Oral health includes your teeth and gums that require regular dental care to avoid oral problems like tooth cavities, gum disease, and other issues. Taking care of your oral health can also benefit your outer body parts, like the heart.
The dentist in Brookline, MA, and their team offer a thorough screening of your oral cavity to assess your oral health. This helps diagnose oral diseases and offers necessary treatment when required.
Symptoms of oral diseases
You may experience any of the following symptoms due to an oral disease that requires dental consultation:
- Swollen, bleeding gums
- Chronic bad breath
- Toothache
- Increased tooth sensitivity
- Receding gums
- Pain while chewing
- Ulcers in the mouth
- Loose teeth
- Swelling of the face
- Jaw clicking
- Frequent dry mouth
Causes of oral diseases
Bacterial accumulation is the prime cause of most of the oral diseases. Disease-causing bacteria can form plaque that may harden into calculus over time. However, there are several risk factors that can increase your susceptibility to oral diseases:
- Family history or genetics
- Poor oral hygiene
- Smoking
- High sugar-content foods and drinks
- Obesity
- Hormonal changes during puberty, pregnancy, and menopause
- Diabetes
- Certain infections like HIV or AIDS
- Certain medications that reduce the amount of saliva
Types of oral diseases
There are several oral diseases that you may encounter at least once in your lifetime. These include:
- Cavities
- Gum disease or gingivitis
- Periodontitis
- Sensitive teeth
- Cracked or broken teeth
- Oral cancer
Diagnosing oral diseases
Oral diseases can be diagnosed by dentists through routine dental exams using special tools or instruments, which evaluate the following parts:
- Teeth
- Gums
- Alveolar bone
- Mouth
- Throat
- Tongue
- Cheeks
- Jaw
- Neck
Furthermore, several diagnostic tests can aid in confirming the diagnosis that helps dentists design appropriate treatment plans. These include:
- X-ray
- Panoramic X-ray
- MRI scan
Treating oral diseases
Depending on the type of oral disease, your dentist can provide the following treatments:
- Restorations
- Fillings or root canal treatments to restore the damaged tooth material using suitable dental materials
- Cleanings
- Superficial and deep cleanings help eliminate bacteria, plaque, and calculus
- Fluoride treatments
- These are preventive treatments that help prevent or reverse tooth decay
- Antibiotics
- Antibiotics could be in the form of topical gels, mouthwashes, or oral pills.
- These help treat infections to provide relief.
- Dental prosthesis
- These are artificial devices or appliances, such as dental implants that help replace missing teeth
- Oral surgery
- These include bone grafts, flap surgeries that treat gum recession, or insufficient bone thickness.
Bottom line
Your oral health is beyond healthy teeth. This includes structures surrounding your teeth, such as gums, alveolar bone, or other areas of your mouth, like the throat or cheeks. Bacteria and several risk factors can affect your oral health. However, identifying early warning signs is essential to seek dental care.
