The word "oral" refers to the mouth, which includes the teeth, gums, and supporting tissues. It is easy to take your oral health for granted, but it is one of the keys to living each day comfortably. These tissues allow you to speak, smile, sigh, kiss, smell, taste, chew, swallow, and cry. They also let you show a world of feelings through expressions. Taking good care of these tissues can prevent disease in them and throughout your body.
Oral Health and Other Health Problems
Your oral health can be a sign of your overall health. Many serious diseases show their first signs as symptoms in the mouth. These disease symptoms include:
This is why it is important to have complete, regular oral exams.
Most of us think of oral health problems in terms of cavities, toothaches, and crooked or stained teeth. Lacking healthy teeth and gums has an effect on how we look, but it also affects the health of our bodies. For example:
- If you have gum disease, you may be more likely to get heart disease.
- Having missing teeth can affect your mental health, since it can lead to feeling badly about yourself.
- If you have diabetes, you may be more likely to get gum disease.
- If you have both diabetes and gum disease, you can have more problems controlling your blood sugar levels.
Common Oral Health Problems
The most common oral health problems are cavities and gum disease.
Dental Cavities
Everyone is at risk for getting cavities throughout life. By the time most people are adults, 85 percent of them will have had a cavity!
Here's how it happens: You naturally have bacteria (germs) in your mouth. The bacteria mix with your saliva and bits of food in your mouth to form a coating (dental
plaque) that sticks to your teeth. There are acids in the plaque that wear away the teeth. These acids can get inside the teeth and create holes in the teeth, or cavities.
Gum Diseases
Gum disease is caused by infection or plaque around your teeth, and is a common cause of tooth loss after age 35.
The first stage and most common type of gum disease is gingivitis. Gingivitis irritates the gums and causes them to bleed and swell. Gum diseases are more often seen as people age, with most people showing signs of them by their mid-30s.
Periodontitis is a more serious type of gum disease that, if left untreated, gets worse as pockets of infection form between the teeth and gums. This oral health problem causes your gums to grow away from teeth and lose supporting bone. If the teeth can't be supported, they could fall out.
This disease results from bacteria in your mouth. You may be more likely to be infected with these bacteria if:
- Someone else in your family has peridontitis
- You are a smoker
- You have a disease like diabetes or HIV.
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Normal, healthy gums
Healthy gums and bone anchor teeth firmly in place.
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Peridontitis
If unremoved, plaque hardens into calculus (tartar). As plaque and calculus continue to build up, the gums begin to recede (pull away) from the teeth, and pockets form between the teeth and gums.
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Advanced peridontitis
The gums recede farther, destroying more bone and the periodontal ligament. Teeth -- even healthy teeth -- may become loose and need to be extracted.
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Other Oral Health Problems
Other oral health problems may include:
Cold Sores
If you've ever had a cold sore, you're not alone. A half-million people get one every year. Once exposed to the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1 -- which causes cold sores), it can hide in the body for years. Getting too much sun, having mild fevers that occur with a cold, or stress can trigger the virus and cause symptoms such as:
- Tiredness
- Muscle aches
- Sore throat
- Enlarged and tender lymph nodes
- More cold sores.
These sores are highly contagious and usually form on the lips and sometimes under the nose or under the chin. The sores heal in about 7 to 10 days without scarring. You can buy medicines at the drug store or grocery store to put on the cold sore to numb or relieve the pain. If cold sores are a problem for you, talk with your doctor or dentist about a prescription for an
antiviral drug to help lower your chances of getting these kinds of viral infections.
Canker Sores
Mostly harmless, canker sores appear as ulcers with a white or gray base and a red border inside the mouth. They occur in women more often than men, usually during their periods.
The reason why canker sores appear is unknown, but some experts believe that problems with the immune system (the system in our bodies that fights disease), bacteria, or viruses may be involved. Fatigue, stress, or
allergies can increase your chances of getting a canker sore. You also might get one if you have a cut inside your cheek or on your tongue. Canker sores tend to be tiny and heal by themselves in one to three weeks.
If you get a large sore (larger than 1 centimeter), it may need to be treated with medicine. Staying away from hot and spicy foods can help the pain. Using mild mouthwashes, salt water, or swabbing the sore with milk of magnesia or with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water might also help. There is no proven way to prevent canker sores, but if you get this oral health problem often, take note of anything that might be irritating your mouth, and talk to your dentist or dental hygienist.
Oral Fungal or Yeast Infections
These infections, the most common of which is candidiasis, appear as red or white lesions, flat or slightly raised, in the mouth. They are common among denture wearers and occur most often in people who are very young, elderly, or who have a problem with their immune system. People who have dry mouth syndrome are also likely to get oral
yeast infections. This oral health problem can be prevented with good oral hygiene. If you wear dentures, clean and remove them at bedtime. Talk with your dentist or dental hygienist about medicines that may be helpful if you have a problem with these infections.
Dry Mouth Syndrome
This is common in many adults, especially as they age. It may make it hard to eat, swallow, taste, and speak. It happens when salivary glands fail to work right, often as a side effect from medicines or from other health problems. If this oral health problem is left untreated, it can lead to cavities, because saliva helps rid your mouth of bits of food and helps stop acid from forming
plaque on your teeth.
Oral Cancer
Oral cancer most often occurs in people over the age of 40. This oral health problem is often found at later stages when it is harder to treat. This is because oral cancer is not usually painful, so you may not know you have it. In addition, many people do not visit their dentists often enough to find the cancer early.
