KATHMANDU: In order to prevent a range of diseases, maintaining good oral health is necessary as deteriorating oral health can also affect breathing and lead to pneumonia or lung infections when oral bacteria reaches the lungs.

Reports suggest that quite a substantial number of people are experiencing problems with their oral health.

Since our mouth is connected to various aspects of our well-being, including the beauty of our smile and the health of our digestive system, the condition of our teeth, gums, and throat is crucial for good oral health.

In addition, the most crucial elements of oral health are the teeth and gums.

To shed light on this topic, we spoke with Dr. Harish Joshi, a senior dentist. Here’s an edited excerpt of our conversation.

What are the common problems seen in oral health?

Firstly, we need to understand that if the mouth is healthy, our whole body is healthy.

If there is a problem in the mouth, it affects the whole body. More public awareness about oral health has bene disseminated in Nepal now than before.

Moreover, better treatment tools and techniques have also come along.

What causes oral health problems?

In fact, a single cause may not be the only reason of oral health problems.

The problems range from teeth to gums. Oral health problems are crucial for our overall well-being.

If we experience problems with our oral health, it can have a negative impact on our entire body.

However, there has been an increase in public awareness regarding the importance of oral health in Nepal lately, and better treatment tools are also available.

What are the major factors?

Oral health problems can arise due to various factors, including tooth decay that is caused by bacteria that produce acid and damage tooth enamel, leading to cavities.

The other problems can be gum disease which causes an inflammation of the gums caused by plaque buildup.

What are the consequences of gun disease?

This can cause bleeding, bad breath, and even tooth loss if left untreated.

Are there other risk factors?

Indeed, oral cancer since a type of cancer can be seen that can affect the lips, tongue, throat, or other parts of the mouth.

Others include, tooth sensitivity, which is a common problem caused by exposed tooth roots or enamel erosion. This can cause discomfort when eating or drinking cold or hot foods.

What do you want to suggest to the people?

As I said earlier, people can experience bad breath, which is caused by bacteria in the mouth and can be a sign of underlying oral health problems.

Therefore, regular dental checkups and good oral hygiene practices are essential for maintaining healthy teeth and gums.

What are the most common problems in mouth?

Yes, one of the most common problem in the mouth is tooth decay.

This can lead to gum disease. Eating things stuck in the teeth for a long time, not brushing on time and in the right way, not rinsing after eating chocolate, sweets, etc., causes problems in teeth.

Another problem is bad breath, which is not just a personal health problem.

If an individual has bad breath, he also has psychological pain caused by the behavior of others.

For this, you should drink plenty of water, it helps to keep the digestive system clean and remove bad breath.

Does infection in liver, lungs and kidney affect oral problem?

If a person has a lung infection, the mouth smells. Liver helps in digestion of food. So if the liver gets infected, it will not work properly and it will cause indigestion.

Kidney problems in the body can cause metabolic problems, which can cause dry mouth and other problems.

Infections in the lungs can cause bad breath. The liver plays a vital role in digestion, and its infection can lead to indigestion.

Kidney problems can cause metabolic issues leading to dry mouth and other problems.

Proper oral hygiene practices and regular dental checkups can help prevent these issues and maintain overall oral health.

How should we take care of oral health?

After eating in the morning and evening, we need to brush the teeth with a soft brush so that all parts of the teeth are thoroughly cleaned.

We can also rinse the mouth with salt water besides consuming plenty of water.

I would also suggest people to not consume ‘paan’ (betel) or tobacco products since they can cause mouth cancer in the long run.

Meanwhile, clove, which is considered very useful to remove the problems in the mouth, can be beneficial in improving digestion.

Eating green vegetables or food rich in fiber can also help reduce oral problems.