The Risks Lyme Disease Poses to Your Oral Health
Lyme disease is a serious issue that can affect one’s health drastically, including your dental health. A small tick bite could end up causing you to have to visit your dentist for a few appointments in order to heal any pain and infections you might have due to it. This article will explore more behind what this disease is, the symptoms of it, and how your dentist can help you with it.
What is Lyme Disease?
Also known as borreliosis, Lyme disease is a serious infection often caused by tick bites which can create inflammation in your body and lead to various problems like headaches, fevers, and even tooth pain. This disease can be identified by a bullseye-like ring that forms on your skin after you have been bitten by an insect that carries this disease.
The Oral Symptoms of Lyme Disease
There are many symptoms that occur in your mouth when it’s affected by Lyme disease. Below are some to watch out for.
A Dry Mouth
One of the most obvious symptoms of Lyme disease is a constant dry mouth. If you feel like your mouth isn’t refreshed after having drunk glasses of water or after having used mouthwash, you’ll want to set up an appointment with your dentist to have them check for the cause of this dryness.
You Have Pain When Chewing
Another symptom of Lyme disease is that you have trouble chewing. If you feel like your teeth are suddenly very sensitive when grinding up food or your jaw feels sore, you’ll want to have your dentist check your mouth immediately.
Your Face is Slightly Paralyzed
Lyme disease can cause slight paralysis in your face, especially in the form of Bell’s palsy. This is due to the disease affecting the muscles in your face and causing them to weaken which can result in your mouth tilting slightly down.
Inflammation
Another common sign of oral Lyme disease is inflammation of the gum and teeth. Inflammation is often evident with soreness and redness of the gum and sensitivity in your teeth which can cause your teeth to throb excessively.
How Your Dentist Can Help You
If you believe you have oral Lyme disease, it is important to immediately contact your dentist. They’ll be able to help you with healing the symptoms of this nasty infection. A dentist will perform tests and examinations to check for this disease and work to help remove the harmful bacteria from your mouth. If necessary, they will also perform procedures to remove teeth if they are affected by it.
A new treatment you might be recommended to try by your dentist is ozone therapy. This is a natural treatment where your dentist will release ozone into your body, often with Vitamin C mixed into it, to help reduce the symptoms of this horrific disease.
Lyme disease can take a major toll on your health, especially when it comes your teeth. If you suspect that you are suffering from this disease, be sure to contact your dentist right away. They’ll be able to help with reducing the symptoms of this disease so you get back to feeling better.
