The Basics of Oral Hygiene

We all know the importance of oral hygiene. We begin and end our day with brushing and flossing our teeth. So why do so many of us find, on our visits to the dentist, that we have cavities developing, gum problems and other issues which we should not have to face? The answer is not in what we do but how we do it.  Brushing and flossing is such an automatic action that we never think about what we are doing and because of this, we fall into bad habits. You may not think you need tips on how to do something you have been doing all your life. Maybe you’re right, but what’s the harm in looking at what the American Dental Associations says about the right way to clean your teeth? A few small changes in the way you brush and floss could be the difference between a cavity and a bright smile.

How to Brush

•  Place your toothbrush against the gums at a 45 degree angle.
•  Brush gently – too much pressure can wear away the enamel.
•  Use a gentle sideways motion with small strokes..
•  Your front teeth have 2 surfaces (front and back) and the rear ones have a 3^rd – the chewing surface. Ensure you brush all the surfaces.
•  Clean the inner sides of your front teeth with the tip of the brush using a vertical movement.
• Your tongue is a breeding ground for bacteria. Brush it to remove the germs and make your breath fresher.

How to Floss

• Break off an 18 inch length of floss.
• Wind it around the middle fingers of each hand and use your thumbs and forefingers to hold it tight.
• Slide the floss between your teeth with a gentle rubbing motion.
•  When you reach the gum line bend the floss around one tooth and slide it into the space between the tooth and gum move it back and forth.
•  Move back to the contact area between the teeth and slide it up and down.
•  Now curve the floss around the next tooth and repeat the action of cleaning the space between the tooth and gum.
•  Repeat this for all your teeth.
• Always hold the floss firmly against your teeth and use smooth even movements.

The Materials You Need

Not all tooth brushes are created equal. Unless otherwise advised by your dentist, use a soft bristled brush. The head of the brush should be of a shape and size that makes it easy to reach even the difficult areas at the back of your mouth. Antimicrobial toothpaste that contains fluoride is best for protecting your teeth from decaying. In addition to brushing and flossing, you should also use a mouth rinse. An antimicrobial rinse will help to reduce bacteria and plaque and help to prevent gum disease and gingivitis.

These are only general guidelines. If your dentist has advised something different, follow that advice. And if you think this is all too much trouble, think about the last time you had a toothache and you will realize how important it really is.

By the way, when did you last visit your dentist?

Caring for Your Child’s Teeth

Caring for your children’s teeth and teaching them the basics of oral hygiene at an early age will go a long way in ensuring that dental problems in later years are minimized. While your dentist is the best person to tell you what you need to do, here are a few general basics that you can adopt. 

• Brush the teeth twice a day with an American Dental Association (ADA) accepted fluoride toothpaste. Take care that the child does not swallow the toothpaste. Use a soft bristled brush and start brushing with the inner surfaces of the teeth, where plaque typically accumulates. Use a back and forth motion. Next brush the outer surfaces of the teeth, angling the brush along the gum line. Once again, use a back and forth motion. Then go on to the chewing surfaces of the teeth. The next step is to use the tip of the brush to clean behind the front teeth at the top and bottom. Finally, brush the tongue – this is where a lot of germs collect.


• Flossing is very important as it removes the plaque and food particles that brushing cannot. You can start flossing your children’s teeth when they are 4. By the age of 8 they should be able to floss on their own.


• Talk to your dentist about the use of dental sealants. These are thin plastic coatings that are applied to the chewing surfaces of a child’s permanent back teeth. This is where cavities commonly develop. The sealant forms an effective barrier against this. It is not a painful process and causes the child no discomfort. It is usually completed in one sitting.


•  Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that combines with tooth enamel to give it added strength and is an important ingredient in tooth health. Many municipal water supplies contain added fluoride and if this is the case, your child should be consuming enough of it. If you are not sure, call your water district and ask them. If the water does not contain fluoride or if the quantity added is inadequate, consult your dentist about the need for using fluoride drops or mouthwash to ensure your child is getting enough.


• What your child eats contribute a great deal to the health of the teeth and gums. Besides the required amounts of vitamins, minerals and nutrients, the diet should include lots of calcium and phosphorous. The starches and sugars that many snack foods contain are among the biggest enemies of strong teeth as they combine with any plaque that may be present to create acids. These acids eat away at the tooth enamel and lead to the development of cavities. Controlling your child’s intake of snacks and junk food will go a long way to ensuring healthy teeth.


