03 Feb 2023 What is Oral Inflammation?
Whenever oral inflammation occurs it causes an uneasy feeling, and oral inflammation is also known as stomatitis. And stomatitis in general terms is also known as an inflamed and sore mouth. If this happens it can end up disrupting any person’s abilities to eat, talk and even sleep. Stomatitis is a condition that can occur anywhere in your mouth, and this includes the inner part of your cheeks, gums, tongue, lips, and palate.
When any person experiences swollen and painful gums then it is the symptom of a periodontal disease, which is an inflammatory gum disease. Swelling occurs from an auto-immune response of the body that reacts to an infection. Infections are noticeable through pain, redness, and warmth. If the infection is left untreated, it can end up affecting the bone which is near the teeth. The body’s immune system during this time wants to get rid of the bone.
Inflammation in the gums is also associated with atherosclerosis, and this occurs due to fatty deposits that are present inside your body’s arteries.
Whenever the inflammation is left untreated, your gums then to develop pockets and these pockets can provide the perfect breeding ground for infection and the growth of bacteria. If the inflammation and infection persists for a longer period of time, then there are a higher chances of bone loss, and it can also lead to tooth loss too.
Hence it is a crucial practice to preventive dental care on a daily basis at home and have regular visits to the dentist for two times a year. Whenever there are dental appointments it should include an exam, cleaning, and full mouth x-rays, and along with it there should be essential knowledge and instruction on how to properly care for teeth and gums at home. It is also a very important thing to see your dentist right away if a tooth suddenly becomes sensitive or you observe any other changes in your mouth which causes trouble.
What Are The Types of Stomatitis?
Types Of Stomatitis Include:
Canker sore:
A canker sore, which is also known as an aphthous ulcer, it occurs when there is a single pale or yellow ulcer with a red outer ring or a cluster of such ulcers in the mouth. This usually takes place on your cheeks, tongue, or inside the lips.
Cold sores:
This is also called fever blisters, cold sores are fluid-filled sores which occurs on or around the lips. Cold sores rarely form on the gums or the roof of the mouth. Cold sores later crust over with a scab and they are usually associated with tingling, tenderness, or burning before the actual sores appear.
Mouth irritation:
The irritation in mouth can be caused by several reasons. It can occur due to biting your cheek, tongue, or lip, not just that it can also take place if someone is wearing braces or any other type of dental apparatus, or having a sharp, broken tooth.
Apart from the above mentioned reasons, there are several other types of stomatitis such as, chewing tobacco, burning mouth because of hot food or drinks, having gum disease which is gingivitis or any other type of mouth infection, having hypersensitivity to certain things, such as foods or medicines.
Understanding Dental Inflammation:
Dental inflammation can have affects your entire overall health. When you cut yourself and a scab forms, that is how the inflammatory process works. Though your body is usually very adapted at healing itself, but still there are many situations where the natural inflammatory response actually makes a problem worse causing more problems.
Inflammation in the mouth can begin a frustrating cycle that and it can’t be resolved without the help of a skilled dentist. Inflammatory processes in the mouth lead to several dental problems such as tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease, tooth and bone loss.
Bacteria & Dental Inflammation:
The presence of bacteria will always there in your mouth. Eliminating all of it is neither desirable nor possible. Hence in such a situation, what you can do is help to maximize it for a healthy mouth. The increase of good bacteria in your mouth and destroying the decay-causing bad bacteria in your mouth can help your oral condition to get better.
When the bad bacteria thrives on, they result in damage the tissue that are present in your mouth. Your body responds with an inflammatory response, which is the beginning of the vicious cycle of tooth decay and gum disease.
You can manage the bacteria in your mouth by:
#1. Consuming healthy foods and eating balanced diet which is rich in leafy greens and low in sugary and acidic foods.
#2. Brushing twice a day and flossing for a day regularly at home is an essential thing.
#3. Visiting the dentist for checkups and cleanings to remove built up tartar and plaque, so that it doesn’t ends up causing any further problems.
Oral Inflammation And What You Can Do About It
Whenever there is oral inflammation your dentist may be the first person to notice the early signs of cardiovascular disease. Yes you have read that right, the health of your gums and teeth is closely connected to the health of your heart. The early signs of concern includes several symptoms such as bleeding gums, gingivitis, and tooth decay, and all of this can indicate excess inflammation for you.
What Lab Tests Are Recommended To Assess Inflammation?
The two lab tests that are commonly used for assesses systemic, total body, chronic inflammation are high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and homocysteine. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is a third test that may be employed from time to time, but it is a less reliable marker of chronic inflammation than hsCRP and homocysteine.
If My Dentist Sees Signs Of Inflammation Or My Inflammatory Lab Markers Are Elevated What Can I Do?
First of all you need to follow dentist’s recommendations for oral hygiene. This includes daily flossing, brushing and regular cleanings as they are the essential things in order to decrease oral and systemic inflammation in your mouth. Supplements such as oral probiotics, therapeutic doses of fish oil, and professional grade curcumin may also be prescribed to reverse the inflammatory trend.
Secondly, you need to make changes to your diet as diet plays an important part too. The bad news is that when signs of inflammation are present or lab tests are elevated, diet is inevitably a contributor. The good news is that there are three simple ways to have a tremendously positive impact on inflammation through your diet.
1.Decrease consumption of foods that contribute to inflammation. With sugar, sweets, juice, soda, alcohol and simple carbohydrates this includes white rice, white potatoes, pasta and breads. Topping the list of pro-inflammatory foods, your dentist will be fully supportive of these changes.
2. Increase consumption of foods that can help in decreasing the inflammation. In this category there are spices such as turmeric and ginger, colorful vegetables, colorful fruits and healthy fats such as fatty fish, olive oil, nuts, avocado, and coconut.
3. For maximum benefits, take on both decreasing consumption of pro-inflammatory foods and increasing consumption of anti-inflammatory foods.
What causes inflammation in mouth?
The most common Causes of Mouth Inflammation are canker sores this forms from a lip or cheek abrasion, stress, nutritional deficiencies, an impaired immune system or localized mouth burns often contribute to general oral inflammation.
What foods cause inflammation in mouth?
The foods that are very acidic in nature such as tomatoes, tomato-based sauces, citrus fruits and juices and carbonated soft drinks, and this can make your symptoms more intense. Other than acidic foods there are spicy foods such as salsa, chili, jalapenos and curry which can also make sore and your mouth symptoms much worse.
How can I reduce inflammation in my mouth?
You can reduce your inflammation in your mouth by daily flossing, brushing and regular cleanings. Supplements such as oral probiotics, therapeutic doses of fish oil, and professional grade curcumin may also be prescribed to reverse the inflammatory and the inflammation conditions.