First Trip to the Dentist


Image by Andrew Scott

How To Care For Your Teeth

With more people taking better care of their teeth at home and with advanced dental treatments, more people are keeping their natural teeth for a lifetime. Two of the most important things you can do at home is to: Brush your teeth and floss your teeth properly every day.

That sticky substance called plaque causes most dental problems that occur in the mouth. A bacterium in plaque produces acids that attack the enamel of the tooth and can cause decay. Plaque can also cause gum disease. If untreated gum disease can lead to a serious infection that can destroy gum tissue and surrounding bone. If the bone is infected, teeth can be lost.

The best thing you can do to have healthy teeth and gums is to remove the plaque that build up on your teeth daily, before it has a chance to cause any damage to your teeth and gums. The brushing is done to remove the plaque from the tooth surfaces and if your brush correctly you can also remove the plaque from under the gums. Flossing removes plaque from in between two teeth.

We learn how to brush when we are kids and sometimes we can get sloppy or we hurry through the task and do not brush all of our teeth or even all of the surfaces of our teeth. We can damage our gums if we brush too hard. Believe it or not, there are different ways to brush your teeth correctly and your hygienist or dentist can show you the way that is best for you.

Parents should brush their kids teeth through age 5 and supervise kids from age 6 through 10. Teeth should be brushed a minimum of twice a day, but ideally after each meal. Even if you do not eat breakfast, you should brush your teeth early in the morning to remove plaque build up during the night. At night you have less saliva to protect your teeth against plaque so it is really important to brush your teeth.

Most people tend to brush their teeth too hard, you really only need to brush lightly. Once plaque has hardened into tartar, you cannot brush it away the hygienist must remove it. To remember to brush lightly, hold your toothbrush like you would hold a pen.

You should brush your teeth for a minimum of two minutes each time you brush. Set a timer if you have to, to be sure that you brush for a full two minutes. Longer is fine, but two minutes is a minimum because it is what is required to brush all of your teeth and their surfaces. Sometimes brushing your teeth in the same order each time will help you to brush every tooth. Use a soft bristled brush; anything harder might cause gum damage. It is important to change your toothbrush regularly when it looks like it is getting worn or every 3 months whichever comes sooner.

It is important to choose the right toothpaste for you. Ask your dentist for advise. It is important to choose one that has fluoride.

Your dentist or hygienist can demonstrate the proper way to brush your teeth.

Floss once a day and in between each tooth. Take your time flossing, there is no hurry and doing a through job of getting in between each tooth is important. Do not skimp on the floss. There are many different types of floss, so ask your dentist for the best type for you.

Your dentist or hygienist can demonstrate the proper way to floss your teeth.

Smile!


Image by brixton

Pregnancy And Tooth Care

Dr. Kavita Mahesh, Smile Care, Bandra

Pregnancy is a time of great joy! You have seen your gynecologist, confirmed the good news, geared yourself up maternity clothes, planned and applied for your maternity leave, clothes for the little one etc. You have even purchased a book with 1001 baby names. So, what could you be missing out on?

Nobody would have told you about the frequent trips to the bathroom, how to deal with advice from others and how important it is to have a good oral hygiene during pregnancy.

About 80% percent of pregnant women suffer from dental problems highest among them being toothache and bad gums. Dental care needs to be given to them keeping in mind the needs of the little one. With moms-to-be having to balance home, baby and even job, the last thing she needs is a toothache.

The pregnant patient has unique needs in that dental therapy has to be provided to her without undue side effects on the mother or the fetus.

Some Do’s and Don’ts for good oral health during pregnancy.

Don’ts

First of all toothaches do not subside without professional intervention! So, do not take any painkillers or antibiotics for toothache without your doctor’s consent.
Elective dental procedures, which include cosmetic dentistry, are preferably not done during pregnancy. It is usually postponed until after delivery.
Do not ignore hygiene procedures like brushing, flossing and rinsing regularly. It is common to indulge in food cravings during this time putting moms to be at a higher risk of dental problems. Simple measures, such as to avoid in between sugary intakes, can lead to satisfactory results.
Most dentists do not recommend routine radiographs during pregnancy. Of course, minimal radiographs may be necessary during pregnancy to treat dental emergencies with adequate radiation protection measures such as lead aprons and thyroid collars.

Do’s

If you are planning for a new member in your family, do keep a regular dental check-up on the list, since it will reduce your risk of a dental emergency during pregnancy.
There is a 50% increase in the blood volume during pregnancy, hence it is often necessary to take calcium and iron tablets to keep up with the increased metabolism and blood volume. Also teeth start forming when the child is in the mother’s womb. Calcium tablets at this time have a very positive effect on the baby’s tooth formation. It is however very essential that these supplements should be taken strictly under physicians guidance.
Poor oral hygiene along with change in hormonal levels can cause pregnancy gingivitis. This is an uncomfortable swelling in the gums accompanied by pain and bleeding of gums. Therapy would involve cleaning of teeth by a dentist to remove tartar, maintenance of good oral hygiene and use of antiseptic mouth rinses under dentist’s supervision. If it persists after delivery the swelling might have to be removed surgically.
Only minimal radiographs need to be taken to treat dental emergencies. The radiation exposure encountered in this procedure is 40 times less than the exposure from cosmic sunrays during the day. However sufficient protection to the mother and foetus is given by using lead aprons and thyroid collars.
If the mother-to-be is experiencing severe toothache, emergency treatment is necessary irrespective of the gestation stage. Oral infections should be treated immediately because they may rapidly spread and systemic infections can adversely affect the foetus.
Dental treatment is kept at a minimum during the last trimester mainly for the comfort of the expectant mother. Lying back in the dental chair during the late stages of pregnancy can be uncomfortable. If treatment is to be taken at this time, a shifting in the mother’s position must be allowed every 3-7 minutes or short duration appointments are advised.
Prevention is always the best form of any therapeutic approach to a disease.
a. Visits to the dentist should be an integral part of checkups during pregnancy.
b. Healthy teeth for the unborn baby! In the WHO Bulletin “Health for all in the year 2000″, pregnant women are advised to avoid/ minimise the intake of sugar from the 4th month of pregnancy on, so that their fetus does not develop an exaggerated attraction for sugar in the future, and thus will be less susceptible to caries. The rationale being taste buds form between the 12th and 14th week of pregnancy and by the 18th week all papillae are formed.

So sit back and enjoy a healthy pregnancy with a great smile on your face and a twinkle in your eye as you think about your bundle of joy!

This film is an educational tool used to train dental professionals in the “D-Termined Dental Program of Repetitive Tasking and Familiarization in Dentistry” so that they can provide better dental care to individuals with autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities. Because of their difficulties in communication, heightened sensitivity to, reactivity to, and fear of stimuli in the dental environment, individuals with autism are often unable to receive proper dental care without sedation. The D-Termined Program is a behavior management approach to dentistry which has proven successful in practice with children with developmental disabilities. For more information, please visit: nlmfoundation.org