• If your child suffers any mouth injury contact your dentist as soon as possible. Once the injury has been examined and any damage assessed, the appropriate treatment can be given. The sooner this is done the better.

Helping your children care for their teeth is not enough, no matter how good they are at it. If adults can so easily overlook or ignore dental issues until the problem becomes serious, think how much easier it is for children to do so. Regular visits to the dentist for checkups or when a problem is suspected will go a long way in ensuring that your children have strong and healthy teeth and gums. The fact that the parents place so much importance on oral health will impress upon them, at a young age, that it is something they cannot afford to ignore.

Caring For Baby Teeth

Just because baby teeth are temporary and will be replaced by adult teeth does not mean that they do not need care and attention. A child with healthy baby teeth will normally have healthy adult teeth. A child is born with teeth – they are hidden in the gums. The first tooth will appear between 6 to 12 months and the rest will usually appear over the next 2 years. A few basic precautions will help to keep your baby’s teeth healthy.

Babies Do Not Have a Sweet Tooth

Children are not born with a craving for sweets. They enjoy foods and fruit juices that do not contain sugar. If you are buying baby foods, look for those that are without sugar. Sugary foods are bad for the teeth. The sugar that is given to a baby should be as part of a meal, not as a snack between meals. This results in the sugar remaining on the teeth and causing decay. Your pediatrician will be able to advise you on the right foods for your baby, including those that promote the growth of strong teeth.

A Bottle Is Only For Feeding

Do not give a baby sweet drinks from a feeding bottle. This can easily become habit forming and once the teeth start appearing the sugar will coat and damage them. Also do not allow the baby to get into the habit of sleeping with the bottle – it is for feeding and should not be used as a pacifier. A baby will generally be able to use a cup after 6 months and can be weaned away from the bottle after a year. Drinking water after eating will work to flush away the food particles trapped in the gums and between the teeth.

A Soother Is Not Essential 

Not all babies need a soother – if the child does not want one, there is no need to offer it. If a soother or pacifier is to be used, it should be an orthodontic type that is designed not to affect the mouth and teeth development. Wean the baby off the soother as soon as possible – long term use can affect the growth of the teeth. Dipping a soother into a sweet liquid to encourage the baby to use it is a mistake as it will increase the sugar intake and the chances of tooth decay.

Teething Discomfort Is To Be Expected

Sore gums, restlessness and irritability are normal side effects of the discomfort of teething. At times, this can lead to a slight upset stomach. However, teething does not normally result in significant sickness. If the baby show signs of anything more than minor discomfort of the mouth, teeth or gums, consult a dentist to check if there are any other issues that need to be dealt with.

Thumb Sucking Is Normal

Most children stop sucking their thumbs at around 4 years. If the child continues to do this after this age or if the sucking is very hard, it can pull the teeth out of alignment and cause problems that will need to be treated in later years. Thumb sucking makes a child feel secure and comfortable. Giving him or her other enjoyable things to do can take the mind off this habit and over time cause the child to lose interest in it.

If your child has any dental problems or suffers a mouth or tooth related injury, it’s important to have it examined and treated by a dentist as soon as possible. Many minor problems and injuries will heal themselves with time. But since a child cannot articulate accurately the pain or discomfort that is being felt, having a specialist examine the problem and decide if any treatment is required will avoid the possibility of a minor issue being exacerbated and becoming something major. The development of healthy adult teeth depends upon the child having healthy baby teeth.

Whiten your teeth and brighten your smile

A brilliant smile is a great first impression. It’s no wonder that people try various procedures to brighten their smile. New whitening toothpastes are invented regularly, each one, promising more shine than the previous. Toothbrushes are designed using the latest technology to give your teeth the best protection and a fine gleam. There are ways to make your lips look plumper and softer. The number of ways which people use to make their smile perfect is countless.

One of the first things that people notice when someone smiles is their teeth. If you have dirty, yellowed teeth, that impression will not be a good one. Luckily, dentistry has come a long way and there are various ways to make sure that your teeth look shiny, white and new all the time. 

According to an American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry survey, virtually all adults (99.7%) believe a smile is an important social asset. 96% of adults believe an attractive smile makes a person more appealing to members of the opposite sex. Three-quarters (74%) of adults feel an unattractive smile can hurt a person’s chance for career success.

What are the causes of tooth discoloration?

Your teeth may get discolored due to various reasons. For some people, it is genetic. It runs in their families and however well they take care of their teeth, it gets discolored sooner or later. It is also more prevalent among certain ethnic groups. Some people are not aware that tooth care begins from infancy and don’t teach their kids dental care. This leads to discoloration of the tooth. If you have gum disease or other tooth problems, it could give rise to discolored teeth.

