10 Common Dental Problems And How To Avoid Them

For a relatively small space, your mouth has a whole lot going on, health-wise. As the Mayo Clinic (charmingly) puts it, your kisser is "teeming" with bacteria -- most harmless, but left alone, capable of causing real problems in your overall oral well being.

We all know that the American Dental Association recommends brushing your teeth, thoroughly, twice a day and many of us have been begged by our dental hygienists to actually floss. Cosmetic dentist and Huffington Post blogger, Dr. Thomas P. Connelly, adds that a morning tongue scraping is a "huge" part of overall oral health. What else can you do and what should you be on the lookout for? Check out our slideshow of 10 of the most common dental problems and (when possible) how to avoid them.

1 of 10

Bad Breath

1 of 11

First Slide

Previous Slide

@

Dr. Connelly says that the main source of bad breath (or halitosis) is the tongue. Why? Layers of bacteria can get embedded on it, resulting in foul-smelling Volitlie Sulfer Compounds. The Mayo Clinic also lists possible bad-breath causes like dry mouth (which occurs naturally during sleep, but can also be caused by a glandular condition), as well as certain foods, like onions or garlic. Connelly adds that another potential source -- one that's often overlooked -- is a post nasal drip, which causes bad breath because bacteria are attracted to the resulting mucus and phlegm. Once again, he stresses the importance of a daily tongue scraping and suggests anti-histamines (after consulting your primary care provider, of course) if a post nasal drip is your problem.

marisa

Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Miguel Cotto

Opryland Hotel Flood

Conservative Pundits On Newt Gingrich

Dr. Connelly says that the main source of bad breath (or halitosis) is the tongue. Why? Layers of bacteria can get embedded on it, resulting in foul-smelling Volitlie Sulfer Compounds.

The Mayo Clinic also lists possible bad-breath causes like dry mouth (which occurs naturally during sleep, but can also be caused by a glandular condition), as well as certain foods, like onions or garlic.

Connelly adds that another potential source -- one that's often overlooked -- is a post nasal drip, which causes bad breath because bacteria are attracted to the resulting mucus and phlegm.

Once again, he stresses the importance of a daily tongue scraping and suggests anti-histamines (after consulting your primary care provider, of course) if a post nasal drip is your problem.

comments(87)

Total comments: 87 | Post a Comment

1 of 11

Problem

Rank #2  |  Average: 4

Never happens to me That was no fun

• 
  1
• 
  2
• 
  3
• 
  4
• 
  5
• 
  6
• 
  7
• 
  8
• 
  9
• 
  10

Top 5 Problems

loading...

Top 5 Problems

UserName

 | Become a fan

Picked These as the Top 5 Slides in the Slideshow

loading...

Top User Slides

← Prev|Next →

 | Become a fan

Picked These as the Top 5 Slides in the Slideshow

loading...

Users who voted on this slide

← Prev|Next →

loading...

Comments

[RoselleDentist]

02:15 PM on 04/18/2011

Halitosis can be caused by so many things. Sometimes tooth decay can also cause odor. http://www.drvisco.com We'll be adding a blog to our site soon to discuss topics like this.

[VJSleight]

04:11 PM on 03/29/2011

Smoking should be added to the causes of yellow teeth and cavities--the tar from smoking, sticks to the teeth causing them to turn yellow. It is also sticky which allows more plaque to stick to the teeth, causing more tooth decay and tooth loss. Smoking also puts a person at higher risk for cancers of the oral cavity--tongue, gums, lips--which are often found by a dentist.

[SamMicCham]

08:33 AM on 03/21/2011

My dentist said my wisdom teeth were coming in all kinds of crooked, so I got those babies remove *before* they started giving me problems. My dentist told me we could take them out in two sessions (one session for upper, another for lower) but I thought, why bother going through it twice? Just got 'em all taken out in one go. Of course, I was eating nothing but yogurt and mashed potatoes for a week, but hey, I only had to do it once.

[KeithH1]

09:50 AM on 03/16/2011

I never read this anywhere, but 100% of the mouth sores I used to get were caused by acidic food like fruit juice and oranges. When I cut those out of my diet they vanished forever.

[AnnainLA]

05:43 PM on 03/15/2011

I think the best plan is to always get a second opinion when a dentist recommends work.

Also , do your own research before you let dentists sell you something you don't need

[getoffmedz]

01:00 PM on 03/15/2011

Even a clown knows to floss, regularly.

; o }

[WestOfTheMoon]

10:05 AM on 03/15/2011

Brushing twice per day and flossing at least once daily will allow most people to avoid these problems. Not drinking toilet cleaner--I mean soda--helps too. Oh---and if you must eat candy, keep it sugar free.

[AnnainLA]

05:22 PM on 03/15/2011

dried fruit is much worse for your teeth than candy.

[LisaViger]

07:58 PM on 03/15/2011

That's actually not true, Anna.

[WestOfTheMoon]

01:59 AM on 03/16/2011

Oh yes? How so?

[gravity defiant]

04:17 AM on 03/15/2011

Um, I'm no dentist (*ahem*...cosmetic or otherwise), but I'm pretty sure yellow teeth were never a health problem until someone figured out that they could make large sums of money by selling us things to cure them.

