5 Signs Your Oral Health Is Not OK
Part of looking after your teeth, gums and oral health environment is knowing the tell-tale signs that indicate something isn’t quite right. When it comes to oral health, acting quickly is paramount, as teeth have a habit of declining quickly once problems start emerging.
5 Signs Your Oral Health Is Not OK
Bleeding and swollen gums
Contrary to popular belief, no amount of bleeding is considered ‘safe’ when you brush. Even a small amount of blood from time to time indicates that your gums are struggling to breathe through the layer of plaque (and, in some cases, tartar) coating them.
Seeing a hygienist as soon as possible will alleviate bleeding gums, as they will painstakingly remove the bacteria (plaque and tartar) causing the inflammation.
Ignoring bleeding gums can eventually lead to advanced gum disease (clinically named periodontitis), and trust us when we say that’s no laughing matter (it’s the leading cause of premature tooth loss in adults).
Tooth sensitivity (that doesn’t subside right away)
If you’ve ever clipped your teeth with an ice cream, you’ll be familiar with that intense tooth sensitivity that follows. Whilst this isn’t anything to worry about if you’ve noticed any tooth sensitivity that lingers, this could be your teeth trying to tell you there’s a problem.
Persistent tooth sensitivity could indicate:
Enamel erosion.
Exposed tooth roots.
Tooth decay.
These are problems that require a diagnosis, preventive guidance, and potentially a follow-up treatment.
Persistent bad breath
Bad breath after eating foods like garlic and onion is perfectly normal (there isn’t anyone on earth who can avoid it!)
However, if you’re suffering from bad breath all the time, there could be something sinister going on in your mouth. Trapped bits of food that don’t become dislodged through drinking water and using flossing harps will invariably cause bad breath.
Make sure you’re flossing at least once a day (ideally after every meal) to get those pesky bits of food clinging on for dear life in between your teeth!
Bad breath (clinical name halitosis), can also be caused by smoking, poor oral hygiene and a coated tongue.
As well as being bad for your oral health (especially if caused by food particles and gum disease), bad breath can pose emotional problems like lack of self-esteem and confidence.
Your teeth are loose (but not due to an injury)
If you’ve ever had a blow to the face, be it through a contact sport or bumping into something, you may have experienced a tooth becoming loose.
However, if you’ve noticed you have a loose tooth, and it wasn’t caused by an injury, you could be suffering from periodontitis.
A tooth that has become loose in this manner could mean serious issues are unfolding within the body, namely, heart disease.
Gum disease causes loose teeth by eating away at your gum tissue, creating pockets through which plaque and tartar can bury under the gum line. It’s at this stage that it can find its way into the bloodstream, blocking arteries and upping the risk of heart disease and heart attacks.
The good news is that this is entirely avoidable with hygiene check-ups. Not only can routine hygiene cleaning potentially be life-saving, it can save you a fortune in tooth replacement treatment, preventing loose and failing teeth.
Your teeth look “longer”
Have you noticed your teeth look “longer”? You’re not imagining things.
This is when gum tissue pulls away from your teeth, usually due to overenthusiastic brushing or gum disease. This can make teeth look longer, and you’ll need treatment to cover up the exposed tooth roots. Without treatment, the vulnerable and non-porous dentine underneath is highly likely to suffer decay, cavities and erosion.
Ask a dentist for free
Want to receive free advice on preventing oral health-related problems? Or perhaps you’ve got one of the symptoms mentioned above and you need some guidance? Speak to a dentist at Nova Smiles free of charge - simply click here.
