Unusual Causes of Dental Problems

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Your dental problems are often caused by the lack of discipline, poor dental hygiene, and the likes. But in some cases, your body might be setting you up for cavities and other oral health problems without you even knowing it. In fact, a lot of your activities might be leading you to tooth decay without you knowing it.

It’s quite hard to process that your own body is sabotaging your dental health; but these are a few ways that body function changes and our lifestyle contribute to putting you at risk of dental problems.

PUBERTY. We all went through this awkward and sometimes weird phase of our lives with more moments of freaking out and thousands of questions that you can’t voice out. During these years, hormone levels change and physical changes happen almost all at the same time all over the body. As if making friends and practicing your social skills aren’t challenging enough, your dental health has more surprises that get you off guard. Puberty gingivitis is a real condition that affects some women during puberty. The high levels of estrogen and progesterone cause your gums to be more sensitive and bleed easily when irritants like plaque come into contact. Brushing and flossing can cause the gums to get swollen and even bleed that make most teens do not clean their teeth thoroughly which worsens the gum disease. Fortunately, a thorough cleaning from your 24 hour dentist Los Angeles and a dental care routine will keep this gum problem at bay. This will clear up easily when you follow your dentist’s advice.

BIRTH CONTROL PILLS. Sex hormones play a role in the changes that directly affect your dental and oral health. Increased production of estrogen during pregnancy or your periods stimulate the blood flow in your gums making it more sensitive making it tender, swollen, and more likely to bleed. This makes you more prone or at a high risk for periodontal disease. Contraceptives are simple yet good examples of products that raise your hormone levels as it is used to prevent pregnancy. This is one of the reasons why contraceptives affect your dental health.

HOT BEVERAGES. Drinking a cup of coffee or hot cocoa on cold nights comes as naturally because of habits and lifestyle demands. The cold weather makes you want to drink these warm drinks but something as simple as a hot beverage, too, can cause you dental problems. These drinks can damage your teeth and may vary in severity based on some factors and the drink’s sugar content. It would be best to drink water in between sips to wash away sugar and acids from your favorite drink. You can also opt for beers but on regular consumption.

Gum disease and other dental problems are preventable. Your dentist can only do so much. The key to avoiding them is ultimately up to you. Your dentist won’t be able to control your medical prescription choices, how often you brush and floss, and your lifestyle choices. Simple choices actually make a big difference in resolving and keeping your body from getting at risk for dental health problems. Dental care routine, when done consistently, keeps your teeth healthy and white.

Water Fluoridation and Dental Health Nowadays

Fluoride-Free Water

Fluoride is commonly seen and heard on toothpaste commercials and other dental care products. This is synthetically made for these dental care purposes but is naturally found in soil, water, and food. Water fluoridation, specifically, has been done or initiated by water authorities to increase the levels of communities. This helps those who have low levels of fluorine in their water; and to prevent the spreading of tooth decay.

Tooth decay is a common dental health problem that affects children and adults; and back then, water fluoridation seemed a cost effective way to reduce the risks of this dental problem. Only a few people could afford regular dental check-ups and it seemed a good way to save them the extra cost. However, there have been health concerns that were linked to fluoridation and it has definitely outweighed its said benefits.

Here are a few of the bad effects of too much exposure of this element.

Dental fluorosis. High concentrations of fluoride can cause children who are exposed to it to have mild dental fluorosis. The development of children’s teeth is affected and can be seen as white streaks or dots in the enamel of the tooth. There isn’t exactly a health effect on the tooth but the discoloration is very noticeable. Formula milk mixed with fluoride-free water can help prevent developing babies from having dental fluorosis.

Skeletal fluorosis.  This bone disease can lead to severe pain of bones and joints over time. Too much exposure to fluoride can trigger this bone disease that makes bones hard and decreases joint mobility as bone tissue accumulate.

Thyroid problems. The damage that fluoride does to the parathyroid gland can result in hyperparathyroidism. This creates uncontrollable levels of parathyroid hormones. This will result in the depletion of calcium in bone structures and teeth as it gets dumped into your blood stream. This makes you more prone to fractures, tooth decay, and cavities.

TMJ Disorder. This is referred to as the temporomandibular joint disorder. This disorder involves the jaw joints that cause mild to severe pain. This affects most women than men and can affect facial muscles as muscle spasms, jaw joints misalignment, and joint pop as you chew or bite. This disorder also causes the head region, neck, and ears to hurt.

Like any mineral, too much fluoride is a bad thing. Exposure to too much of it is not likely to happen unless there are accidents, contamination, industrial fire or explosions. There are immediate body reactions to high levels of fluoride as if you are experiencing symptoms like nausea, vomiting, excessive salivation, and headaches.

It is true that water fluoridation help in the efforts of preventing tooth decay but this natural mineral can be harmful to your dental and general health at high levels. You can always test your water as some areas have naturally occurring high levels of fluoride. Tooth decay is preventable with simple and regular dental care habits. You can always consult with your dental specialist about fluoridation concerns and the prevention or management of its effects.