Diseases affecting the mouth and teeth are among the important health problems in our country and in the world. Oral and dental diseases that do not directly threaten life but negatively affect quality of life should be treated. When diseases affecting the mouth and teeth are not treated, they can trigger many problems from appearance, digestive problems, heart health, severe pain, speech disorder, bad breath.

Maintaining oral and dental health requires regular and effective oral hygiene. These include brushing the teeth at least twice a day, cleaning between teeth using dental floss or interdental cleaners, regularly cleaning the tongue, and using mouthwash. In addition, having regular dental examinations and cleanings is important in terms of maintaining dental health.

It also includes measures to protect oral and dental health, prevent caries and gum disease. Tooth decay can be reduced by measures such as regular brushing, reviewing dietary habits (avoiding sugary and acidic foods), and using fluoride. Gum diseases can be prevented with regular dental cleanings and gum care. In addition, it is important to stay away from harmful habits such as smoking and to protect oral and dental health.

Oral and dental health is not only therapeutic but also aesthetically important. Having regular and healthy teeth can enhance the beauty of a person's smile and their self-confidence. For this reason, it is important to take care of oral and dental health with aesthetic concerns.

In general, oral and dental health is a discipline that covers treatments and measures to protect the health of the mouth and teeth, prevent and treat diseases. Implementing regular oral hygiene, having regular dental examinations and adopting healthy living habits are important steps to protect oral and dental health.

What Diseases Does Oral and Dental Health Treat?

Oral and dental health deals with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of various diseases. Here are some of the most common diseases in the field of oral and dental health:

Dental Caries: Dental caries are cavities formed as a result of erosion of tooth enamel. Acids caused by bacteria can cause tooth decay and pain.

Gum Diseases: Gum diseases are the inflammation and damage of the gums. The most common are two types of gum disease known as gingivitis and periodontitis.

Periodontal Disease: Periodontal disease is a serious infection condition that extends beyond the gums and affects the bones and tissues that support the teeth. It is also called periodontitis and can lead to tooth loss.

Tooth sensitivity: Tooth sensitivity is the feeling of pain or discomfort that occurs with the consumption of hot, cold, sweet or sour foods. It usually occurs as a result of erosion of tooth enamel or gum recession.

Bad Breath: Bad breath is also known as bad breath. It is usually caused by factors such as poor oral hygiene, gum disease or dry mouth.

Temporomandibular Joint (Jaw Joint) Disorders: These disorders are conditions that cause pain and dysfunction of the jaw joint and surrounding muscles. It may present with symptoms such as jaw joint pain, jaw locking and restriction in jaw movements. Effective protection against tooth decay

The other two preventive treatment methods are fissure sealant, which means "closing caries-prone areas with topical fluoride", which is applied to increase the resistance of primary teeth to caries. When the child reaches the age of 6, the first permanent tooth, the first molar, takes its place in the mouth. These teeth, which function the longest and most, must be protected against caries with fissure sealant topical fluoride application.

Aesthetic Dentistry

When it comes to dental treatments, often the first thing that comes to mind is the treatment of rotten teeth and the compensation of missing teeth, but today, smile aesthetics related to teeth and gums are also of great importance. Causes such as cavities, excessive discoloration, crowding, deformities in the tooth surface and form, and the position of the gums relative to the teeth adversely affect dental aesthetics. Situations where smile aesthetics are not good enough cause negative effects on people both socially and psychologically.

Situations that disrupt smile aesthetics can be corrected with modern aesthetic dentistry practices. Applications such as whitening treatments, ‌composite or porcelain ‌lamina applications, porcelain ‌venner applications and gingival arrangements are among the applications of aesthetic dentistry.

Prosthesis

Problems such as missing teeth, decayed teeth that cannot be repaired with filling methods, tooth fractures, aesthetic problems related to the structure of the tooth are possible with dental prostheses.

Prosthetic treatments have a wide range of applications. The first of these is tooth deficiencies. There are two types of applications for eliminating tooth deficiencies with prosthetic methods. The first of these is removable prostheses applied to toothless or very few teeth, and the other is crown treatments in cases where the loss of substance in the tooth is high and bridge applications in case of a small number of teeth missing, that is, fixed prostheses. Veneers and bridges can be made with many different alternative methods and materials.

In addition to tooth deficiencies, prosthesis applications are also used in cases where there are aesthetic deficiencies of the teeth that cannot be eliminated by other methods. ‌Lamina porcelains are an example of aesthetic prosthetic applications applied in such cases. ‌Implant-based structures are also created with various prosthetic methods, and these are called ‌implant prostheses.

Oral and dental health protection

1. Most dental caries take months to form. To go to the dentist should not wait for the pain of the teeth. You should go to the dentist twice a year.

2. Nutrition in childhood is very important in terms of dental health. Calcium, phosphorus and fluorine minerals should be taken adequately. There should not be a deficiency of vitamins C, A and D, which are necessary for gingival dental health and strength. Milk, dairy products and fresh fruit are particularly beneficial.

3. Avoid feeding with soft foods all the time. Eating foods such as carrots and apples by biting is necessary for dental health.

4. Avoid eating randomly between meals and sweets, and rinse the mouth with water after each sweet food. Beverages such as acid, cola, soda should be avoided.

5. Teeth should be brushed every evening before going to bed and after meals in accordance with the technique.

6. Teeth should not be mixed with anything, including toothpicks. Dental floss can be used to clean between teeth.

7. Smoking and alcohol are very harmful for dental health.

8. Things like hazelnuts and walnuts should not be broken with teeth.

9. It should not be forgotten that habits such as chewing gum, pen, finger sticking, nail biting, lip, finger, cheek biting, and holding hands on the chin, especially in primary school classrooms, are harmful for the teeth and jaw, and they should be avoided.

10. Very cold and very hot foods and drinks should be avoided.

11. The dentist should not have a tooth extracted unless he deems it necessary.

12. After the age of 2, children should not use false breasts or feeding bottles.

13. Since sleeping with the mouth open is harmful to the teeth, the causes of congestion in the nose that cause such sleep should be investigated and eliminated.

Other diseases caused by oral and dental health diseases

1. Circulatory system disorders

2. Heart diseases

3. Sinusitis

4. Tonsillitis

5. Rheumatism

6. Bone resorption

7. Diabetes

8. Digestive Problems