Teeth help in biting and chewing food, breaking it into small pieces for easy absorption into the body. Just like how the general hygiene of the body is essential, so is oral hygiene. It is crucial to keep the mouth clean to prevent bacteria from growing in the mouth. A healthy mouth ensures you have strong teeth with zero cavities and a fresh breath. Tooth infections are severe, and they can lead to serious health complications, not only for your teeth but for the body as well. It would be best to visit a dentist frequently to ensure your teeth are in perfect condition and have no risk of infections. Both kids and adults are at risk of getting tooth infections if they eat many sugary snacks. It would help if you kept a healthy eating habit to grow and maintain healthy teeth.
Types of Tooth Infections
Tooth infections are agonizing and may lead to tooth removal if they are not discovered on time. These infections are from growing bacteria in the mouth that are brought about by having unhealthy oral hygiene. To avoid getting yourself in this kind of situation, you need to brush your teeth at least twice a day and gargle some mouth wash. Below are some of the tooth infections to look out for.
- Periodontal: This is when the bacteria in your tooth affect the bone structure that supports your teeth. It can cause teeth to become loose and fall out if not treated on time.
- Gingival: When you have this kind of bacteria, your gums grow in size because of the build-up plaque. It has toxins that cause redness and bleeding gums. If left untreated, it may completely cover your gums and cause you so much pain.
- Periapical: This is a bacterial infection that affects the root of a tooth. It may affect the roots and the entire fracture cavity and damage nerves and blood vessels. To ensure the bacteria doesn’t affect your jawbones, you need to see a dentist and treat the infection before it reaches the pulp cavity.
What Causes Tooth Infections
Oral hygiene plays a huge part in keeping your teeth healthy. Regularly brushing your teeth ensures there is no room for any bacteria to grow and cause health complications. These are some of the causes of tooth infections.
- Sugar: It is refreshing, and every once in a while, we give in to temptation and sneak a treat. Taking too many sugary snacks and drinks can cause you to develop a tooth infection in a short time. You need to keep your sugar intake very low to keep your teeth strong and healthy.
- Poor immune system: How your body responds to an infection in the body will determine if you get a tooth infection. When you have a healthy immune system, bacteria will not have room to grow and cause tooth infection.
- Smoke: People who smoke are more likely to get a tooth infection than those that don’t. To protect yourself from getting a tooth infection, ensure you brush your teeth a couple of times a day to keep the toxins from the cigars away from your teeth.
- Poor dental hygiene: Lack of proper oral hygiene will have you nursing one tooth infection after another. Not brushing your teeth gives bacteria time to grow in your tooth and cause toothache.
Symptoms of a Tooth Infection
A toothache is a definite indicator that you have a tooth infection. These are some other ways you can tell you have a tooth infection.
- Pain when biting and chewing food.
- Swollen cheek and face, on the side that has an infected tooth.
- Bad breath that doesn’t go away after brushing your teeth.
- Sensitive tooth to both hot and cold food and drinks.
- Loosening of a tooth.
- Painful and swollen gums.
How to Deal With A Tooth Infection
A tooth infection will not go away on its own. It needs some antibiotics to help fight the bacteria. When you have pain in your tooth, you need to schedule an appointment with your dentist to know the kind of infection you have and the best way to treat it. A dentist will check and see the amount of damage done and ways to treat the tooth without removing it. You can take pain medication for the pain, but the best way to treat a tooth infection is through taking antibiotics and brushing your teeth frequently to discourage the growth of bacteria.
Quick Remedies at Home
Toothaches are agonizingly painful and can keep you up all night. However, there are some things you can do at home to ease the pain and stop the spread of the infection to other body parts. These are ways you can use the things around you as remedies before seeing a dentist for medical attention.
- Avoid foods that are too hot or cold.
- Rinse your mouth with diluted hydrogen peroxide or some warm salty water.
- Use a soft bristle brush to brush your teeth.
- Don’t use the side with the affected tooth to chew.
- Use some of the painkillers you have at home, like aspirin or ibuprofen, to relieve the pain.
When to See a Doctor
After treating a toothache with some home remedies, it is still essential to book an appointment with your dentist to rule out any other conditions that may permanently damage your tooth. For example, swelling in the face signifies that you need to visit your dentist immediately because it indicates that the infection has spread to other tissues around the tooth. At the doctor’s office, you need to be honest and upfront about any medication you took to relieve the pain. Remember, your dentist makes a diagnosis from your present symptoms. If a drug or herbal remedy you took is causing some of your symptoms, it will lead to a wrong diagnosis, leading to improper treatment. Honesty saves everyone’s time. You get to recover in a short time, and you keep the doctor from conducting a series of tests because he has all the information to diagnose you properly.
Tooth Infection Prevention
The pain from a tooth infection is unbearable, and no one ever wants to experience that again. However, you can ensure your teeth stay healthy by having a good dental routine. These are some of the things you can do to prevent tooth infections.
- Brush your teeth every day when you wake up and before you go to bed for at least two minutes.
- Cut down on the sugary snacks and drinks, eat more crunchy fruits and vegetables.
- To prevent tooth decay, use fluoride mouth wash.
- Floss every day to ensure you get all the food particles in between the teeth.
- Have regular dental checkups.
- Have healthy eating habits, eat a balanced diet, and drink plenty of water. It ensures you have a robust immune system that helps fight bacteria in the tooth.
In conclusion, tooth infections can cause severe damage to the tooth and the whole body. Having a healthy eating habit and drinking water boosts your immune system, and this helps prevent any infection from attacking your body. It would be best to have regular visits with your dentist to ensure your teeth are healthy and not at risk of diseases. A tooth infection can affect anyone, kids or adults. Protect your teeth and those of your kids by brushing twice daily and gargling some mouth wash.
