Things to Discuss With Your Dentist During Your Next Visit
When you visit a dentist for a routine exam and cleaning, you may know to ask him or her about obvious dental problems such as bleeding gums or severe pain in the mouth. However, there are other oral health concerns and problems that you may be overlooking and may not think to discuss with your dental professional. When you're ready to make your next appointment with a dentist, consider a few of those things here and be sure to bring them up with him or her.
1. If you have trouble breathing when you sleep
Problems breathing when you sleep can be caused by a number of health concerns, but one of them is an excessive amount of tissue on the soft palate, which is the roof of the mouth in the area near your throat. If you have fatty tissue in this area, it may obstruct your throat when you lie down and in turn you have trouble breathing when you sleep. Your dentist may be able to note if you have excess tissue as you recline in their treatment chair. A dentist may then be able to actually cut away this tissue right there in their office or refer you to a specialist who can do this; that way you'll be able to breathe better and sleep better.
2. If your teeth and mouth feel dry
Saliva is needed to rinse away food particles and keep your mouth and teeth healthy, and if you have dry mouth, your oral health can suffer. Your mouth and teeth may also feel dry because of the products you're using to clean your teeth; some products such as baking soda or alcohol can cause your mouth to become very dry. This can lead to irritation and more germs and bacteria sticking to your teeth. Your dentist can examine your teeth and mouth for signs of this damage and also review the products you use for brushing and rinsing or, if necessary, even prescribe products that will combat chronic dry mouth.
3. If you notice that your teeth seem to be moving
If you notice that there are larger gaps in your teeth than before or they're shifting in any way, talk to your dentist. You may have impacted wisdom teeth that are crowding your other teeth or bone loss that is causing the tooth roots to be weaker than they should, so teeth then move. Along with addressing these causes, you want to keep your teeth in place so that they don't actually come loose and you lose a tooth altogether.