Oral infections are never pleasant experiences. They will cause you to have severe toothaches throughout the day and restlessness throughout the night.
If you do not treat oral infections quickly, the virus could enter your bloodstream and spread to your body’s vital organs.
Oral infections usually occur because of tooth damage or decay. Every tooth has something called a pulp chamber. It connects to the blood vessels, tissues, and nerves inside your mouth.
An oral infection occurs when bacteria find their way to the pulp chamber and nerves underneath a tooth.
Do not prolong getting dental treatment if you have a toothache that does not go away. When an infection is accompanied by severe pain and bleeding, it is now a dental emergency.
At that point, you must see the dentist as soon as possible. There are several different types of oral infections you need to consider.
Below are the top six types of oral or dental infections and what you should do to treat them.
Our mouths are filled with bacteria. When people eat sugary or carb-filled foods, the bacteria become attracted to those foods.
Unless you rinse your mouth out afterwards, the sugars will stick to your teeth. This will cause various bacteria and toxins to find their way to your teeth and gums, leading to the formation of gingivitis.
Gingivitis is the beginning of gum disease. When plaque accumulates on your teeth for a long time, the gum tissue around the teeth will become inflamed.
If the inflammation continues untreated, the gums will bleed as you brush them. The good news is you can treat gingivitis and reverse the symptoms before they get worse.
Do not wait too long, or you will develop an irreversible form of gum disease called periodontal disease.
Periodontal disease is what you will want to avoid at all costs. It happens to people who ignore their gingivitis and never go to the dentist.
When the bacteria from your oral infection gets under your gum line and reaches your tissues and bones, then it becomes periodontal disease.
Gum recession is the first sign of periodontal disease. It will cause more of your teeth to get exposed until they finally start to loosen and fall out.
Meanwhile, you will experience a lot of toothaches and pains along the way. There is not much you can do about periodontal disease other than to seek treatments to reduce the pain.
Your dentist will probably suggest extracting the remaining teeth and giving you dentures to replace them.
Our mouths contain naturally growing bacteria called Candida Albicans. When the bacterial growth becomes too much, it causes a condition called oral thrush.
The symptoms include white and red sores that are quite painful and unattractive. Fortunately, you have nothing to worry about here.
Thrush is a treatable condition that will go away in a short time. You just need to deal with the inconvenience of the symptoms until they dissipate.
Thrush overgrowth can be caused by certain medications, dentures, and dry mouth syndrome. Your dentist can prescribe the necessary treatment for dealing with the condition.
Cavities are the most common oral infections that people experience. As sugary and carb-filled foods cause tooth decay, small holes form in the teeth.
When bacteria make their way into the holes, they become cavities. The infection will continue to get worse as you consume more sugar each day.
Oral herpes is a contagious oral infection that spreads from kissing and other forms of personal contact involving the mouth.
The herpes simplex virus causes oral herpes after it gets into your mouth, resulting in an infection of the gums, lips, and mouth.
The symptoms include painful cold sores and blisters in the mouth.
Canker sores are small lesions on the gums and mouth tissues. They are temporary oral infections that occur after eating spicy foods or acidic foods.
Sometimes immune disorders, stress, and hormonal imbalances can cause canker sores too.
They usually go away after 10 to 14 days.
