Here’re are the top five threats to oral health that can lead to a dental emergency

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Threats to Oral Health

The damage caused due to poor oral health is beyond bad breath and an unsightly smile. Several studies have highlighted the link between poor dental hygiene and dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, lung disease, diabetes, and even heart conditions. Here’re some of the oral health threats that need to be controlled for ensuring your teeth do not create problems or oral health emergencies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

1. Nutritional deficiency in the diet

Tooth decay-causing harmful bacteria feed on sugar. Eating sugary stuff as a part of a diet can prove to be an open invitation for tooth decay. Thus, limiting the consumption of sugary foods, and acidic fruit juices, remains crucial.

Remember, lack of nutrients in the diet triggers malnutrition, resulting in a negative impact on the overall body and weakens its ability to fight infections and dental infections. Opting for a well-balanced, nutrient-rich diet helps keep the immune system strong, ultimately resulting in a healthy mouth.

2. Tobacco consumption is a critical threat

Smoking pipes and cigars can be equally damaging to periodontal health. Besides chewing tobacco, even smokeless tobacco products like snus are a threat to oral health. Both can slowly erode tooth enamel and damage gum tissues leading to exposed roots. Patients who consume these products experience tooth sensitivity and suffer from tooth decay.

Some smokeless tobacco products consist of sugar as a part of the flavor. It results in more damage within a shorter span.

Chewing and smoking tobacco can result in bad breath, yellow teeth, plaque build-up, cavities, tooth loss, jaw bone loss, inflammation, and gum recession. Smoking increases the chances of throat, cheek, and gum cancer along with lip related infections.

Research suggests that tobacco consumption impacts blood vessel growth negatively. So, patients need more healing time after undergoing oral surgery. Thus, dentists advise patients to limit tobacco and to quit the same as soon as possible.

Tobacco also results in a weak immune system, which is undoubtedly not good considering the COVID-19 crisis.

3. Tooth decay due to soda consumption

Binge-watching your favorite show with potato chips and several cans of soda is something that everyone appreciates. However, the bad news is that soda consumption has also been linked with tooth decay by several studies.

Drinking soda occasionally may not trigger much damage; however, consuming it daily in small amounts can result in problems.

Soda, combined with sugar particles and harmful bacteria in the mouth, can create an acid that damages the teeth. The acid present in diet soda can also result in enamel erosion. The erosion of enamel further causes cavities due to the lack of hardness on the surface. Soda can also harm the dentin layer of the tooth.

The best way to control this damage is by limiting the consumption of soda. Plus, make sure you brush your teeth after drinking soda or sugary drinks.

It is best to consume water for staying hydrated instead of soda, lemon juice, or sports drinks that damage the teeth and trigger tooth decay. Use a straw for drinking soda if you cannot control the urge, and rinse your mouth with water.

4. Avoid oral piercings

Piercings of cheek, lips, teeth, or tongue are referred to as oral piercings. These metal jewelry products are considered as items of self-expression.

It is common knowledge that oral jewelry can create problems in swallowing, chewing, and pronunciation of words due to changes in saliva flow. Further, it causes small wounds at times, and these wounds can act as a gateway for bacteria to enter the bloodstream, resulting in increased chances of endocarditis.

Metal oral piercings in the mouth increase the possibility of infection. Piercing may result in prolonged bleeding in case if a blood vessel gets punctured during the setup procedure.

Oral piercings may cause pain and a swollen tongue, resulting in breathing problems. They can easily damage the gum tissue, and the patient can end up with unattractive recessed gums. Most importantly, such jewelry can damage dental restorations, including caps, crowns, bridges, etc. It is best to seek an opinion from your dental care expert before opting for oral piercing.

5. Skipping dental check-up

The COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdowns forced people around the world to skip dental appointments. Remember, that small cavity can turn into a hole, and infection can reach the tooth root, causing tooth abscess. Painless gum disease can become severe within a few weeks. Skipping oral health check-up can lead to an escalation in problems and treatment costs as well. Thus, now that lockdown restrictions have been eased in most parts of the US, dentists advise patients to visit their dental clinic for a check-up.

Keeping your mouth healthy is crucial as dental diseases can impact your overall health. If you are searching for a reputed dental care clinic or oral surgeon in Roswell (GA), you should call TruCare Dentistry to schedule a consultation.