Chances are, you’ve probably heard the term “cavity” before and have a general idea about what they are and how to prevent them. One of the reasons why this term is so well known is because tooth decay is one of the primary dental health problems that dentists treat. Along with tooth decay, gum disease is another extremely common dental health problem. Beyond these two, however, not many people know what other conditions can affect their oral health. Although not as common as tooth decay and gum disease, some other dental problems your dentist can treat are:
Bruxism
Bruxism is a term used by dentists to describe the behaviors of teeth grinding or clenching. Both of these behaviors are extremely destructive and have been known to cause premature enamel wear, as well as chips and cracks in the teeth. It is propagated by stress and occurs at night while you sleep, which can make it hard to control. Therefore, dentists often recommend night guards for bruxers to wear at night. This reduces the severity of the behavior and protects the teeth from damage.
Chipped Tooth
Your teeth can become damaged just like any other part of your body. The most common dental injury is a chipped tooth. Teeth can become chipped for many reasons, but usually it has something to do with biting down on something hard or exerting a force on the tooth or face. For example, sports, falls, and teeth grinding are a few causes of chipped teeth. Luckily your dentist can easily repair a chipped tooth by adding composite resin to fill in the chip.
Cracked Tooth
In addition to chipping, your teeth can also become damaged by cracking. Even though cracked teeth are not as common as chipped teeth, it still happens more than you would think and is caused by the same type of things as chipped teeth. With a cracked tooth, a dental crown is usually placed to restore the tooth, however teeth with extremely deep cracks may need to be extracted.
Discolored Tooth
There are a number of things that can stain your teeth and stained teeth are generally not cause for concern. However, a single discolored tooth may be an indication that something is wrong with that tooth. In some cases, the tooth may merely appear to be bruised due to trauma and can be pinkish in color. In other cases, the tooth may appear darker than usual or even grey in color. If your tooth is grey, then it likely means that the dental pulp is infected or dead. To prevent further complications, a root canal is generally performed to restore the tooth.
Impacted Wisdom Teeth
Impacted wisdom teeth occur when the wisdom teeth erupt around the late teens and early twenties. Unfortunately, most people do not have enough room in their mouth to accommodate an additional four teeth, so they become either partially or completely impacted. A partial impaction means the tooth is partially erupted and partially stuck in the gum tissue, while a complete impaction means the tooth is completely stuck under the gum tissue. To alleviate the pain of impacted wisdom teeth and to prevent further complications, the impacted teeth are usually extracted.
Oral Thrush
Oral thrush is basically a yeast infection that takes place inside your mouth. It is highly common in people who wear dentures or who have a medical condition that compromises their immune system. Luckily, oral thrush can easily be treated with medications.
