Early Caries Signs and Symptoms
Ear caries is a dental condition, which involves the breakdown of the ear’s bony structure by tooth decay. This can lead to an infection of the ear with possible chronic otitis media, external otitis, and even facial nerve paralysis.
It occurs mainly in children between 3 and 5 years old and it is believed that they may place small objects (such as beads, paper clips, or peanuts) into their ears after experiencing pain due to severe early childhood caries.
It can also be associated with thumb-sucking habits. Although this has been reported only once in the literature, we believe that it should be considered as an unusual cause of facial paralysis
can bad hygiene cause an ear infection:
The truth is this, an ear infection can arise for a number of different reasons. Some are beyond your control and some you can do something about to prevent from reoccurring.
Today we bring you the five ways that you can go about preventing an ear infection because let’s be honest here… nobody wants one.
1. Hygiene:
This might sound a little weird coming from me but hear us out for a second before you make any judgments. More often than not people experience their first ear infection in childhood which has been contributed to by sharing toys such as combs or brushes with other friends or family members who may have had an existing ear infection themselves without knowing about it at the time.
2. Keep your hands clean:
This one is pretty straightforward, keep yourself clean and try to ensure that you don’t pass on any bacteria or germs by washing your hands more often than not throughout the day.
A lot of people forget about this very important step when it comes to ear infections because they are not familiar with them in comparison to colds or the common flu; but there’s no need for concern at all, simply be aware of how easy it can spread and take extra steps to avoid getting others sick too.
3. Clean things around you regularly:
To get rid of excess wax build-up or an ear infection that may have developed over time then you are going to need to clean things around the ear regularly. For one, you will want to make sure that you don’t go overboard on what you’re cleaning because hard objects can simply scratch away at your skin which is definitely not good for your health.
4. Keep your eardrums healthy:
This one is a little more difficult to do but by taking extra precautions when dealing with the outside elements, the less chance of ear infections occurring later down the track. Try and avoid loud noises as much as possible and keep yourself well sheltered from the harsh rays of the sun and go about protecting yourself in any other ways necessary like wearing sunglasses or hats depending on where you live.
5. Treat the problem:
By far the most important step when it comes to treating ear infections is seeking medical advice in comparison to self-diagnosis or home remedies. This may sound cliché but you wouldn’t believe how many people go about trying to treat their own ear problems without consulting a doctor only for the condition to get worse over time with no solution in sight.
6. Protect your children against ear infections:
Many families are unaware that young children are eight times more likely than adults to develop an ear infection, which can cause great pain and discomfort, often leading to sleepless nights for both parent and child alike.
Ear infections in young children can be caused by weakened immune systems due to frequent throat infections, allergies, a blockage in the eustachian tube due to a build-up of fluid, or abnormalities within the ear itself.
7. Prevent allergies from reoccurring:
Allergies are no walk in the park and can be difficult enough to deal with on their own, but when you add an infection into the mix it becomes ten times harder to deal with because even though your body might not be able to fight it off properly, its defenses aren’t exactly what they should be leaving room for bacteria and other harmful particles that have been presented from another source.
8. Follow directions from your doctor closely without fail:
When it comes down to actually following directions and instructions given by a doctor then there can’t be any mistakes or room for error. This is because there might be times where antibiotics simply aren’t working and over time your infection just keeps on coming back even after several attempts of treatment and it still hasn’t managed to go away completely.
9. Do not ignore early signs of an ear infection:
Although many people tend to brush off certain symptoms that they are experiencing, the earlier that you catch it then the less chance there will be of having to deal with a more serious condition later down the track when you have ignored common signs of an ear infection like headache, fever, dizziness or nausea.
10. Clean them regularly:
Keeping your ears clean is also something that you will want to do and prevent the chance of an infection rearing its ugly head later down the track. This can be done by simply washing your hands before you touch them and making sure that they are well dried afterward as wet ears can easily become a breeding ground for bacteria or other harmful particles that would only make things worse.
Early caries signs and symptoms:
For adults, early signs of tooth decay may include:
• Sensitivity to hot or cold
• A soft, tender spot on the side of a chewing surface
• A dark line along a chewing surface Toothache pain is not an early symptom. It typically means that decay has widened into the deeper layer of the tooth called dentin and pulp damage is starting. If you think you have a dental emergency, call 9-1-1 immediately. If it’s after hours, go to your nearest hospital emergency room.
Symptoms of cavities in children may include:
• Throbbing pain in front teeth when cold drinks are eaten
•Dark, sticky patches on the surface of teeth (molar bands)
• Red or tender gums
• A bad-smelling breath
• Drooling more than usual Signs and symptoms don’t always mean that you have a cavity. Tooth decay is a progressive disease and can be slow to develop. At first, tooth decay may cause minor problems like toothache and sensitivity. It may take time before your child experiences other signs and symptoms of tooth decay.
Early signs and symptoms of gum disease:
The early stages of gum disease often go unnoticed because they do not occur until the later stages of gum disease. The earlier it is diagnosed, the more effective treatment can be.
Early signs and symptoms include:
• Bad breath that does not go away
• Enlarged or tender lymph nodes in the neck
• Red, swollen gums that bleed with brushing and flossing