A Closer Look at the Risks of Dental Procedures

A Closer Look at the Risks of Dental Procedures

Dental care professionals may be exposed to occupational hazards. Your teeth and gums can often serve as indicators for health problems affecting other parts of the body.

Dental implants offer greater chances of success than dentures and can preserve bone structure in your jaw and face, but may fail if not enough bone remains for support.

Poor Oral Hygiene

Preserving the health of your teeth and gums goes far beyond having a beautiful smile; oral hygiene plays an integral part in overall wellbeing, with studies proving that mouth bacteria are often spread via its source: your mouth!

Unkempt dental hygiene increases your risk of disease substantially. Bacteria found in your mouth can enter the bloodstream and spread infection throughout your body – stained, aching or decayed teeth; bleeding gums; bad-smelling breath are all indicators of poor dental hygiene practices.

Poor oral hygiene has been linked with various health problems, including diabetes, kidney disease and Alzheimer’s. Studies show that pathogenic oral bacteria can travel directly into the brain and destroy brain cells leading to memory loss.

Beginning and maintaining proper dental care from an early age is vitally important if one wants to avoid the risks associated with poor oral hygiene, such as tartar build-up, inflammation in the gums and bleeding gums. Tartar accumulation interferes with saliva production which can lead to issues such as dry mouth, infections and gum disease – not forgetting osteoporosis caused by weak calcium absorption which makes regular brushing essential and visiting a dentist in Medicine Hat!

Smoking

Smoking is one of the worst things you can do to your teeth and gums, leading to various oral health issues including poor healing from tooth extractions or dental implant placement, bad breath (halitosis) and gum disease – an infection which destroys tissue that supports teeth roots while weakening jawbones, increasing risk for tooth loss. Smokers are four times more likely than non-smokers to contract gum disease.

As smoking limits blood flow to gums and jawbone, smoking may delay healing after tooth removal or implant placement and increase your risk of complications like infection or failure for it to fuse with jawbone.

Due to the devastating health impacts associated with tobacco use, dentists must actively identify patients who smoke and advise them to quit. Furthermore, dental practices provide an ideal venue for tobacco identification and treatment; studies show that patients are more likely to make successful attempts at quitting with the assistance of healthcare providers than anywhere else.

Poor Diet

Diet is essential to both oral health and overall body wellbeing. Poor eating habits can contribute to tooth decay and other health problems, including gum disease. A diet high in sugary and processed foods encourages plaque bacteria growth that leads to cavities; furthermore, this may result in other issues including gum disease.

When your dentist opens up your mouth or jaw to extract wisdom teeth, there is always the risk that nerves could become damaged during the procedure – potentially leading to pain afterward. Your dentist will take every measure possible to ensure no nerves are accidentally injured during this procedure.

Poor nutrition can be a key contributor to oral health conditions like tooth decay and periodontal disease in older people as well as noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Therefore it’s vital to follow a balanced diet consisting of plenty of fruits, vegetables and grains for optimum oral and overall health outcomes.

An adequate diet can also help protect against osteoporosis, which causes weak and brittle teeth. Eating healthily also increases longevity as eating properly improves overall wellbeing.

Genetics

Scientists have recently revealed that genetics play an essential part in one’s oral and dental health. Some individuals tend to favor sweet foods more than others and develop cavities even with excellent hygiene practices in place. Furthermore, others possess crooked or misshapen teeth which make brushing and flossing difficult and provide a breeding ground for bacteria – this being due to how their genes impact on both their oral and dental wellbeing.

Genetic abnormalities affecting the mouth and/or jaw can be severe and require extensive treatment, from recovery through post-treatment management and maintenance, which may vary based on your condition and how many procedures, specialists and other related care you may need. Luckily, you can be safely sedated during tooth removal to minimize pain. Medical and/or dental insurance coverage can help lower out-of-pocket expenses.

People with certain medical conditions or allergies are susceptible to anaesthesia used during a dental procedure causing adverse reactions; as a result, it’s essential that any known conditions or allergies be disclosed to your dentist.

Though reducing risks associated with dental procedures isn’t always possible, it is important to carefully weigh both their benefits and potential risks. By prioritizing preventive measures like good oral hygiene and regular visits with your dentist, complications or side effects from dental treatments are greatly diminished. Should any issues arise afterward, their experienced guidance can help minimize discomfort quickly so recovery time is faster.

Infections

At present, tooth infections are relatively rare and usually limited in scope due to advances in dental hygiene and antibiotic treatments; however, if left untreated they can spread rapidly across other tissues, leading to fevers, facial edemas, trismuss, dysphagias and dysphonias that indicate bacteria have infiltrated beyond the pulp of a tooth and into other parts of the face or neck forming an abscess (pus-filled pocket). Left untreated for longer, an infection could travel into bone and tissues below creating periapical abscessess or even bloodstream in severe cases leading to sepsis (blood poisoning).

An untreated dental infection can spread into the sinuses and cause serious health complications. When left untreated, bacteria in the sinuses may lead to either sinusitis or Ludwig’s angina – life-threatening blood clots in the throat which require hospitalization if left untreated; should it spread further into the brain it could even result in meningitis.

Before antibiotics were widely available, odontogenic infections were one of the leading causes of death with an estimated fatality rate between 10-40%. Today however, tooth infections no longer respond well to penicillin treatment, spreading from teeth into other parts of the body such as lungs or even heart valves and increasing risk for cardiovascular disease by up to threefold. Therefore it is imperative that anyone experiencing symptoms associated with tooth infections immediately visit a dentist for assessment and treatment.

Dental Tourism

Dental implants have quickly become one of the most affordable tooth replacement options, yet remain among the most expensive. Due to this cost difference, there has been an upsurge in dental tourism as patients travel abroad for cheaper treatment – but before flying off for such treatment in another country there are many risks involved that should be considered beforehand.

According to a survey conducted by Registered Dental Hygienist Magazine, cheaper costs are the main driver behind dental tourism; 98% of dentists cited it as the main reason they see such patients. Unfortunately, these low prices can often lead to more costly long-term issues, including more visits or surgical repairs due to subpar work done at other practices.

Care can vary considerably depending on where patients choose to receive their treatments. Many developing-world countries do not follow the same standards when it comes to providing dentists with adequate education or ensuring the security of their facilities. As traveling soon after dental work can increase the risk of blood clots that could prove life-threatening, it is imperative that patients carefully research their options and locate a reputable dentist before making decisions about treatment or travel arrangements.

John Clayton