Mouth Problems, Noninjury-Check Your Symptoms

Mouth Problems,Noninjury - Check Your Symptoms

If you answer yes to any of the following questions, click on the "Yes" in front of the question for information about how soon to see a health professional.

Review health risks that may increase the seriousness of your symptoms.

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If you have the following symptoms, evaluate those symptoms first.

A suspected allergic reaction: Go to the topic Allergic Reaction.
Mouth or dental injury: Go to the topic Mouth and Dental Injuries.
Toothache or gum problem: Go to the topic Toothache and Gum Problems.


	Yes

Do you have problems chewing, swallowing, or moving your tongue?


	Yes

Do you have a tongue problem?


	Yes

Do you have one or more sores in or around your mouth?


	Yes

Do you have white or red patches in your mouth?


	Yes

Do you have cracking, splitting, or chapping at the corners of your mouth or on your lips?


	Yes

Do you have a dry mouth?


	Yes

Do you think a medicine may be the cause of your mouth problem?


	Yes

Have you noticed changes in the way your breath smells?


	Yes

Are your dentures or other dental appliance causing discomfort?


	Yes

Do you have burning, tingling, or numbness inside your mouth or your lips?


	Yes

Have you noticed changes in the way things taste?


	Yes

Do you have a lump, thickening, or growth in your mouth?


	Yes

Do you have sudden problems chewing or moving your tongue?


	Yes

Is your baby having problems swallowing or unwilling or unable to eat?


	Yes

Do you have severe problems swallowing with mild difficulty breathing?


	Yes

Are you having unexplained moderate problems chewing or swallowing?


	Yes

Are you having unexplained moderate problems moving your tongue?


	Yes

Have you had mild problems chewing, swallowing, or moving your tongue for longer than 2 weeks?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.


	Yes

Is your baby having problems swallowing or unwilling or unable to eat?


	Yes

Is your tongue so swollen that you are having mild problems breathing?


	Yes

Are you having problems swallowing because your tongue is so swollen?


	Yes

Do you have a strawberry- or raspberry-colored tongue and a sore throat?


	Yes

Do you have a strawberry- or raspberry-colored tongue and do you know or think you have a fever?


	Yes

Do you have a strawberry- or raspberry-colored tongue along with a rash?


	Yes

Does your baby have white patches on his or her tongue and he or she is acting fussy?


	Yes

Are you being treated for thrush but your symptoms are getting worse?


	Yes

Are you being treated for thrush but your symptoms have not gotten better after 3 to 4 days of treatment?


	Yes

Do you have a black or brown coating on your tongue that has not gotten better with 24 hours of home treatment?


	Yes

Do you have an unexplained sore tongue that has not gotten better with 24 hours of home treatment?


	Yes

Have you had white or red patches on your tongue for more than 2 weeks?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.


	Yes

Is your baby having difficulty swallowing or is unwilling or unable to eat?


	Yes

Does your child have a general feeling of illness?


	Yes

Do you have a rash?


	Yes

Do you have increased pain, swelling, redness, or warmth around the sore?


	Yes

Is the area around the sore increasingly tender to the touch?


	Yes

Do you have pus in or around the sore?


	Yes

Do you know or think you have a fever?


	Yes

Do you have one or more sores on or near your lip that have crusty, honey-colored drainage?


	Yes

Are you concerned a new sore was caused by sexual contact?Note: If you think that you have been exposed to a sexually transmitted disease (STD), it is important to be evaluated promptly by a health professional. This will help prevent serious health problems for yourself and reduce the risk of transmitting the infection to others. Do not have sexual contact while waiting for your appointment. This will reduce the possibility of spreading a disease to your partner.Your partner may need to be checked as well.


	Yes

Have you had mild pain and swelling with redness less than around a sore for 24 hours or longer?


	Yes

Have you had swollen glands (lymph nodes) in the neck or under the jaw for 24 hours or longer?


	Yes

Do you have a painful sore that has not gotten better after 48 hours of home treatment?


	Yes

Have you had sores for 2 weeks or longer?


	Yes

Do you frequently develop sores?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.


	Yes

Does your baby have white patches in his or her mouth and difficulty swallowing or is unwilling or unable to eat?


	Yes

Do you have white patches on the roof of your mouth?


	Yes

Does your baby have white patches in his or her mouth and is acting fussy?


