Becoming a Woman - Mouth and Teeth and Things That Can Go Wrong
Diseases and Conditions of the Mouth:
Aphthous stomatitis (canker sores). Canker sores are a common form of mouth ulcer that girls get more often than guys. Although their cause is not completely understood, mouth injuries, stress, dietary deficiencies, hormonal changes (as with the menstrual cycle), or food allergies can trigger them. They usually appear on the inner surface of the cheeks, lips, tongue, soft palate, or the base of the gums, and begin with a tingling or burning sensation followed by a painful sore called an ulcer. Pain subsides in 7 to 10 days, with complete healing in 1 to 3 weeks.
Cleft lip and cleft palate are birth defects in which the tissues of the mouth and/or lip don't form properly as a fetus is developing in the womb. Children born with cleft lip or cleft palate can have reconstructive surgery in infancy - and sometimes later - to repair the cleft. This surgery can prevent or lessen the severity of speech problems later in life.
Enteroviral stomatitis is a common type of infection. People with this condition have small, painful ulcers inside their mouths that may decrease their desire to eat and drink, putting them at risk of dehydration.
Herpetic stomatitis (oral herpes). Oral herpes causes painful, clustered blisters inside the mouth or on a person's lip. People can get this infection when they have direct contact (such as kissing!) with someone with the herpes simplex virus.
Periodontal disease. Periodontal (pronounced: pare-ee-oh-don-tul) disease affects the gums and tissues supporting the teeth. Gingivitis (pronounced: jin-jih-vy-tus), an inflammation of the gums characterized by redness, swelling, and sometimes bleeding, is one common form of periodontal disease. It's usually caused by the accumulation of tartar (a hardened film of food particles and bacteria that builds up on teeth).
Gingivitis is almost always the result of not brushing and flossing the teeth properly. When gingivitis isn't treated, it can lead to periodontitis, in which the gums loosen around the teeth and pockets of bacteria and pus form, sometimes damaging the supporting bone and causing tooth loss.
Diseases and Conditions of the Teeth:
Cavities and tooth decay. When bacteria and food particles are allowed to settle on the teeth, plaque forms. The bacteria digest the carbohydrates in the food and produce acid, which dissolves the tooth's enamel and causes a cavity. If the cavity is not treated, the decay process progresses to involve the dentin. The most common ways to treat cavities and more serious tooth decay problems are filling the cavity with silver amalgam; performing a root canal procedure, which involves the removal of the pulp of a tooth; crowning a tooth with a cap that looks like a tooth made of metal, porcelain, or plastic; or removing or replacing the tooth. To avoid tooth decay and cavities, get in the habit of good dental care - including proper tooth brushing techniques.
Malocclusion is the failure of the upper and lower teeth to meet properly when you bite down. The types of malocclusion include overbite, underbite, and crowding. Most of these conditions can be corrected with braces. Braces are metal or clear ceramic brackets bonded to the front of each tooth. Wires connecting the brackets are tightened periodically to force the teeth to move into the correct position.
Impacted wisdom teeth. In many people, the wisdom teeth are unable to erupt normally so they either remain below the jawline or don't grow in properly. Dentists call these teeth impacted. Wisdom teeth usually become impacted because the jaw is not large enough to accommodate all the teeth that are growing in and the mouth becomes overcrowded. Impacted teeth can damage other teeth or become painful and infected. Dentists can check if a person has impacted wisdom teeth by taking X-rays of the teeth. If, after looking at the X-rays, a dentist thinks there's a chance that impacted teeth may cause problems, he or she will usually recommend that the tooth or teeth be removed (extracted).
Reviewed by: Wayne Ho, MD
Date reviewed: July 2003
