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Six Warning Signs that Your Mouth Isn’t Healthy

Do you have a feeling that your mouth isn’t healthy? Experiencing problems with your teeth, gums or tongue is common. The goal is to have a healthy mouth and fix dental issues.

Having a healthy mouth is essential to your overall health. It makes it easier to eat and enjoy food, ensures you don’t experience mouth pain, and even has positive benefits for your overall health. Despite this, many people live with warning signs that their mouth isn’t healthy, and yet, do nothing about it.

So join us as we explore 6 different warning signs that your mouth isn’t healthy. Not only that, but we’ll look at their causes and explain why it is so important to treat these warning signs and not ignore them.

Bleeding Gums

One of the primary warning signs that your mouth isn’t healthy is bleeding. Imagine if every time you washed your hands, they bled. Or, what if your head started to bleed after you applied shampoo? You would immediately call the doctor, right?

And yet, many people experience bleeding gums when they brush or floss their teeth, and then never do anything about it.

Bleeding gums is a sign of inflammation, which underlies most diseases that occur in your mouth.

Gum disease, like gingivitis or periodontitis, can cause serious problems in your mouth, such as

Persistent bad breath,

Teeth can become loose and fall out, and

Overly sensitive to hot and cold.

Not only that, but gum disease can affect your overall health and has been linked to diabetes and heart disease.

When your mouth isn’t healthy, it could also be a warning sign for your overall health, and therefore it’s important to visit the dentist when your gums bleed.

At your appointment Dr. Forester will speak with you about your symptoms or dental issues. He will discuss treatment options to treat and fix bleeding gums.

Pain

Pain is an obvious way to recognize that your mouth isn’t healthy. If something hurts, your body is saying that something is wrong.

Unfortunately, mouth pain doesn’t always come until it is too late for simple fixes.

In other words, the longer you wait to address the pain, the harder it will be to fix it.

A much better approach is prevention– to visit the dentist on a regular basis (the average person is about every 6 months) for a cleaning and checkup. Some patients may need to go to the dentist more frequently than 2 times per year.

That way, if your mouth starts to show signs of being unhealthy, we can make easier and quicker corrections before the pain begins.

Broken or Uneven Teeth

Despite what you might have experienced with your parents or grandparents, teeth should last a lifetime. If you have broken or uneven teeth, you should definitely visit your dentist.

You may be tempted to think the damage is already done and nothing more can happen, or you might not care about the way uneven teeth look, but these things need to be addressed.

Broken or uneven teeth could be a sign of occlusal disease, grinding, clenching, GERD, eating disorders, or other issues.

Rather than just repair the chipped tooth, here at Lifetime Smiles we want to identify and address the root cause of the problem. By correcting this, we can help ensure a healthy smile that will last a lifetime.

When you come in for your appointment, Dr. Forester will speak with you about the dental issues you’re experiencing. He will discuss treatment options to fix broken or uneven teeth.

You’re in excellent with Dr. Forester and his friendly, compassionate team.

Bad Breath

Do you avoid talking directly to people because you fear they will smell your chronically bad breath? It could be a sign that your mouth is not healthy.

Bad breath is typically caused by bacteria in the mouth, and could be a sign that you have periodontal (gum) disease.

There are other common causes for bad breath as well, such as your diet or even health issues in the rest of your body.

Whatever the cause, a visit to our dentist can help clear things up. Not only can you prevent gum disease from becoming too serious, but you’ll also be able to speak to people face to face again!

If it’s time to finally fix your bad breath once and for all, call Dr. Forester at Lifetime Smiles in Johns Creek.

Dry Mouth

Your mouth constantly produces saliva, and while that might sound gross, it’s actually important for a healthy mouth.

Dry mouth is often caused by a disease or medications, and while it might only feel inconvenient, it also has negative affects on your oral health. A dry mouth is more acidic and prone to decay, which means you’re at greater risk of cavities or teeth loss.

If you’re experiencing a dry mouth, you might notice your lips cracking, sores forming at the corners of your mouth, your tongue becoming rough and dry, and difficulty swallowing and talking. Even food can begin to lose its taste!

Talk to our dentist about options to protect your smile, and improve the way you eat, speak, and swallow.

(05/19/2022)
by Dr. James Forester

More Information: https://www.lifetimesmiles.com/2018-12-3-6-warning-signs-that-your-mouth-isnt-healthy/

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