Habits that are associated with poor oral health and that can cause other general problems are:

1. Tobacco and smoking can cause oral and other cancers, periodontal disease, coronary heart disease, stroke, respiratory diseases.

2. Improper Diet can be a reason for dental caries, coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancers, obesity

3.  Alcohol consumption can lead to oral and other cancers, cardiovascular disease, liver cirrhosis, trauma

4. Stress can cause periodontal diseases and heart attacks

To protect these conditions to occur, saliva helps in fighting the bacteria and viruses. For disease-causing organisms, saliva is the best defensive tool. It has antibodies that attack the viral and bacterial pathogens.

Certain medications or treatments that reduce the saliva in your mouth can reduce your mouth’s normal defenses, allowing these bacteria to enter your bloodstream.

If one has a healthy immune system, the presence of oral bacteria in the bloodstream causes no problems. Good immune system quickly dispenses with them, preventing infection.

Thus, always spend time in improving the level of oral health as it is an investment for your overall health.

Disclaimer: The content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for any competent medical opinion. Always consult a specialist for more information. Jugaadin.com does not claim responsibility for this information.

The common dental emergencies and their first aid can be:

1.      Tooth Injury: if any tooth injury occurs due to falling off or an accident, teeth may get loose. In this case, immediately consult the dentist. In the mean time, rinse the mouth with warm water and apply a cold compress to the outside of your mouth to stop the bleeding.

2.      Knocked out teeth: If any teeth get knocked out, always hold it with the crown part. Never pick it up by roots. Clean it to remove the dirt. Try to put it back into the socket, if it is possible. Otherwise, keep it in a container of milk to retain the moisture. Immediately call the dentist as knocked out teeth should be placed back within 1 hour minimally.

3.      Soft-tissue injuries: Injuries to the tongue, cheeks, gums, and lips, can result in bleeding. To control the bleeding, Rinse mouth with a salt-water solution, cover the site with moistened piece of gauze or tea bag and Hold in place for 15 to 20 minutes, one can apply cold compress to the outside of the mouth or cheek in the affected area for 5 to 10 minutes, If then also bleeding doesn’t stop, see your dentist right away or go to a hospital emergency room.

4. Abscess: when infections occur around the root of a tooth or in the space between the teeth and gums termed as Abscesses. They can damage tissue and surrounding teeth. See your dentist as soon as possible if you discover a pimple-like swelling on your gum. In the meantime, to ease the pain and try rinsing your mouth with a mild salt water solution several times a day.

5. Swelling: Swelling is one of the more common dental emergencies, it’s never a good sign. It indicates you have a serious dental infection. If you are experiencing swelling, do not wait. Contact your dentist right away.

These are some of the dental emergencies that can occur to anyone. To avoid these, one should take extra care of their mouth and visit the dentist regularly for cleanings.