The 4 Most Annoying Dental Issues and How To Avoid Them

There are many oral health conditions that require immediate attention, but a fair amount can progress unattended until they require major work. However, you can prevent most of the common causes of these irksome issues from occurring or developing into a worse problem. The following are annoying oral health issues and steps you can take to prevent them:

Sensitive Teeth

It shouldn’t hurt to eat or drink. The annoying feeling that comes from sensitive teeth, that sharp zap of pain, is a message that your enamel is damaged and needs attention. You can prevent damage by avoiding high-acidic foods or carbonated beverages that erode the minerals in your tooth enamel. Also, using a soft-bristled toothbrush will lessen abrasions, and a toothpaste with fluoride will help with remineralization to preserve the enamel.

Bleeding Gums

Bleeding gums signal that it’s time to pay more attention to your oral hygiene, so don’t ignore them. When plaque builds up on your teeth, it can cause inflammation in the tissue surrounding your teeth, the gums. When the gums are inflamed, it means blood vessels are near the surface and easy to rupture from the pressure of brushing or flossing, causing the bleeding. When you begin regular flossing and gentle brushing along the gum line, you can remove any plaque which will lessen and eventually stop the inflammation from developing.

Stained Enamel

Over time, tooth enamel may yellow. Sometimes, streaks or blotches of discoloration develop on the teeth. These stains are byproducts of foods or drinks you consume. They are annoying, but harmless and preventable. Taking sips of water and flushing your mouth after drinking tea or coffee will reduce the amount of staining power from these liquids, and brushing after eating and drinking will remove any of the residue that leaves behind stains. Also, there are simple whitening procedures to brighten a smile and make it easier to maintain.

Shifting Teeth

A tooth that shifts out of alignment may not harm your general oral health, so it’s easy to ignore at first. It gets more annoying over time as it slowly emerges until one day, it’s obviously sticking out. Without intervention, shifting may continue until your smile looks more jagged or uneven, perhaps causing you to feel self-conscious. Shifting is a slow process, so you have time to get ahead of these alignment changes. Permanent or removable oral devices can fix the alignment and slip the tooth back into place.

While it’s possible to prevent many dental issues, sometimes we tolerate the condition instead; it may be annoying but not urgent. However, if you allow irritating dental issues to persist, these minor problems may grow into bigger ones that you can no longer avoid. That feeling of annoyance is the body’s signal to engage in self-care.

If you have an annoying oral health issue, call for an appointment before it becomes a real problem for your health and well-being.