Oral health is an umbrella term encompassing the conditions, disorders, and diseases affecting the oral cavity and jaws. Oral health concerns are much more than just the teeth. While the health of the teeth play an important role in oral health, they are not the only factor affecting it.
Oral health includes the health of the anatomical structures surrounding the teeth, also known as the periodontium. These periodontal tissues include the alveolar bone of the upper and lower jaws, the gum tissues covering the bone, and the ligaments connecting the teeth to the surrounding bone. You can have perfectly healthy teeth and yet lose them to an unhealthy condition of the periodontium.
Oral health also involves disorders or conditions of the soft tissues of the mouth. Many people suffer from sores, cysts, and tumors in the lips, cheeks, palate and tongue. This includes temporary ulcers, like canker sores and fever blisters. It also includes painful oral disorders like lichen planus and pemphigus.
Salivary function is an essential part of a healthy mouth. A dry mouth will have impaired oral health, and your dentist will help you manage this condition. A dry mouth cannot be a healthy mouth!
A side effect of missing teeth or untreated gum disease is bone loss. When this happens, your oral surgeon may recommend bone grafting before beginning other treatments. Depending on your unique needs, bone grafting can be taken from various sources and transferred to your mouth. What is Bone Grafting? Bone graft is a material that
Learn About Internal Teeth Bleaching A bright, white smile is often seen as a sign of confidence, happiness, and health. However, teeth can become discolored internally even with the best oral hygiene routine. When this happens, your dentist may recommend internal bleaching to restore your tooth’s natural luster. Since this requires more than a topical
Airway Orthodontics Helps You Breathe Your airway passage is directly associated with your unique dental structure and orthodontic condition. How well you breathe and sleep, and your ability to focus on daily tasks are related to the state of your airway. These issues may indicate you have a sleep apnea disorder. One solution to treat
The Role of an Oral Biopsy You may have heard of “oral biopsy” before but are unsure what it is or why you might need one. It’s a common dental procedure that tests an abnormality found in your mouth during a dental examination. This dental procedure is crucial in diagnosing oral health conditions like cancer.
Some people have them and some don’t, but in most cases when wisdom teeth begin to erupt from the gumline or become impacted, they can cause problems that warrant a wisdom teeth extraction. When Should I Get my Wisdom Tooth Checked? Normally, The wisdom tooth starts showing in your mouth from 17 to 25. You
Is Orthodontic Treatment Purely Cosmetic? We hear these types of questions from patients and patients’ parents all the time. Many people think straightening the teeth is unnecessary because it is “just cosmetic”. Make no mistake: orthodontic treatment does improve the cosmetic appearance of a smile. But that is not all it does. Orthodontic treatment provides
The mouth is home to millions of bacteria, some of them good and some bad. In fact, half of the bacteria in your mouth can lead to bad breath! National Fresh Breath Day is observed every year on August 6th to create awareness of oral hygiene in the fight against bad breath. It is a
As humans, we are regularly developing habits throughout our lifetime, and they aren’t always good ones. Bad habits are quite common, and a lot of them are formed unintentionally. Many times we develop habits that aren’t good for us without being aware of it, but bad oral habits can cause problems, pain, and cost a
Your toothbrush is one of the most important tools you have in your home to keep your pearly whites healthy and beautiful. Used properly twice a day, your toothbrush will help you ward off tooth decay, gum disease and even bad breath. Its job in your daily oral hygiene kit is vital because unchecked gum
Good oral health is essential for a healthy smile. The mouth is home to colonies of microorganisms like bacteria and viruses, and when controlled by daily brushing and flossing, your oral health can thrive. Conversely, consuming a high sugar diet that feeds the bad bacteria creates harmful acids that erode your tooth enamel and lead
