9 Most Common Tooth Concerns

For a winning smile that inspires confidence, we need to keep our mouths healthy and clean. But with so many things that can go wrong inside your mouth, it can be hard to know when something is serious and when something will take care of itself. Too much brushing can be almost as bad as too little brushing. Issues with your dental hygiene can range from tooth sensitivity to root canals and gum disease. Knowing what the most common concerns are, and what to look out for, can help you protect your pearly whites and keep smiling brightly for many years to come.

1. Cavities. This is the one we always groan about when we go to the dentist. It’s part of the refrain we hear as kids: brush your teeth so you don’t get cavities. It’s also one of the things that can prevent people from going to the dentist. Cavities, or tooth decay, can actually be prevented by visiting the dentist more. Cavities form when plaque builds up and isn’t properly removed from your teeth. Brushing your teeth correctly and regular 6-month cleanings can help prevent cavities. Limiting eating too many foods rich in sugar is also helpful.
2. Tooth erosion. Much like cavities and tooth decay, tooth erosion occurs when acids in our diet negatively affect the enamel on our teeth. Foods that are high in acids or sugar can significantly encourage tooth erosion, as can lower saliva production. In order to prevent erosion, watching your diet and being sure that what you’re eating isn’t always acidic or sugary can help. If you have acid reflux, or dry mouth, seeking treatment for these issues can also help prevent tooth erosion. Tooth erosion can be treated by applying resin to the teeth that are damaged. This process is called tooth bonding.
3. Chipped/Cracked teeth. If you’ve ever bitten into something and been worried about chipping a tooth, you know how big of a concern chipping or cracking teeth can be. Additionally, accidents do happen, and they happen more often than we care to think about. Something as common as grinding your teeth at night can cause your teeth to crack. If you experience new tooth sensitivity, or pain while eating or drinking, you may have a chipped or cracked tooth. Treatment for this kind of damage can vary, but putting a crown on the damaged tooth is common. For untreatable damage, the tooth may need to be extracted.
4. Appearance. Having a nice smile is important in a lot of situations. Whether you’re trying to make a good impression during an interview, or you’re heading out on a first date, your smile is an important factor in your confidence. Crooked teeth, stains, or unevenness in your smile can be a huge hit on your confidence. There are a number of ways that these things can be fixed. Everything from braces, whitening treatments, and veneers are some of the more common ways that our smiles can be perfected.
5. Gum disease. Gum disease can be detrimental to the health of your smile. When you have gum disease, a bacterial infection is the result of the buildup of plaque along your gums. If this becomes severe enough, your teeth can start to loosen, and eventually, they may fall out. Rather than letting that happen, regular brushing and flossing as well as regular dental cleanings can help prevent and even stop the effects of gum disease.
6. Receding gums. This may sound like a broken record, but our smiles are so important to our overall identity that something like receding gums can really affect the way we feel about ourselves. If you have receding gums, then your smile might not look like it once did, and your teeth can appear longer than they did previously. Brushing your teeth with too much force, poor dental hygiene, smoking, hormonal changes, and even high blood pressure can cause or contribute to receding gums. To treat this, a professional dental cleaning, as well as proper brushing techniques can help. In the most severe cases, surgery such as a gum graft may be required.
7. Dry mouth. If you’ve ever woken yourself up from snoring, you probably know what dry mouth feels like. It’s uncomfortable, and it can take a while for it to right itself. Although it frequently plagues the elderly, it isn’t a sign of aging. Some causes of dry mouth include medications, diabetes, cancer treatments, nerve damage, salivary gland disease, and HIV/AIDS. Avoiding substances that may encourage dry mouth, such as caffeine and alcohol, can help, as can being sure to sip water throughout the day.
8. Impacted teeth. If your wisdom teeth never fully broke the surface of your gums, it’s possible that you ended up with impacted teeth. However, this can happen to more than just your wisdom teeth. Impacted teeth can cause various issues including pain in your mouth and jaw, difficulty fully opening your mouth, and bad breath. Treatment for this issue is dependent upon the affected tooth. Assisting the eruption, removing the teeth that may be preventing the eruption, or even tooth extraction are the common ways that this is treated.
9. Oral cancer. Perhaps the most devastating diagnosis on this list, oral cancer can greatly impact your life. The most common symptoms are lumps or sores that aren’t healing on their own. To prevent this outcome, not smoking or using tobacco products, and limiting any alcohol consumption are the best methods. If your dentist catches it quickly, oral cancer is curable. Regular checkups from your dentist are the best option.

If you’re experiencing any of the above concerns, or if another dental concern is troubling you, Emergency Dental Service can help you find the services you need. Repairing chipped teeth or taking care of that cleaning that’s coming a few years late is just a phone call or click away. With preferred dentists to search from in your area, you can have your appointment scheduled within 24 hours of calling 1-888-350-1340. Take care of your dental and oral health today.