The most common sites of oral cancer are on the tongue, lips, and floor of the mouth. Use of tobacco, especially when combined with alcohol, is the main cause of these cancers. Oral cancer often starts as a tiny, unnoticed white or red spot or sore anywhere in the mouth. Other signs include:
- A sore that bleeds easily or does not heal
- A color change of the oral tissues
- A lump, thickening, rough spot, crust, or small eroded area in or near the mouth
- Pain, tenderness, or numbness anywhere in the mouth or on the lips
- Problems chewing, swallowing, speaking, or moving the jaw or tongue
- A change in the way the teeth fit together.
Oral Problems From Cancer Therapies
Treatments like chemotherapy or radiation to the head and neck can cause dry mouth, tooth decay, painful mouth sores, and cracked, peeling lips.
You need to have good oral health at all stages of your life. As a woman, your changing hormone levels during puberty, your monthly period, and
menopause cause changes in your mouth. These hormonal changes can cause:
- Frequent cold sores and canker sores
- Gingivitis during puberty
- Dry mouth (often also linked to using certain medicines)
- Changes in taste
- Increased risk of gum disease
- Bone weakness during menopause.
Oral Health and Pregnancy
If you are pregnant, you have special oral health needs:
- Try to have a complete oral exam prior to or very early in your pregnancy. All needed dental work should be done before the pregnancy or between the fourth and sixth month of pregnancy. It is possible to have urgent treatment for a problem during pregnancy, but it can present risks to your baby. Treatments are most dangerous during the first three months. If you are in the last three months of pregnancy, you can have treatment, but you may find the dental chair uncomfortable.
- If you haven't already, start practicing good oral hygiene and eating a healthy diet. Thoroughly brush and floss your teeth daily. By doing this, you can control your risk for gum inflammation and disease.
- Some pregnant women get gum disease -- a problem called pregnancy gingivitis -- which raises their chances for getting more serious gum disease. This condition can be caused both by poor oral hygiene and increased hormone levels during pregnancy. Having this problem can cause discomfort when you brush or floss, but it's important to not stop brushing and flossing regularly.
- Pregnant women with gum diseases are much more likely to have premature babies of low birth weight.
Here's what you should know about oral health in newborns:
- The same germs that cause tooth decay in your mouth can be passed to your baby if you put your baby's items, such as toys, spoons, or pacifiers in your mouth.
- Wiping your baby's teeth and gums with a soft cloth or a baby's toothbrush after each nursing and feeding can help remove sugars found in milk that can cause tooth decay.
- If you bottle-feed your baby, it should end by age 1. Never put your baby to bed with a bottle of milk or juice. Never place a pacifier covered with honey or sugar in your baby's mouth when he or she sleeps. Sucking on a bottle when lying down can destroy the baby's teeth, causing years of tooth pain and problems eating.
- Pediatricians and pediatric dentists suggest that all babies have an oral exam between 1 and 2 years old to screen for oral health problems in your child's mouth. You also can learn how to properly care for your child's teeth and mouth.
Oral Health: Toothpaste and Mouthwash
There are so many types of toothpastes to choose from! Some say they're made for whitening, others for reducing gingivitis and
plaque, and others for sensitive teeth. You should feel good choosing whatever brand and flavor you like if you know these basics:
- As long as the toothpaste contains fluoride and its box has the American Dental Association's (ADA) seal of acceptance, it is good for your oral health. Beyond that, choosing toothpastes based on what they claim to do is a personal choice.
- Mouthwashes claim to freshen your breath, but they really only mask breath odor for a few hours. If you must constantly use a breath freshener to hide bad mouth odor, see your dentist.
- If you need extra help controlling plaque, your dentist might suggest using an antiseptic mouth rinse. Many of these products are accepted by the ADA because they reduce plaque and gum disease, and help kill the germs that cause bad breath.
- You also may want to use a fluoride mouth rinse along with brushing and flossing to help prevent tooth decay.
Oral Health and Teeth Whitening
You might want to whiten your teeth more than is possible through regular brushing, flossing, and checkups. There are several options, each of which varies in price and effectiveness:
- Chairside bleaching or "power bleaching." Your dentist applies a gel or rubber shield to protect your gums and oral tissues, and then puts a bleach on your teeth. Ask if the bleaching agents have the ADA seal. A special light or a laser may be used to help the bleach work better, but no products that use lasers are accepted right now by the ADA. With this method, you may have to go for more than one visit. You will see results right away (about five shades brighter). It works well on a range of stains.
- Professional dispensed bleaching solutions. These products are for use at home, and you get them from your dentist. They contain peroxides that actually bleach the tooth enamel. Most come in a gel and are placed in a mouth guard or tray that fits inside your mouth around your teeth. How long you use them depends on what results you're looking for and if you are sensitive to the bleach. Some products are used for about twice a day for two weeks, and others are used overnight for one to two weeks. They help with many types of staining. Your teeth turn about six shades brighter with long-lasting results.
- Over-the-counter, TV, and Internet products. These products are for use at home and include whitening strips, paint-on products, and gels and trays. They have a low amount of peroxide. Some are worn during the day, and some are applied at night before bedtime. They have limited results without first having the stains removed professionally, but they can help prolong the results you get from professional removal. They can help staining due to age and certain foods. Your teeth turn about two shades brighter for up to six months. None of these gels and trays are accepted by the ADA.
- Whitening toothpastes. All toothpastes help remove surface stains through the action of mild abrasives. "Whitening" toothpastes that have the ADA seal have special polishing agents that remove even more stains. Unlike bleaches, these products do not change the actual color of teeth -- they only help with slight surface stains. You might see temporary results; manufacturers claim that teeth may become one to two shades brighter.
Before you use any whitening products, talk with your dentist first. He or she can help you decide which method is best for the type of stains that are on your teeth. Not all products will work on all people. Options offered by your dentist can be expensive, so be certain to ask your dentist to fully explain what results you can really expect. Keep in mind that whitening your teeth alone does not make your mouth any healthier.
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