From bad breath to dry mouth, jaw pain and oral cancers, there’s a wide-range of conditions that can compromise one’s oral and dental health. WebMD discusses tongue and lip problems, a rather unique set of oral health concerns that everyone should know about.
As small ulcers appearing on the lips or mouth that are easily irritated when a person eats or speaks, canker sores may be simple or complex. While a simple canker sore may occur a few times a year and go away within a week, a complex canker sore could indicate an underlying health deficiency or an impaired immune system. Notably, individuals with gastrointestinal diseases such as Celiac and Crohn’s disease are more susceptible to developing canker sores. Even so, it’s important to contact a dentist if a canker sore lasts more than three weeks, if pain is severe, if sores are spreading or if a high fever develops.
A fissured tongue, though not considered a cause for concern, consists of grooves or the appearance of cracking on the surface of the tongue. Also called a plicated tongue, this condition is also associated with geographic tongue (benign migratory glossitis, or BMG), Melkersson-Rosenthal Syndrome and Down syndrome. However, most instances of fissured tongue remain harmless, and do not result in serious oral health problems.
Also present on the tongue and the inside of the mouth, a white rash called thrush is an infection caused by candida fungus (yeast). While stress, uncontrolled diabetes and certain cancers can lead to thrush, corticosteroids and antibiotics often lead to an overgrowth of fungus. In more severe cases, an individual may complain of difficulty swallowing, pain, the feeling that something is stuck in his/her throat or fever. In this case, it’s important to see a dentist quickly.
Whether a child chews on his or her jaw or gets hit in the face in a head-on collision, a mucocele might form. Relatively harmless, a mucocele is a small cyst and the result of a blocked salivary duct. Though painless, it’s always a good idea to have a dentist look at any lump or bump in the mouth.
At Grateful Dental, Dr. Leia Porcaro places a high value on preventative dentistry and regular checkups to ensure that one’s oral health is the best that it can be. This includes early detection and assessment of oral health problems of the tongue and lips. Thus, if it’s been some time since you’ve seen a dentist, or if you are experiencing any of the above-mentioned concerns, call Grateful Dental today for a comprehensive dental check-up!
