Houston's 6 Most Common Dental Problems

Tooth decay occurs when bacteria in the mouth produce acids that erode the hard outer layer of your tooth, which is called dental enamel, exposing the much softer layer of tooth material underneath that is called dentin.

An infection causes a tooth abscess at the root of the tooth. The cause is advanced tooth decay, gum disease, or trauma to the tooth.

All these conditions cause openings or holes to appear in the hard outer covering of tooth enamel, enabling bacteria to enter and infect the center of the tooth called the pulp.

The infection can spread to the root of the tooth, and even into the boney socket around the tooth.

Gum disease makes it easy for bacteria to accumulate in the mouth and eventually affect the rest of the body.

Maintaining good oral hygiene such as brushing and flossing plus regular visits to the dentist can help in managing and decreasing risk for infection

There are many reasons why people snore. Snoring can occur when there are large structures in the throat which can range from tonsils to a long or soft palate.

Your muscles relax as you sleep, it causes the airway to narrow and close in on the structures within your throat, resulting in partially obstructing the airflow as you breathe.

As the air passes through your throat and reaches the obstructions, instead of flowing over them, they vibrate — and this causes that loud snoring sound.

Oral cancer is a growing concern. It is, sadly, the most common cancers affecting people in North America, The 5-year survival rate is less than 50 percent If you do have cancer, your cancer treatment causes dental complications; some of these can become chronic or painful. Dry mouth is one of the complications from cancer, but other patients may experience overly sensitive teeth. Teeth that decay quickly could also be an issue.