Smoking, eating food with a lot of food coloring, chewing tobacco and certain kinds of foods leave stains on your teeth. Even if you have taken care of your teeth from a young age, and do not have any vices, as you age, the color of your tooth will get darker. White teeth make you look younger and that is one of the reasons that as people age they try whitening their teeth to look more youthful.

Types of Teeth Whitening

The two most popular ways of whitening the teeth are the DIY way where you can get strips of whiteners or a gel and use it on your teeth, at home, as directed by the instructions on the product. This is actually often prescribed by dentists for younger people whose teeth are not stained too badly. Regular home whitening is enough to keep the teeth white.

But for older people, dentists recommend a consultation with a dentist for teeth whitening. This is a much more complicated and longer procedure but the result is worth it. 

Teeth Whitening by a dentist

Dentists will first apply a gel or paste to protect the tooth enamel from damage. Then, a tray where the whitening gel or liquid is poured is fixed to the teeth. The tray with the gel will be left for a while and when removed your teeth will be many shades whiter. It seems very simple but why this is better done at a dentist than at home is that the protection of the enamel is important. The tray that holds the whitening liquid should be fixed securely, because if the liquid leaks and spills onto your gums, it may cause irritation and inflammation. It is better to do this kind of whitening under dental supervision. 

The results of dental tooth whitening can last for a couple of years with good dental care. A regular visit to the dentist should be enough to keep an eye on the general health of your teeth and gums.

What are dental implants and why does one need them?

Most people visit the dentist only when they have a problem. Usually, the appointment is made when the problem gets severe. Dentists recommend dental visits at least twice or thrice a year for cleaning, and a general check up to ensure that you don’t get dental problems. Some of the dental problems that you might get if you do not visit a dentist regularly are cavities, bleeding gums, toothache, etc.

What is the procedure for dental implants?

Dental implants are usually made of titanium. The implant is fixed in the cavity where the missing tooth was, deep enough to reach the root and are fixed to the mandible, the bone that is inside the gum. An incision is made into the gums till the bone is visible. Then the implant is inserted into the incision to ensure that it touches the bone. Then the gums are stitched up and allowed to heal.

The healing process could take a couple of months since it is important that the dental implant is not dislodged. The dentist will prescribe a diet of soft foods to make sure that the implant does not move while eating. It is a critical period till the dental implant is firmly fixed. The doctor’s orders will have to be followed implicitly, till the dentist is absolutely sure that the implant was a success.

General procedure before, during and after the implant

If a patient with a cavity visits a dentist, the first thing that the dentist and quite often a periodontist will do, is to examine the cavity. The first course of action will be to see if they can find a way to heal the infection, and prevent loss of tooth, by cleaning out the cavity and filling it with enamel. If the patient has come in time, it is possible to save the tooth and not have to go through a dental implant.

If the tooth infection has progressed to a severe level and the only course of action is the removal of the tooth, the dentist will check if there is enough bone density in the area to support the implant. If there isn’t, the dentist may have to do a bone graft before proceeding with the implant.

What are the benefits of dental implants?

Dental implants are a permanent solution and therefore a better option than dentures. They look and feel like your natural teeth and you probably will look better and feel better with these prosthetic teeth. Unlike bridges which may cause a secondary infection and may adversely affect the teeth and gums in the surrounding areas, a good tooth implant will ensure prevention of infection.

Of course as a dentist would tell you that prevention is better than cure, so do visit your dentist regularly and keep cavities at bay.

Make this New Year a healthy one for you and your family

When asked about their health, people usually take the question to mean medical problems like diabetes, heart disease, cholesterol etc. How many of you take the health of your mouth as seriously? It is a surprising fact that most people will have health screenings that include the neurologist, gynecologist, gastroenterologist, and have mammograms and blood tests done regularly to make sure that they are in good health, but totally neglect their dental care. Very often, the state of your dental health could be a precursor to some illness in the body. This is why regular dental visits are important.

Why do people not visit the dentist regularly?

Many people fear a dental visit. This could be due to traumatic experiences when they were younger when they had teeth pulled out or braces put in. Now dental care and technology has advanced so much that your dental work is mostly painless. 

People hate to have their teeth cleaned because of the sensitivity. People associate the sensitivity with pain, though it isn’t. The reason that you may have pain while cleaning your teeth is if you have avoided the dentist for too long, and your teeth have collected so much plaque that it is necessary to clean close to the gums to remove the plaque. If you make a regular visit to the dentist to get your teeth cleaned, it would be practically painless.

