Dr. Hemalatha Sanjay

Tongue is an important organ of your body. Without the tongue you would not have been able to enjoy one of the most pleasurable experiences of life: tasting food! Imagine how life would be without the sudden euphoria you experience when you taste something delicious. Not only do your taste buds help you to taste food, but it also rejects harmful substances like toxins and sends your brain a signal to avoid consuming it. The tongue also helps in digestion of food. It makes the food pass easily from your mouth and throat to your stomach. Apart from tasting and sending signals to your brain, the tongue helps you to talk. It facilitates speech. It alters the air in your mouth which is produced by the vocal cords. That is how you make a wide range of sounds.

Tongue Problems:

1. Burning sensation on the tongue: This normally occurs in women who have recently attained menopause. Mood swings are also a characteristic feature of menopause. Burning sensation is rare but a symptom of post menopause. Burning sensations can also occur due to cigarette smoking.

2. Change in the tongue color: Many times having a pink tongue means deficiency in iron, folic acid and vitamin B-12. This can also be because of an allergy to gluten. A white tongue can occur due to smoking or drinking alcohol.

3. Tongue pain: It can occur due to biting, injury or infection. Canker pains are also common. It can be caused by aging, diabetes, tumors and infection.

4. Tongue swelling: It is caused by down-syndrome, tongue cancer, leukemia, strep throat and anemia.

5. Oral thrush: It is a yeast infection. It makes the surface of the tongue and the mouth look like cottage cheese. People suffering from asthma or diabetes can also get oral thrush.

Remedies for tongue problem:

1. Don't consume spicy and hot food.

2. If you have a canker sore, try to drink only cold beverages and eat soft foods.

3. Rinse your mouth regularly with a mixture of warm water and salt or you can also make a mixture of warm water and baking soda.

4. Apply ice to soothe your tongue.

If the tongue pain persists then it is better to book an appointment with an ENT specialist or with an otolaryngologist.

Implants should be fitted within one year of losing a tooth since the jaw bone surrounding a tooth starts to shrink in size and gradually becomes so small that it fails to support an implant.

Dental implants are generally identified as substitutes for tooth roots. Besides, replacing damaged or decayed teeth, implants also provide a strong foundation for both permanent as well as removable replacement teeth.

1. To protect your jawbone: Not filling up empty spaces in your mouth can severely affect your jawbone. It begins to lose its firmness and strength as a consequence of no longer being able to support a natural tooth. Dental implants help in stimulating bone growth while preventing bone loss.
2. To eat properly: Eating becomes comparatively easier with implants rather than sliding dentures, because they function like your own teeth.
3. They do not move or shift but remain in place: Dental implants resemble your own natural teeth as they fuse with the bone permanently. Moreover, being fixed in one place due to the fusion, you can expect the replacement teeth to not move or shift.
4. To keep your face from sagging: Missing teeth can cause your face to sink and sag, giving you a very sad and aged appearance. Dental implants provide you with the chance to retain the natural shape of not only your face but your smile too.
5. To gain healthy and natural looking teeth without affecting surrounding teeth: Nearby, teeth are not altered to support the implant, so your natural teeth remain intact. They help in preventing healthy teeth nearby from shifting, which is very common if there's an empty space next to a healthy tooth for a long period of time. The procedure sees a replacement tooth being positioned in place of the lost tooth so that it not only looks but feels like a natural tooth.

Wisdom teeth are known to be the final molars to grow out and they complete the set of permanent teeth. They generally start to erupt during the late teens or in the beginning of twenties. 

In case of some people, there is a possibility that the wisdom teeth may never erupt, while others may even grow four and more wisdom teeth. 

Do all wisdom teeth create dental problems?
No, if a wisdom tooth has completely erupted through the gum and tissue, without actually harming the teeth next to it, it does not require to be extracted. But, this is only if the individual is able to clean and brush it thoroughly. The wisdom teeth should be properly examined and dental care is necessary to prevent any complications. 

When do wisdom teeth need extraction?
Proper oral care of the teeth will keep them healthy and clean. But there may arise a situation, in which the removal of the wisdom teeth is quite necessary:

1. In certain cases, the wisdom tooth may erupt at a weird angle, compromising the teeth next to it. This may make it difficult to clean the teeth thoroughly, thus resulting in the onset of bacterial growth and periodontal disease. In this case, the wisdom teeth should be removed as soon as possible. 

2. While the wisdom teeth grows out, it may happen that there is not enough space for it to grow properly. As a result the adjacent teeth may face pressure due to crowded teeth, leading to headaches, toothaches and jaw pain. It is best that the wisdom teeth is extracted in this situation.

3. In case a wisdom tooth develops a cavity, it should be extracted. 

4. An impacted wisdom tooth, that is, if it has only partially grown out of the tissue, should also be extracted before it can cause serious complications.