Pain or Swelling in Mouth
Pain, swelling or discomfort in your mouth can be the result of many different contributing factors. Let us run through a list of issues first that many of us may have encountered. Then we can list the actual results from those issues and finally how to treat each to remedy the problem.
Physical and Mental Contributing Factors to Pain and Swelling in your Mouth
Here are a few issues that can contribute to mouth pain:
- Stress- A feeling of emotional or physical tension. Something has left you feeling nervous, angry, or frustrated. It is the way our body responds to a challenge or demand. Stress can affect each of us in many ways, and at one point or another it can manifest into a condition in your mouth.
- Hypersensitivity- This is an undesirable reaction produced by your normal immune system. The most common would be allergies. Anxiety or fear can cause a hypersensitive reaction. This reaction can result in pain or swelling in your mouth.
- Infection- When a virus, bacteria or an unwanted microbe enters your body and begins to multiply. Some common signs are a fever, chills, cough, sore throat, nasal congestion, and shortness of breath. A few simple examples would be the common cold, the flu or strep throat.
- Hormones- Monthly hormonal changes, mostly in women, can result in swollen gums, swollen salivary glands, canker sores and bleeding gums.
- Lack of Proper Vitamins- There are seven vitamins that have a direct positive impact on the health of your teeth, gums, and the soft tissue of your mouth.
- Mental Instability- An easy example is that of depression. This indeed can affect oral health in a negative manner. It may result in neglect or avoidance of necessary dental care.
Injury- Something as simple as biting the inside of your mouth. - Dry Mouth- The result of your salivary glands not producing enough necessary saliva.
The Identifiable Treatable Conditions
Now is a list of some of the conditions that can come from the contributing factors above:
- Canker Sores- A small ulcer develops on the inside of your cheek, tongue, and the roof of your mouth. Canker sores cause a tingling and burning. These lesions will usually heal on their own but can be treated.
- Gum Disease- Swollen and bleeding gums are a common result of gum disease. The soft tissue is infected by the bacteria in plaque and tartar.
- Toothache- The result of decay from a cavity, crack, or broken tooth.
The Dental Treatment to Remedy the Pain or Swelling
Many of the unwanted canker sores and lesions can be treated with an antimicrobial mouth rinse, antibiotics, or prescribed corticosteroid. After an oral evaluation, your dentist must first find the cause of the problem. If it is stress, health or diet related those contributors can be addressed. If it is toothache that can be resolved with the proper dental procedure. Gum disease can be stymied and even reversed with a good deep teeth cleaning. We are all as unique as our fingerprints, and soreness, pain, and swelling in our mouths is no different.