In fact, it's possible that they're STILL not a health problem...unless your livelihood depends on convincing people otherwise. Why is HuffPo giving space to such nonsense?

[Yorksgal]

01:49 PM on 03/15/2011

100% Correct - I was always told that "yellow" teeth were stronger than "white" teeth. This is purely cosmetic and $$$$$ making for dentists. And the more people are wanting whiter and whiter teeth - the more weird looking they are - especially when you get older people with really white teeth - just doesn't look right.

[TheBlondeRaven]

02:09 AM on 03/15/2011

I've been meaning to go to the dentist for a while; today I'm booking that appointment.

[Arielle Valenzuela]

01:44 AM on 03/15/2011

Oh - I did not know that bad breath could also be caused by nasal drip! That's definitely something to ask my dentist about. I learned more about taking care of my teeth at http://www.topdentists.com/.

[ddanimal]

11:30 PM on 03/14/2011

Magnesium deficiency is associated with periodontal disease.

Meisel P, Schwahn C, Luedemann J, John U, Kroemer HK, Kocher T.

Department of Pharmacology, Ernst Moritz Arndt University, F.-Loeffler-Str. 23d, D-17487 Greifswald, Germany. [e-mail]

Comment in:

* J Evid Based Dent Pract. 2006 Dec;6(4):285-6.

Abstract

In the multifactorial pathogenesis of periodontitis, there are still unknown factors influencing the outcome of the disease. An association between magnesium and periodontitis has been suggested by preliminary studies. However, relevant clinical data are lacking. We investigated the association between magnesium status and periodontal health in a population-based analysis. We conducted a cross-sectional epidemiological investigation involving 4290 subjects aged 20-80 yrs. We recorded periodontal risk factors and determined concentrations of serum magnesium and calcium, relating them to periodontal parameters. In a matched-pair study, 60 subjects using oral magnesium-containing drugs and 120 without were compared. In subjects aged 40 yrs and older, increased serum Mg/Ca was significantly associated with reduced probing depth (p

[ddanimal]

11:31 PM on 03/14/2011

In a matched-pair study, 60 subjects using oral magnesium-containing drugs and 120 without were compared. In subjects aged 40 yrs and older, increased serum Mg/Ca was significantly associated with reduced probing depth (p

[ddanimal]

11:32 PM on 03/14/2011

Abstract

In the multifactorial pathogenesis of periodontitis, there are still unknown factors influencing the outcome of the disease. An association between magnesium and periodontitis has been suggested by preliminary studies. However, relevant clinical data are lacking. We investigated the association between magnesium status and periodontal health in a population-based analysis. We conducted a cross-sectional epidemiological investigation involving 4290 subjects aged 20-80 yrs. We recorded periodontal risk factors and determined concentrations of serum magnesium and calcium, relating them to periodontal parameters. In a matched-pair study, 60 subjects using oral magnesium-containing drugs and 120 without were compared. In subjects aged 40 yrs and older, increased serum Mg/Ca was significantly associated with reduced probing depth (p 0.001), less attachment loss (p 0.006), and a higher number of remaining teeth (p=0.005). Subjects taking Mg drugs showed less attachment loss (p 0.01) and more remaining teeth than did their matched counterparts. These results suggest that nutritional magnesium supplementation may improve periodontal health.

[ddanimal]

11:30 PM on 03/14/2011

Dr Weston price was curing cavities (actually stimulating remineralization of eroding tooth surfaces) using cod liver oil and butter oil. He believed the active constituents were vitamin K2 and vitamin D.

Magnesium is also effective for periodontal disease.

[AnnainLA]

05:23 PM on 03/15/2011

The life span in the cultures Dr Weston Price praises is usually around 45.

[ddanimal]

05:36 PM on 03/15/2011

wrong. you have no idea what you are talking about.

[ddanimal]

11:16 PM on 03/14/2011

When I started taking vitamins, my periodontal disease and receding gums completely disappeared. That was 10 years ago.

Nutrition and supplements are the cure for many of these oral health problems: vitamins C, E, D, K2, magnesium, CoQ10, B vitamins etc.

[shespeaks]

07:04 PM on 03/14/2011

My dentist demands patients get a cleaning every three months. She is very competent and incredibly expensive. I see on posts people here who go in once a year. I'm compromising because I can't budget $50 a month for teeth cleaning, but once a year is pushing it. Every six months. Prevention beats the alternative.

[ddanimal]

11:34 PM on 03/14/2011

OF COURSE your dentist recommends that you pay them regularly. LOL. Dentists dont have the cure, and they sure wouldnt give it to you if they did.

The truth is that oral disease is a result of inadequate nutrition. Before the birth of civilization, people all over the world had near-perfect oral health by eating properly: adequate vitamin K2 and vitmain D, magnesium, and animal fats. Read the work of Dr Weston Price.

[northbronx]

02:35 PM on 03/15/2011

Six months is just fine if you have a healthy mouth, your dentist's bank balance notwithstanding. You might need to go more often if you've had major problems, like periodontitis, in the past.

[mmkay]

03:58 PM on 03/14/2011

Some meat-eaters breath and bo is reminscent of sewers. Dunno why they didn't get honorable mention.