Ignore signs and invite trouble!

In this post, I will give an idea about the warning signs which most people are likely to ignore. These warning signs help you to recognize that something is wrong with your teeth, and acting early will help you to protect yourselves from the disease without running into complications. 

1. Blood

Imagine seeing blood while brushing your teeth? If you have lost a lot of blood, find out where it is coming from, and how frequently you are getting these bleeding episodes. Bleeding from the gums could be a sign of a vitamin deficiency or a blood clotting disorder. Some clotting disorders, which can be very fatal, only manifest as bleeding gums! Bleeding could also be a sign that you are having a loose tooth or a tooth infection. So, consult your dentist at the earliest, describe to her/him the accurate symptoms and make sure that you get treated for the disease!

2. Pain

We ignore pain till it becomes unbearable. Pain could be a warning sign that you are having a tooth infection, a loose tooth or even a cancer of the oral cavity! Tooth infections are particularly dangerous, because they can even precipitate infections in the heart, stomach and elsewhere. Streptococcus is the most common bacteria that causes fatal heart infection called rheumatic fever after infection following tooth extraction. A loose tooth that irritates the gums or the cheek for a long time will precipitate a leukoplakia or an oral cancer!  

So, if there has been a tooth which is inflicting you a lot of pain, consult your dentist and ask for advise to manage it. 

3. Change of colour

Have you ever noticed a change of colour of your tongue, inner surface of cheek or jaw? A benign looking whitish adherent patch could be a fungal infection or a leukoplakia. A leukoplakia cannot be easily detached from the mucosa of the oral cavity. Once removed, they cause bleeding. If neglected, leukoplakia can turn into an oral cancer. So, don't ignore the warning signs!

4. Brittle teeth

Sometimes, the teeth just grind away. It may be associated with weakening of bones also. It is likely to occur in case of calcium and mineral deficiency. Brittle teeth may also be a result of bruxism or teeth grinding. Mottling of teeth, or dental fluorosis, may occur because of high fluoride content in water. Vitamin D deficiency causes poor bone and teeth formation and may result in brittle teeth that easily get loose.

5. Bad odour

How does it feel like to have bad smell emanating from the mouth? Sometimes, it happens that foul smell embarrasses the person and greatly reduces her/his self confidence. The bad odour could be more that just a nuisance, it could be a warning sign of infection. The micro-organisms living in the mouth can produce foul gases, which cause the bad odour. Consult your dentist and get an opinion before you let the microbes win over you!

So, the moral of the story is, don't ignore the warning signs!

Thanks to Colgate and Indiblogger for inspiring me to write this post. For more tips related to oral healthcare, visit Colgate Total Blog : http://www.myhealthyspeak.co.in/

P.S: I am a medical student and not a qualified dentist. I am therefore not qualified to speak authentically on this subject. This post is not intended to be of diagnostic nature.