Protect Your Teeth and Gums with These Oral Health Tips and Resources. Good oral health not only protects the integrity of your teeth and gums but also ensures that your smile remains bright for years to come. Even if you brush and floss regularly, however, there are still some oral health concerns that you may end up facing. Whether a result of your lifestyle or your genetic endowment, these issues may be worrying and unpleasant, but they can all be addressed and managed. Inside Your Teeth. The acid in foods and drinks can wear down your teeth, causing pain and decay. Find out more about acid tooth erosion. Protect Your Teeth and Gums with These Oral Health Tips and Resources. Teeth may be darkened by a buildup of surface stains extrinsic staining, which hides the natural tooth color or the tooth itself may discolor intrinsic staining. The whiter the smile the more attractive the person, research finds. Both men and women say white teeth matter when choosing a mate. This may be why. Learn what causes enamel loss and how to prevent tooth erosion. If you are experiencing this issue, visit us online to learn more Considering teeth whitening Read about bleaching risks, benefits, product types, maintenance and the costs to determine if its right for you. To understand the problems you may face with your teeth, it is important to first understand what your teeth are made of. At the very centre of the tooth lies a cavity filled with nerves, blood vessels and other soft tissues. This is called the dental pulp. Surrounding the dental pulp is surrounded a hard yellowish material called dentin. Covering the dentin below the level of the gums is a layer of hard tissue called cementum, while above the gum line the dentin is covered by the hard, smooth, white outer layer of the tooth the enamel. Each tooth sits in a space in the jaw bone supported by ligaments and surrounded by the soft gingiva or gum tissue. Cracks In Teeth Enamel' title='Cracks In Teeth Enamel' />Each part of the tooth is vital to good dental health and a problem with any one part will usually lead to trouble for other parts of the tooth. Bad Breath. Bad breath or halitosis can be a very embarrassing and concerning condition. How To Check Sample Rate Of Wav File here. Though bad breath can occasionally be the result of more serious non dental conditions such as Diabetes mellitus acetone scentKidney failure fishy smellLiver failure. Metabolic disorders fishy smellLung or sinus infections. More frequently, however, halitosis is a side effect of other dental conditions. The smell itself is usually produced by the bacteria cells in plaque which produce odorous sulfur compounds. Learn what a tooth infection, tooth root infection, and dental abscess is and understand natural rememdies on how to prevent it. You can heal a dental abscess NATURALLYSince the tongue is very rough, it can be a site of food and bacteria accumulation. This collection of bacteria and its fuel food debris can result in large outputs of sulfur compounds which drive bad breath. Bad breath can also be be caused by oral infection, cracks or chips in the teeth that gather extra bacteria, as well as periodontitis which can create hard to reach homes for sulfur producing bacteria. Fortunately, all of these conditions are treatable and halitosis has a high treatment success rate. After you have confirmed with a doctor that there is not a more serious internal cause for your bad breath, a visit to your dentist is the next step. Your dentist can test the severity of your bad breath issue before treating any oral infections, cavities, and periodontitis. Your dental hygienist can then help you develop an effective oral health program including specialized toothpastes and mouth rinses that will help reduce oral bacteria and prevent recurrence of your halitosis problem. Business Ethics Concepts And Cases 7Th Edition Pdf. Dry Mouth. Dry mouth is associated with a wide range of symptoms and causes and can lead to an increase in gingivitis, periodontitis, cavities, and other forms of oral disease. Fortunately, dry mouth xerostomia can be managed. Signs of dry mouth include Frequent thirst. Impaired taste. Difficulty speaking. Dry burning sensation on the surfaces of the mouth. Difficulty eating dry foodsDifficulty wearing dentures. Dry lips, cracking lips and corners of the mouth. These symptoms can be the result of natural aging, rheumatoid conditions, immune conditions, hormonal disorders, neurological disorders, longterm use of liquid and soft diets, radiation therapy, and any number of pharmaceuticals including decongestants, diuretics, antidepressants and a variety of others. Unfortunately there is no straightforward cure for dry mouth but there are treatment options. The easiest way to reduce dry mouth is by drinking more water and keeping water with you throughout the day and night. Whenever you feel any dryness, just take a sip. Chewing sugarless gum can also help stimulate the salivary glands, while avoiding tobacco, alcohol, and sugary foods helps to prevent dryness. In some cases, using a saliva substitute found in most pharmacies may be the best treatment, allowing you to adjust your saliva levels artificially. While treating dry mouth, it is also important to remember that the reduction in saliva your bodys natural oral rinse can lead to increased plaque deposits, gum disease, and cavities. Thus, your oral hygiene plan deserves additional attention, and it becomes even more critical to use fluoridated toothpaste to protect your teeth. Tooth Sensitivity. If eating ice cream or drinking a hot latte is a source of agony to you, you may have tooth sensitivity. When teeth are damaged by physical trauma, teeth grinding, or cavities, or when the gums begin to recede in association with gum damage, the sensitive dentin and root surfaces can be exposed. These surfaces, when they come in contact with extreme temperatures, large differences in acidity, or even sugar, can cause sudden, intense, shooting pain in the teeth and jaws. Chronic teeth grinding bruxism, a lost crown or filling, cracked or chipped teeth, aggressive tooth brushing, gum disease, and periodontitis induced gum recession are the primary causes of tooth sensitivity. Unfortunately, with the exception of replacing a lost filling, most of these conditions are not reversible, but a good system of oral care can help reduce tooth sensitivity despite the exposure of sensitive surfaces. In the case of severe sensitivity, dentists may use white fillings, fluoride varnish, or dentin sealer to cover the exposed root or dentin. If, however, you do not wish to undergo such procedures, there are some simple at home solutions as well. First and foremost, you should maintain good oral health and hygiene using fluoridated rinses or toothpastes and a soft bristled toothbrush which will prevent further gum abrasions. Avoiding acidic foods which can erode enamel over time can also help prevent an increase in sensitivity. Finally, there are many desensitizing toothpastes on the market which can actively reduce sensitivity. You many even want to spread a thin layer on the exposed roots and leaving it overnight. You may also need to try several different brands before you find the one thats right for you, but once you find one that works, you must keep using it or risk a return in sensitivity. The toothpaste is not curing your tooth sensitivity, it is merely managing it. If your tooth sensitivity is connected to bruxism or tooth grinding, wearing a night mouth guard will prevent further erosion of tooth enamel, thus preventing an increase in sensitivity. Gingivitis and Peridontitis. Healthy gums are usually light pink or coral, composed of firm orange peel textured tissues, and fitted closely to the teeth, following their contours and forming a scalloped edge. In this healthy state, gums will not bleed or cause discomfort during your daily oral hygiene routine, and there will be no visible redness or swelling. When plaque or tartar is allowed to accumulate along the gum line, however, these healthy tissues can become inflamed and painful. This development is called gingivitis. Gingivitis is usually indicated by red, swollen gums and bleeding during flowing and brushing. It is at this point that oral hygiene intervention can completely reverse the damage, but continued neglect can lead to the development of periodontitis. At the gingivitis stage, the gums are irritated, but the bone beneath them has not started to erode and there is no real lasting damage.