Lifestyle Risks – Oral Piercings
Body piercing has become a popular form of self-expression as a fashion statement and is also a practice undertaken for cultural reasons.
Significant health risks exist to individuals from the piercing process itself. With piercing salons mostly unregulated, the self-trained staff may have very little clinical and anatomical knowledge of the position of nerves, arteries and veins which can cause serious issues.
In the best case scenario, soreness and swelling will be the only symptoms experienced following the piercing procedure. However, tongue and lip piercing can lead to emergencies immed…
Lifestyle Risks – Drugs
Drugs of all descriptions, whether they be vitamins or natural remedies, prescription medications or illegal drugs, can cause an imbalance in your mouth that can subsequently lead to dental problems.
Prescription Medications, Vitamins and Natural Remedies
Some prescribed or over the counter medications can cause dental erosion. Dental erosion is the gradual “wearing away” or “washing away” of the protective enamel layer (and as the process progresses the sensitive dentine layer) that occurs from being exposed to ac…
Lifestyle Risks – Sports and Energy Drinks
Many young adults regularly use sports and energy drinks as a pick me up but may be unaware they contain high levels of both sugar and acid. Energy drinks additionally contain high levels of caffeine. Even diet or ‘zero’ options, as well as flavoured water varieties, contain plenty of tooth-eroding acids.
Acidic drinks are the main contributor to tooth erosion where the hard outer enamel layer of teeth is irreversibly dissolved away, while sugar attacks the teeth causing decay. Caffeine is a diuretic and leads to dehydration and reduced saliva production.
During exercise the body becomes…
Lifestyle Risks – Alcohol and Alcohol Fuelled Violence
Although most young people know that moderate consumption of alcohol is better for their health, many are unaware of the high levels of sugar and acid in alcohol and the juice, soft or energy drinks in which it is mixed. Excessive regular intake will significantly increase the risk of dental decay and tooth erosion which washes away the tooth structure. Even diet or ‘zero’ options contains very high levels of acid.
Worse still is the acid content of the stomach that enters the mouth when one vomits, an unfortunate but not uncommon accompaniment for many young people on a night out.
Regar…
A Dental Survival Guide for Young Adults
We can probably all remember the excitement of finishing high school and the transition into adulthood. During the process of embracing the new found freedoms and responsibilities, maintaining good dental health often becomes a low priority. Young adults may leave home or commence university or work and subsequently their healthy diet, good oral hygiene habits and reminders from parents to visit the dentist all fall by the wayside.
It is normal for young people to believe they are indestructible and they are often unaware of the long-term dental risks associated with some lifestyle choices a…