When we talk about dental health, it is usually wrongly associated with cavities. But poor mouth care can cause many other problems. Dr. Jaime Jiménez, specialist in dentistry and member of Top Doctors states that “the mouth is part of the skull, a diseased mouth can affect many parts of our body such as the back, the head, the face or the digestive system. For example, a very high percentage of headaches are the result of poor mouth function and digestive problems such as ulcers are caused by problems with the teeth and chewing”.
Dr. Jiménez advises “periodic check-ups every three to six months if there are active diseases”. Teeth become damaged due to an accumulation of bacteria in the mouth from food and/or poor hygiene, thus causing tooth decay. If left untreated, it damages the nerve and hurts. Research and the latest advances have greatly improved implantology solutions with increasingly less invasive treatments. “Implants allow us to replace teeth quickly and definitively,” says the doctor.
The enemies of good dental health
The doctor lists the main enemies of dental health:
- Foods that stain
- Foods that damage the enamel
- Sweet foods
- Chewing gum
- Tobacco
- Stress
Children and dental health
Many are the doubts that first-time parents have about the first dental care in the infant stage. Dr. Jiménez explains that “teeth should be brushed as soon as they come out, since the important thing is that bacterial plaque does not adhere to the teeth. In the case of younger children, it is enough to rub with a gauze to remove this layer that forms when we eat to prevent it from calcifying and can cause cavities.”
Another common consultation in children is about the upper labial frenulum when it causes the separation of the teeth. The doctor recommends eliminating it to avoid problems, not only aesthetic but also problems with the fit of the jaw. Orthodontics, if necessary, can be implanted from the age of seven or eight.