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Being in a relationship can have an impact on your dental health. If you have a partner, here are some tips that should help both of you to maintain excellent oral health.
1. Avoid sharing drinks for a while if one of you starts to show signs of gingivitis
'Gingivitis' is the term used to describe early stage periodontal disease, a very serious dental condition that often results in tooth loss and permanent gum recession.
The symptoms of gingivitis include bright red, swollen gums that bleed very easily and bad breath. If you or your partner start to exhibit these symptoms, you should try to avoid doing any activity that may result in you coming into contact with one another's salvia (such as kissing or drinking from the same glass) until the affected party has been treated by a dentist.
The reason for this is as follows; gingivitis is caused by the proliferation of certain types of bacteria inside the mouth.
If, for example, you are the one who has this infection and you kiss your partner or allow them to drink from your cup of tea, you may inadvertently pass these bacteria onto them and make them more susceptible to this condition.
In this situation, you should be able to get this infection under control and stop it from advancing by getting your teeth cleaned by your dentist and then using a medicated, anti-bacterial mouthwash to reduce the gum inflammation and kill off harmful bacteria.
Once you have done this and your symptoms have gone, you can then resume being affectionate with your partner and sharing drinks and other dining utensils with them.
2. Be honest with your partner if they develop halitosis
When you're romantically involved with someone, you spend a significant amount of time in close proximity to their face. This means that, if they ever develop halitosis, you will probably notice it long before anyone else in their life does.
If this happens, it is important to inform your partner (in a tactful and kind manner), as whilst intermittent halitosis is rarely something to be worried about, chronic bad breath can be a symptom of an oral health condition that requires treatment.
It may, for example, be caused by a blocked salivary duct (in which case they may need surgery to remove the obstruction from the affected duct) or by an extensive build-up of tartar (in which case they will probably have to get their dentist to deep-clean their teeth to prevent this tartar from causing enamel erosion and gum disease).
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