As we said in our “Oral Hygiene Basics” article, many health problems can develop as a consequence of poor oral hygiene and the most common oral problems are gum diseases, halitosis (bad breath) and of course tooth decay.

All the oral problems mentioned above can and will develop from the neglect of oral health and oral hygiene. Bad oral hygiene can impact significantly on a social and psychological level too.

Below we go into some depth into the most common problems associated with poor oral hygiene.

 

Gum Diseases

Gum diseases generally refer to the conditions known as Gingivitis and Periodontitis. Both are inflammatory diseases that affect the gums in our mouth and are the most common causes for adult tooth loss. Gum diseases settle in when poor hygiene techniques result in the gums becoming infected and inflamed. Gingivitis always precedes Periodontitis and as the inflammation progresses the gums bleed and start receding, exposing the roots of the teeth and weakening them, leading eventually in loss of teeth.

 

Halitosis (Bad Breath)

Halitosis, or bad breath, can have many different causes. In most halitosis cases the cause is in the mouth and the most common location for mouth-based halitosis is the tongue. Other reasons that can cause or intensify halitosis are hunger, dry mouth, alcohol and certain foods with strong smell such as garlic or pastrami.

Gently cleaning the tongue with a toothbrush or a tongue scrapper will treat most cases of halitosis and use of antiseptic mouthwash also helps. In some occasions a visit to the dentist is necessary to remove halitosis.

 

Tooth Decay

Tooth decay, also known as dental caries or tooth cavities, is a dangerous disease where bacteria grow and erode the tooth enamel and create a cavity in the tooth. These cavities can cause pain and act as a breeding ground for more bacteria, deteriorating the health state of the whole mouth. Tooth cavities must be promptly treated and filled by a dentist.