brushed your teeth.Learn More
Learn more about the symptoms of gingivitis at OraMD
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