	Yes

Are you being treated for thrush, but your symptoms are getting worse?


	Yes

Are you being treated for thrush, but your symptoms have not improved after 3 to 4 days of treatment?


	Yes

Have you had white or red patches in the mouth without other symptoms for 2 weeks or longer?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.


	Yes

Do you have increased mouth or lip pain, swelling, redness, or warmth?


	Yes

Is the area around your mouth and lip increasingly tender to the touch?


	Yes

Do you have pus draining in or around your mouth or lip?


	Yes

Do you know or think you have a fever?


	Yes

Do you have cracking or splitting on, around, or near your lips with crusty, honey-colored drainage?


	Yes

Have you had mild pain and swelling with redness less than around the cracking, splitting, or chapping for 24 hours or longer?


	Yes

Have you had swollen glands (lymph nodes) in the neck or under the jaw for 24 hours or longer?


	Yes

Do you have painful cracking and splitting that has not improved with 48 hours of home treatment?


	Yes

Do you have severely chapped lips that have not improved with 3 to 4 days of home treatment?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.


	Yes

Do you have symptoms of moderate dehydration?


	Yes

Does a dry mouth make it hard to talk, eat, swallow, or wear dentures despite 24 hours of home treatment?


	Yes

Have you had symptoms of mild dehydration for 24 hours or longer and you are unable to drink enough to replace lost fluids?


	Yes

Do you wake up at night or in the morning with an extremely dry mouth?


	Yes

Have you had a dry mouth that has not improved with 2 weeks of home treatment?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.


	Yes

Do you think a medicine may be the cause of your mouth problem?Note: Call the doctor who prescribed the medicine to determine whether you should stop taking the medicine or take a different one. An appointment may not be necessary. If you are taking a nonprescription medicine, stop taking the medicine. Call your doctor if you feel you need to continue taking the medicine.

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.


	Yes

Do you have a fruity odor to your breath?


	Yes

Do you have bad breath, changed breath, or an odd breath odor that has not improved with 1 week of home treatment?


	Yes

Have your family or friends told you that you have bad breath?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.


	Yes

Are your dentures or dental appliance broken?


	Yes

Are your dentures or dental appliance causing discomfort?


	Yes

Do sharp edges on your dentures or dental appliance irritate your mouth?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.


	Yes

Have you had steady burning, tingling, or numbness inside your mouth or lips for 48 hours or longer?


	Yes

Have you had burning, tingling, or numbness that comes and goes for longer than 1 week?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.


	Yes

Have you had a metallic taste in your mouth for 48 hours or longer?


	Yes

Are taste changes interfering with your enjoyment of food, and home treatment is not helping?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.


	Yes

Have you had a lump, thickening, or growth in your mouth for 2 weeks or longer?

If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.

Answer:

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Only 18.5% of Americans never floss. You are missing out on a simple way to make a big difference in the health of your mouth. Regardless of how well you brush, plaque still forms between your teeth and along your gums. Floss removes food trapped between the teeth and removes the film of bacteria that forms there before it turns to plaque, which can cause inflamed gums (gingivitis), cavities, and tooth loss. Try flossing just one tooth to get started.

You are one of 31% of Americans who don't floss daily. You are missing out on a simple way to make a big difference in the health of your mouth. Regardless of how well you brush, plaque still forms between your teeth and along your gums. Toothbrush bristles alone cannot clean effectively between these tight spaces. Flossing removes up to 80% of the film that hardens to plaque, which can cause inflamed gums (gingivitis), cavities, and tooth loss. Aim for 3 more days!

You are one of 31% of Americans who don't floss daily, but you're well on your way to making a positive impact on your teeth and gums. Regardless of how well you brush, plaque still forms between your teeth and along your gums. Toothbrush bristles alone cannot clean effectively between these tight spaces. Flossing removes up to 80% of the film that hardens to plaque, which can cause inflamed gums (gingivitis), cavities, and tooth loss. Aim for all 7 days!

Only 50.5% of Americans floss daily, and good for you that you are one of them! Regardless of how well you brush, plaque still forms between your teeth and along your gums. Toothbrush bristles alone cannot clean effectively between these tight spaces. Flossing removes up to 80% of the film that hardens to plaque, which can cause inflamed gums (gingivitis), cavities, and tooth loss. Congratulations on your good oral health habit!

SOURCES:

American Dental Association, Healthy People 2010

Today in Oral Care