Your teeth take a lot of force and wear and tear, so it's important to do everything you can to give them a hand. One way you can help keep your teeth healthy is by treating any oral infection you may have. If you would like to learn more, check out these four common oral infections.
1. Dental Caries
Your mouth has a delicate balance of bacteria to help break down sugars, but when that balance is distorted, it leads to an infection or caries. The infection alone has little to know symptoms, but it can cause the tooth to lose minerals, which increases the risk of cavities and tooth lesions.
Dental caries are incredibly common, especially among children and adolescents, but even adults struggle with tooth decay. You may be more prone to dental caries if your water is not fluoridated. Fluoride has been shown to help strengthen tooth enamel: the protective, hard outer layer of the tooth. If your water isn't fluoridated, talk to your dentist about fluoride toothpaste, and fluoride treatments.
2. Tooth Abscess
If you neglect your teeth and cavities do develop, your risk of a tooth infection increases. An infection or abscess occurs when bacteria break through the tooth and enters the tooth's pulp. This creates a pocket of pus within or around the tooth.
While some people may not even realize they have an infection until the dentist tells them, many suffer with extreme, persistent pain. Other symptoms include fever, swelling, tenderness, and sensitivity to hot/cold. If the abscess bursts, a sudden bitter taste or foul odor may appear.
If you fail to seek treatment, the infection may fully destroy the tooth, causing it to fall out, rot away, etc. Treatment with root canal therapy, however, can save an infected tooth. In fact, root canal therapy and tooth extraction are the only two appropriate treatment options for a tooth infection.
In rare cases, the infection can spread to other parts of the body. If it reaches the nearby lymph nodes in your neck, you may develop sepsis or widespread infection.
3. Periodontal Disease
As you get older, the risk of periodontal disease may increase. Periodontal disease is an infection in the gums, but it can also affect the jawbone. Symptoms of periodontal disease include swollen gums, red gums, bleeding gums, bad breath, pus from the gums, loose teeth, and gum recession. As the disease advances, it can cause the jaw to shrink and weaken.
People with advanced periodontal disease often have missing teeth or large gaps between the teeth as teeth move. Treating periodontal disease starts with killing the infection and cleaning the teeth above and below the gumline. Minor symptoms like swollen gums or a little gum recession will likely heal on its own (as long as you continue good oral hygiene), but major symptoms like severe gum recession or jawbone atrophy may require surgical treatment.
4. Herpangina
Herpangina is an oral infection that causes ulcers on the roof and back of the mouth. It can also present with a fever, sore throat, headache, neck pain, swollen lymph nodes, and difficulty swallowing. This condition can also cause dehydration, especially if you have a fever, vomiting, and/or diarrhea.
This infection is highly contagious, and while it can affect anyone, it is more common in young children. Unfortunately, this type of infection needs to run its course, so there is no fast treatment. You may take over-the-counter pain medicines or ask your doctor about topical anesthetics for oral pain.
Some oral infections go away on their own, but others need treatment to prevent extreme tooth loss and jaw atrophy. Luckily, your dentist has the tools and skills to help you fight and prevent oral infections. If you would like to learn more, or if you need to schedule an appointment, contact us at Universal Dental Center today.
