As they say, prevention is always better than cure. The same applies to your oral healthcare. Spending thousands of dollars on your teeth and gum problems can be a nightmare that you can avoid by simply caring for your dental health on a routine basis. If you are unaware of the reasons to take good dental care, check out some of the popular ways listed below!
Prevention of gum diseases: Gums are the foundation of your teeth and they keep your teeth affixed at their place. Not doing enough for dental care may lead to infections in your gum tissues or bones. This may further lead to tooth loss, if not treated timely. However, you may avoid this situation by daily brushing and cleaning of your teeth and gums effectively. You may use tools like a Waterpik water flosser to ensure better cleaning and plaque removal through proper flossing.
Early detection of dental problems: If you care for your teeth and visit a dentist once every six months or so, then you can detect dental issues at an early stage. This will help you check for any cavity, gum problem, inflammation, or damaged filling. With right dental care, you can avoid a stage where you would need a root canal procedure or tooth removal. Your dentist can also correct the problem at the initial stage and suggest proper ways of dental care on a routine basis.
Avoiding bad breath: It is a common issue to have bad breath or halitosis. However, good dental care will avoid dental problems like halitosis. While regular dental checkup is required, proper cleaning of teeth, gums, and tongue through brushing and flossing is also essential. If you find these tasks problematic, then invest in helpful items like a Waterpik water flosser, which can save your flossing time and keep the process clean. Your breath will then stay fresh throughout the day.
Preventing stains: Many people are addicted to things like tobacco, alcohol, coffee, etc. Their regular consumption may leave the teeth stained. If untreated, this can lead to other oral diseases. Thus, effective dental care is critical to prevent staining of your teeth and keep them polished for that bright white look.
Ensuring good oral health: Good dental care and regular examination by a hygienist can help in maintaining your oral health. You can avoid innumerable dental issues, such as gingivitis, missing teeth, sensitivity, fractured tooth, worn enamel or filling, dry mouth, and something horrible like oral cancer. Every part of your mouth is important, starting from gum tissues and teeth to jaw and palate. Thus, keep a check on your dental care habits.
Maintaining good overall health: Keeping your mouth clean not only ensures good oral health, but also good physical health. Not maintaining oral hygiene can be a cause of other physical health problems that may be as serious as heart attacks.
Oral hygiene practices like brushing and flossing are incredibly essential. Not caring for the teeth can cause them to decay and even fall off in extreme cases. Consequently, missing teeth can make chewing food complicated and cause extreme discomfort. To manage the problem, dentists affix dental implants in the jawbone that replace the lost teeth. Here is a quick guide on how implants work and their popular types and benefits.
How do dental implants work?
A dental implant effectively works both as a root and a tooth. The three components of a dental implant are:
Types of dental implants
The following are a few popular types of dental implants one may come across:
The best implant for a person will depend on their oral health and how much stress their bone structure can support at the time of the diagnosis. So, it is vital to do a detailed analysis and diagnosis before committing to a dental procedure.
Benefits of dental implants
There are several benefits to getting dental implants. Here are a few of them to explore:
Individuals suffering from missing teeth should speak to a dentist about the best treatment plan for them. The dentist can recommend a suitable type of dental implant to make chewing easier and lessen discomfort. The expert can also suggest tips to maintain the implant and prevent tooth problems in the future. However, it is important to note that dental implants are not the only solution to lost teeth. In some cases, the dentist may recommend using removable dentures or other alternatives.
Chronic migraine is a condition where the affected person experiences at least 15 headache days a month. It is observed that at least 8 out of these 15 days are migraine headaches with severe symptoms, and this pattern of discomfort remains consistent for 3 months. Initially, it may not be a frequently occurring episode, however, with time, the episodes may get regular with chronic headaches. If left untreated, this condition can affect a person’s life.
Causes
Several factors determine the onset of this kind of migraine. One of them includes a steady increase in the frequency of episodic headaches. Over-the-counter treatment options that are used to treat frequent headaches stop affecting over time, leading to side effects that develop into chronic headaches. Some other factors that can put an individual at a high risk of developing this condition include mood disorders like anxiety or depression, snoring, excessive caffeine intake, ongoing disturbed sleep patterns, and a history of stressful life events causing emotional or physical trauma. An unhealthy lifestyle leading to an increase in the body mass index (BMI) can also be a causal factor.
Symptoms
There is no difference between symptoms of chronic migraines and episodic migraines. However, the only thing to notice is the increased frequency of episodic headaches in a month. Some typical symptoms of this illness can be observed for timely diagnosis and treatment.
Transitioning symptoms (episodic to chronic migraines)
Diagnosis
A health professional will take a look at the affected person’s health history. If needed, the doctor may ask questions that help understand the migraine patterns. The questions include how and when the migraines begin, how long they last, are there any notable physical factors or triggers that worsen the condition, and where the location of the pain is.
The professional may also ask for a detailed history of other health conditions like anxiety, depression, lifestyle choices that may trigger these headaches, any treatment options used, and possible side effects that could be factored into the diagnosis. Based on the results, appropriate treatment methods will be advised and implemented.
Treatment options
Most of the treatment methods focus on managing the symptoms, the migraine attacks, and reducing the episodes and pain.
One of the treatment therapies includes focusing on lifestyle changes.
Some other treatment options for managing migraine attacks include:
Other techniques include:
Also, maintain a headache diary and note down the possible triggers and the number of migraine attacks in a month. If there’s a notable increase in the attacks, consult a doctor at the earliest. Knowing the triggers can help the doctor chalk out an effective treatment plan.
Preventive treatments and methods
Apart from treatment options that help manage the symptoms, there are preventive treatment methods that reduce the episodes of these headaches to a certain extent. These include using beta blockers and other therapies. One such treatment method also includes using an Allergan product named BOTOX®, which doctors recommend for those 18 years and older. The intravenous treatment method is administered around the neck or the head, where the migraine pain usually affects the person. This ten-minute procedure is not painful and can prevent headaches for three months. The procedure takes place in a doctor’s clinic under close supervision.
Chronic migraine can be painful and disrupt everyday life activities, so choosing the right treatment plan is crucial. Get all the information from a licensed health professional and seek the best possible treatment plan according to a detailed diagnosis.