10 Most Common Tooth Related/Dental Problems and Solutions

1. Stained teeth:- Certain food, tobacco smoking, medicines or trauma to teeth cause staining or deposition of debris of their surface or discoloration of teeth. Failing to maintain a proper oral hygiene also adds to the problem.

Solution:- The tooth can be left as it is if it’s symptomless, but if it creates pain and swelling, surgical removal of the impacted tooth is important.

2. Toothache:- Dental caries or tooth decay, pus, infection or enamel damage due to trauma causes pain and sensitivity.(To know more about toothache, read our blog … link here)

Solutions:- Twice brushing of teeth everyday and regular cleaning and polishing of teeth at a dental clinic in every 3 months to clean the deposits is crucial. Sometimes bleaching is also done to make teeth whiter.

3. Cavities/Caries:- The little black spots or holes that appear on the tooth surface are actually cavities or caries which further progress and cause tooth decay. They are formed when sticky food particles adhere to the tooth surface making home for bacteria that release acid to form cavities.

Solution: Over the counter painkiller medications can be given for symptomatic relief and proper diagnosis & treatment by a dentist is needed to cure the problem. No OTC medication can completely cure a dental related problem without getting it actually treated by a doctor.

4. Broken/Chipped Tooth:- Any trauma to the tooth surface causes chipping of enamel or more severely, an exposed pulpal chamber or a fractured tooth.

Solution: Rinsing the mouth after every meal, twice brushing of teeth, using fluoridated toothpaste are some of the ways to prevent tooth decay. Regular visit to a dentist for checkup helps in early detection of caries preventing further progress and pain. Pit & fissure sealants can also be applied as suggested by the dentist to prevent onset of caries.

5. Impacted Third Molar/ Wisdom Tooth:- Painful eruption of the wisdom tooth is a very common problem occurring in late teens or early twenties. Sometimes the tooth never comes out because it gets obstructed by the bone or soft tissue. It is most frequently accompanied by painful and swelled gums overlying the tooth surface.

Solution: A dentist may put a crown or veneer over a broken tooth surface or build it with a restorative material. You may need to undergo RCT if pulp is involved or extraction if the tooth is fractured beyond repair.

6. Sensitivity:- The first step is to find the cause of sensitivity which could be cavities, abrasion of tooth enamel, gum disease, fractured or broken teeth, exposed roots or a broken previous filling.

Solution: Treatment depends on the cause of sensitivity. You might need a new filling replacing the old one, a root canal treatment for caries, treatment of gum disease or a crown to get relief from sensitivity. A desensitising toothpaste can also be added to the above treatments.

7. Crooked Teeth:- Irregularly positioned teeth not only give a poor aesthetics but also hamper the normal functioning of oral cavity.

Solution: Fixed orthodontic treatment in children and adult helps in regaining the normal anatomical position of the teeth which gives better aesthetics and restores the overall functionality.

8. Bleeding gums:- Bleedings gums while brushing or mastication is a very common dental problem. If the gums bleed easily and are pulling away from the teeth accompanied by tenderness and itching or gnawing feeling, they indicate gum disease (gingivitis). Formation of plaque, sticky bacterial film below the gum line causes it. If left untreated, it causes bone loss and the teeth might shift or become loose.

Solution: To avoid gum disease, brush twice daily, learn and practice flossing, and rinse with an antibacterial mouthwash daily. Getting the teeth cleaned at a dental clinic in every 3 months is also important.

9. Bad breath/Halitosis:- Food particles stuck between the teeth create a film of plaque, bacteria and debris which causes halitosis. Certain medications or food also result in bad breath.

Solution: Proper cleaning or teeth and tongue, use of mouthwash and chewing sugar free gums prevents halitosis.

10. Temporomandibular Disorders:- TMD (the disorder of the joint connecting jaws to the skull) occurs in some patients with symptoms like difficulty or clicking sound during opening of mouth, pain in the joint area, difficulty in closing mouth, deviated pathway of movement of jaws etc.

Solution: Treatment of TMD requires detailed diagnosis and investigations by a dentist which should not be ignored.