The lining of the mouth cavity is prone to quick drying for several reasons. It is exposed to the external environment when the mouth is opened, subjected to moving air when breathing through the mouth or talking and it does not have a waterproof layer like the skin to prevent moisture loss. However, the body has >> Read More ...
The tongue is one of the more sensitive organs in the human body. It is laden with receptors for touch and taste which allows it to complete its relevant functions. The tissue of the tongue does not have the same hard protein covering of the skin. However, the tongue is often exposed to many environmental factors when we >> Read More ...
Saliva has several functions. It moisturizes the mouth cavity, lubricates the movement of food around the mouth and down the throat, and also contains enzymes that aid with digestion. We do not give saliva much thought unless there are problems like too much or too little of it. The latter can cause a host of symptoms >> Read More ...
As strong as teeth are, it is by no means indestructible. A cracked, chipped or even broken tooth are common dental injuries. These type of injuries are not always considered to be a dental emergency and it may not be necessary to have the tooth extracted. It depends on the severity of the injury and the promptness of >> Read More ...
We all develop a furry type of white coating on our tongue by the end of the day. This is considered normal and is largely composed of food particles, bacteria and saliva. It is easily remove by brushing of the tongue to reveal the underlying pink color of a healthy tongue. However, there are cases where coating of the >> Read More ...
Mouth breathing is not often considered as a medical problem but it does contribute to a number of complications and the underlying cause can affect a person’s quality of life in certain instances. Most of us breathe through our mouth at some point or the other, be it after strenuous physical activity or with the >> Read More ...
The lips are one of the sensitive areas and has a several layers less skin than the surrounding face. These layers make a difference to its ability to weather environmental conditions and the lips may therefore dry an crack much more frequently than the surrounding skin. At times the cracking may be isolated only to the >> Read More ...
We all expect to see a tongue of consistent color and texture when we look at it. Apart from the furry coating that develops during the day and is removed after brushing, the upper surface of the tongue has no noticeable variations in appearance. However, in people with a geographic tongue there are distinct irregular >> Read More ...
As with any part of the body, sores may arise on the lips for a number of different reasons. It is usually temporary but sometimes lip sores may recur and be linked to serious diseases. It may be accompanied by swelling of the lips, pain and tenderness. In severe cases there may even be bleeding and hypersensitivity of the >> Read More ...
Gingivitis is a common gum disease and affects most people after puberty. It is estimated that over 7 in 10 adolescents and about half of all adults in the United States have some form of gingivitis. Most are asymptomatic, meaning that there are no symptoms or symptoms are so mild that it goes unnoticed. However, if left >> Read More ...