What are the fallouts of not having your teeth cleaned regularly?

On one side, you have yellowed dirty teeth which will certainly affect your looks, and the impression you make on people. You could have mouth odor and this will again cause a bad impression. You could get infections in your gums because of the plaque build-up and when you go see the dentist later, you will have to be treated with antibiotics as well as a much more painful procedure to treat the infection.

What are the advantages of going to a dentist?

Checking your mouth for infections and tooth decay is only one of the many procedures that a dentist does. These days, dentists check the state of your gums and will perform an examination of the neck and the head to check for any anomalies. This is one of the ways to check if you have any problems like oral cancer, vitamin deficiencies or diabetes. 

The dentist will also show you how to properly maintain your teeth. Most people, even adults still do not brush their teeth properly. Your dentist will show you how to brush and floss your teeth well. If you don’t follow the dentist’s orders, you can be sure that when he examines your teeth next, your dentist will know if you’ve been brushing and flossing regularly.

What are the common diseases related to the teeth?

Plaque

Plaque is a buildup of debris, leftover from food and other substances. If not cleaned it forms a layer over the teeth.

Tartar

If you don’t visit the dentist regularly, your plaque will cause tartar buildup. This is a harder form of plaque and may extend into the gum area too.

Gingivitis

This is an infection of the gums, due to the buildup of tartar and plaque and not having your teeth cleaned regularly. It is a painful infection that can cause bleeding from the gums and sores on the gums, inner cheek and tongue and palate.

Don’t let your teeth get unhealthy. Make a promise this New Year that you and your family will start going for regular dental visits and practice good oral hygiene, making you and your family healthier!

Common tooth problems as you age

As people grow older, they start getting worried about their health. They go for regular health check-ups, get careful about what they eat, take up some form of exercise, etc. But how many of the elderly consider going to the dentist regularly? According to the American Cancer Society, “there are about 35,000 cases of mouth, throat and tongue cancer diagnosed each year. The average age of most people diagnosed with these cancers is 62.” This just goes to show that dental care for the elderly is, as important, as any other kind of medical care. 

Many of the elderly are unaware of the numerous dental problems they could face as they grow older. Some of them are:

Cavities

People associate cavities with young children. If they have strong, healthy teeth as children and adults, they assume that their teeth will stay strong all their lives. But that is not true. As people age, the amount of nutrients that their body absorbs lessens, and this makes them prone to infections. 

As you age, the space between the teeth becomes more. Food gets caught between the teeth and if this food isn’t cleaned out, it will attract bacteria and this could cause gum infection. If not treated in time, it would cause a cavity and maybe even loss of teeth.

Gum disease

There are a couple of reasons that the elderly are prone to gum disease. One is that their bodies are weaker than that of younger people and their immunity is less. So, a small infection could cause a major problem. The other one is as explained above, is the debris left between the teeth, which could give rise to infections affecting the gum and weakening it.

Rickets

This is also associated with young children, but can be an elderly dental ailment as well. It is caused by lack of Vitamin C, phosphate and calcium and could result in loss of teeth. The elderly should increase their intake of these nutrients as they age to ensure that their bones and teeth stay strong.

Mouth ulcers

Mouth ulcers can be painful and you could have difficulty eating anything sour or spicy. Mouth ulcers are a sign of something wrong with your health, and your dentist could be able to detect what the underlying cause is, and advice you on what kind of medical treatment to take. 

Mouth Cancer

Oral cancer is another quiet but dangerous problem if proper dental care is not taken regularly. Mouth cancer could affect the gums, the lips, the tongue or the sides of the mouth. If you go to a dentist regularly, many types of cancer can be detected early and treatment can be started immediately, thereby decreasing the chance of it getting worse. 

Some symptoms of oral cancer could be:

• Sore patches in the inner lining of your mouth, gums or tongue
• Patchy redness on the side of your mouth
•  Sores on your lips

Many of the symptoms are invisible and do not cause any pain in the early stages. If you visit a dentist regularly, these problems can be detected early and the right treatment can be given.

Some tips on dental care for the elderly

• See a dentist regularly
• Brush your teeth twice a day and if possible after every meal, and floss well
• Use lip balms to avoid chapped lips
• Drink lots of water as older people get dehydrated faster and the mouth produces less saliva, leading to sores
• Take necessary supplements that your body needs to keep your teeth and gums healthy