What are Some Mouth Diseases?

There are a number of common mouth diseases that can affect humans at various points in their lives. For this reason, it's important to look after your oral health by brushing and flossing regularly and by visiting a dentist on a regular basis. Diseases like hand-foot-mouth disease, thrush, and gingivitis all need to be treated promptly.

Hand-foot-mouth disease is usually seen in babies and children. Symptoms include blistering in the mouth, sore throat, fever, and lack of appetite. This also presents as a rash on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. The virus is spread from person to person and frequent hand washing is a good strategy to keep the risk of spreading it down.

Since hand-foot-mouth disease is a virus, there is no specific treatment ordered to treat it. Specific symptoms can be treated, though. Acetaminophen or ibuprofen can be used to reduce fever and treat the pain caused by the mouth sores. It's important for the person diagnosed with hand-foot-mouth disease to drink plenty of fluids to avoid becoming dehydrated.

Another example of common mouth diseases is thrush. This is an oral yeast infection that affects children and adults. Yeast is normally present in a person's mouth and if the levels are at a normal level, this is not a cause for concern. However, when the individual's resistance to infection is low, the level of yeast can get out of balance, and cause an infection.

Thrush looks like white lesions on the tongue and in the mouth. The tissue underneath the lesions will appear red in color and my bleed. Your doctor or dentist can diagnose a case of thrush and recommend treatment options. When babies have thrush, most of the time no specific treatment is needed and the infection clears up on its own. In adults, a special mouthwash or lozenges with anti-fungal properties may be ordered.

Gingivitis is yet another example of common mouth diseases. This condition causes the gums to swell. Bleeding after brushing may be a sign of gingivitis, but there are other factors that my increase your risk of developing the disorder. Tobacco use, poor nutrition, substance abuse, and the hormonal changes present during pregnancy have been linked to gingivitis.

If gingivitis is left untreated, it can lead to periodontitis, which is a more serious mouth disease. It's a good idea to look after your oral health by practicing good oral hygiene. Seek medical attention if you notice something that doesn't appear normal, and be on the lookout for symptoms of these common mouth diseases.