What problems can occur to my teeth

Your teeth are at risk from three major types of problems during your life. They are

1) Developmental

2) Trauma

3) Disease

Developmental Problems

From a very early age your teeth may start to form incorrectly. This could be due to genetic factors, illness, or even long term exposure to a substances.

_{accentu8dental.com.au}

This is a case of Dental Fluorosis. While young this person was receiving too much fluoride. Very likely it was due to high natural ground levels of fluoride in the water

Teeth may also erupt in different places.

_{irinadental.com}

This teenager has their upper canine teeth erupting out of place. This can be corrected by orthodontic treatment.

In the case of wisdom teeth sometimes there is not enough room in the mouth for the teeth to erupt into.

_{en.wikipedia.org}

The lower wisdom tooth on the right hand side does not have enough room.The lower left wisdom tooth is impacted. These teeth can be extracted.

What can I do?

Unfortunately you cannot do a lot to affect these developmental factors. Obviously ensure your children get regular dental check ups with the school dental nurse.

Trauma

Damage to front teeth is very common. Unfortunately people will always fall over or manage to hit themselves in the mouth with various items- not a lot can really be done about this.

However, there are also a large number of sports-related preventable injuries which a dentist will see.

_{32teethonline.com}

Remember it only takes a single blow to your tooth to sentence you to a life-time of dental problems.

What can I do?

Ensure that you and your family wear a mouth guard when participating in contact activities.

For rugby union, rugby league and hockey it is essential to wear a correctly fitted mouth guard.

For cricket we would recommend a helmet be worn when batting and either a helmet or mouth guard be worn while wicket keeping when standing up to the stumps ( you will note many wicket keepers have the characteristic broken front tooth).

For soccer and netball (even though these are not considered contact sports) we would recommend a mouth guard be worn.

_{latestworldtech.blogspot.com}

Disease

Decay/ Caries and gum disease/ periodontitis are diseases of the mouth. They are caused by the millions and millions of micro organisms which live there (a community of micro organisms is called plaque).

The mouth is an ideal place to live if you are a micro organism.

For a start it is normally a constant 37oC, food is constantly passing through and many bits are left behind.

The teeth are also a great place to live on as unlike the soft tissues they do not have their outer layers constantly shed.

Decay to the teeth

If micro organisms/ plaque are allowed to settle and grow on teeth they will eventually cause a hole.

When micro organisms/ plaque break down the food molecules left in the mouth they excrete acid as a waste product. This acid will slowly dissolve the tooth.

The greater the number of micro organisms the greater the amount of acid which is produced.

If plaque is constantly removed only the relatively harmless plaque will initially grow. If you do not clean for a time, more aggressive micro organisms will grow in the plaque.

_{http://trialx.com/}

How do I stop tooth decay?

By keeping your mouth clean.

The numbers of micro organisms/ plaque and amount of food waste are kept at low levels, as a result the mouth is more likely to stay healthy.

This is achieved by;

Tooth brushing

This will mechanically loosen and remove plaque and food debris which have stuck on to the teeth. Teeth should be bushed twice a day for two minutes using a fluoride tooth paste.

Dental Floss

Removes plaque and food debris which has got trapped in between the teeth. Teeth should be flossed at least once a day.

See your dentist regularly

There will always be some areas in your mouth which you cannot clean properly. A dentist will be able to clean these areas.

Chewing gum

Sugar-free chewing gum is good as it helps produce lots of saliva. If possible you should chew gum for 20 minutes after eating.

Sensible eating

Your teeth will be fine if you keep them clean after each meal. Constant grazing/ nibbling on food and sugary drinks throughout the day mean that the teeth will always have bits of food on them, hence at risk of acid attack.

Gum Disease/ Periodontitis

The causes of gum disease are similar to that of decay, in that it is caused by micro organisms. The difference with gum disease is that some people are more prone to developing it. For example there is a genetic link, smokers are more at risk as are diabetics.

Gum disease occurs when the plaque which builds up round the teeth is allowed (through inadequate cleaning) to grow down the root of the tooth.

_{www.perio.org}

When plaque is on the gum the body thinks there is an infection occurring. As a result the blood supply to the surrounding gum is increased, this causes the gum to become bright red and puffy in appearance and it will also bleed very easily when touched.

If the plaque is not removed from the tooth it will begin to slowly grow down the root of the tooth. The body will attempt to destroy the plaque, however, the surrounding bone will also be destroyed. This leads to bone loss or periodontal disease.

If the supporting bone is lost then the teeth are more likely to become mobile.

What can I do to stop this?

Basically it is the same as with preventing decay. Keep your mouth clean and visit the dentist for regular check ups.