It’s common for parents to start worrying about their child’s teeth when they reach their teenage years. This is because teen teeth usually experience the most drastic changes as teenagers tend to have an active and outgoing lifestyle that can greatly affect their oral health. Apart from making sure that your teenager receives regular dental care, another way to maintain good teen dental health is to know the common threats to their teeth so that these can be avoided.
Here are some of the most common threats to teen teeth that you might want to look out for:
Tobacco, Vape and Nicotine Addiction
Tobacco and nicotine are dangerous not just for teen dental health but also for your child’s overall health. In fact, it is one of the leading factors behind most kinds of teen teeth damage. Tobacco use can easily lead to gum diseases as well as several types of cancers, including oral cancer, lung cancer, and throat cancer. If you’re also wondering what causes yellow teeth in teenagers, then tobacco use and nicotine could be something to watch out for as both cause teeth staining. Because of this, prolonged tobacco use will not only make teeth whitening for teenagers harder, but it will also give your teenager lasting bad breath.
Unfortunately, nowadays, there is an upward trend towards the use of e-cigarettes or vapes among teens. These are just as terrible for teen teeth as traditional cigarettes and tobacco. As parents, make sure to talk to your teenager about the harmful effects of smoking and vaping, and encourage him or her not to try it.
Sports Injuries
Did you know that another common cause of dental damage in teen teeth is sports injuries? In fact, an estimated three million teeth are knocked out every year during youth sporting activities. As such, we recommend the use of a mouthguard for your child during sports activities. Without this protection, your teenager could suffer from broken teeth, damaged jaw, bleeding gums, and lacerated lips and cheeks.
Soda, Energy Drinks, Sweets
The number one enemy of teen teeth are dental cavities. Luckily, dental cavities are the most preventable disease. But first, you should know how dental cavities come about. An alarming fact is that a large number of teens consume soda and other sugary drinks on a daily basis. Indeed, teenagers love their sweets, soft drinks, and energy drinks. However, these sugary treats can easily cause damage to your teenager’s mouth, gums, and teeth because of their insanely high amounts of sugar. The more sugar that is consumed, the more plaque will build upon your teenager’s teeth. Gradually, these sugars will turn into dental cavities. Apart from this, the acidity of these drinks could also wear down the enamel of teen teeth.
Wisdom Teeth Issues
Your wisdom teeth, sometimes known as third molars, are the last teeth to come out during your young adulthood, usually between the ages of 17-21. The problem with wisdom teeth is that they may not have enough room in your mouth to grow when they come out. There are also instances when they come out in the wrong positions, wherein they grow sideways and not straight up. In such cases, the wisdom tooth needs to be removed because it could cause pain, infection, gum disease, and damage to other teeth.
Oral Piercings
Oral piercings in the lower lip, upper lip, frenulum, tongue as well as other parts of the mouth pose risks to teen dental health. While these piercings may look cool to some, they could cause real damage to your teeth and your overall oral health. These piercings could easily lead to infection and swelling in your mouth. Accidental biting of these piercings or continued clicking of these piercings with teen teeth could lead to serious cracks in the teeth. Worse, infected oral piercings may lead to more serious infections such as hepatitis and endocarditis.
Eating Disorders
Eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating can be devastating to your teenager’s oral health. Without the proper nutrition, your teenager’s gums can bleed easily. Apart from this, throwing up, which is common for those with eating disorders, may damage the teeth as well. The strong stomach acid that comes out and flows over the teeth while vomiting leads to the loss of the teeth’s enamel. If you think your teenager might be suffering from an eating disorder, it is important that you consult professional health care provider right away.
These are just some of the more common threats to teen teeth. While there may be other issues that can be experienced, the bottom line is that all of these can be avoided or remedied by proper and regular dental care. Take your teenager to us at Sunrise Dentistry today. We have the best holistic dentists in Durango, CO. Together, let us maintain their growing smile!
