Myths and Facts about Professional tooth cleaning

On an average every other patient who comes in to see a dentist requires some degree of professional tooth cleaning. But from experience we have seen that most patients baulk at the idea. The reason being all kinds of beliefs right from 'my enamel will wear off to loosening of teeth.'

We have one answer for all the non believers.

"We ensure that we undergo scaling and polishing ourselves twice a year every year. If there were so many side effects of scaling - do you really think we would subject ourselves voluntarily ?"

Before and after scaling

So lets take a look at the myths and lets shatter them.

MYTH I: Scaling makes teeth loose

FACT I : SCALING MAY ACTUALLY HELP YOUR TEETH BE MORE STRONGLY HELD BY THE SURROUNDING GUMS AND BONE

Have you undergone an extraction or watched a tooth being removed? It requires considerable amount of leverage and force to pull out a firm tooth. Even a tooth which is relatively loose requires some degree of pressure. So do you really think that ultrasonic scaling, in which the tip is barely touching your teeth for a few seconds at a time, can cause tooth loosening?

So why do teeth feel a little loose after scaling? When tartar(calculus) accumulates around your teeth over time, it causes gum disease which in turn causes bone loss and tooth weakening. However because the tartar is so tightly stuck around your teeth- they feel firm. When we remove the stuff thats holding them together - naturally they will be loose. The tartar made them loose and then held them together ironically. So a lot of patients say - at least its holding them together so why not leave it in? The reason is - the longer the tartar is in your mouth - the disease is continuing to progress. The gum bleeding, bad breath continues. Therefore to stop the disease it is essential to remove the cause.

In fact after the gum heals a couple of weeks later - the teeth may actually feel firmer.

MYTH II:  Scaling make teeth sensitive

FACT II: SCALING MAY ACTUALLY PREVENT TEETH SENSITIVITY IN THE LONG RUN BY PREVENTING GUM RECESSION AND INFLAMMATION

Imagine you are wearing a jacket/shawl in the winter and suddenly you are asked to remove it. Wouldn't it make you cold for a few minutes at least till you adjust to the temperature? It would, wouldn't it? Now imagine your teeth wearing a jacket of tartar for weeks and months and all of a sudden you remove it. Wouldn't it take your teeth a few days at least to adjust to the new temperatures? It doesn't mean they have become sensitive - they just need time to recover.

Of course scaling done by untrained hands/outdated machinery can cause prolonged sensitivity. So choose your dentist well.

MYTH III: Scaling and polishing is a cosmetic procedure

FACT III: SCALING IS NECESSARY FOR GUM HEALTH - THEREFORE IT IS NOT MERELY COSMETIC BUT THERAPEUTIC

The cosmetic aspect of scaling ( the removal of stains to make teeth look whiter) is a pleasant side effect. Actually scaling is important for its therapeutic uses. Scaling is essential for gum health. The removal of local irritants improves gum health, increases tooth support, decreases bad breath and gum bleeding.

MYTH IV: Scaling increases gaps/spaces between teeth

FACT IV: BY PREVENTING BONE LOSS AND GUM DISEASE SCALING MAY PREVENT OPENING UP OF GAPS (caused by weakened periodontium leading to pathologic migration)

Like we said before it is not possible to physically move teeth with a scaler. Moreover enamel cannot be cut with this machine either. Therefore obviously scaling cannot cause spacing. Then why do spaces appear post scaling sometime?The gaps exist from much before - however the teeth being covered by yellowish tooth colored tartar - it appears as if there are no spaces. The moment the disease causing tartar is removed - the spaces reappear. 

MYTH V: If there is no problem/symptom one does not require scaling

FACT V: ALMOST EVERYONE REQUIRES SCALING - AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR

The unfortunate part about gum disease is that it almost never pains. There are very few symptoms (like bleeding gums/pus discharge) and often they are mild enough to be missed completely by the patient. So why wait till the disease is so severe that your teeth begin to shake? Besides what is the harm in going for a regular cleaning once every year - definitely only something better can come out of it. 

So now what do you want to believe? Rumors spread by people who know only half the story or Facts backed by scientific evidence??

Value your smile. It is worth more than most other possessions. 

Write to us for more information at Smile@aryasdentalclinic.com or visit our website http://www.aryasdentalclinic.com

Bad breath - the worst PR manager!!

Have you tried in vain to keep a straight face while your Boss is 'killing you softly' with his breath which smells of rotten eggs?

Or you have decided to go without kissing your spouse rather than rock the marital boat by telling him/her that they smell like a chemical experiment gone terribly wrong ?

Have you been at the receiving end or worse still - are you the perpetrator of the crime ?



Frankly - it may not be your fault at all.  You probably haven't had the opportunity to be educated about the possibilities of treatment. Bad breath is a condition just like any other disease - its cause requires to be diagnosed properly and treated accordingly.

People's perception of bad breath have made mouthwash and chewing gum companies - multi multi billionaires!!!  Even toothpaste companies advertisements focus on propagating the 'fresh breath' aspect rather than the clean teeth bit! Unfortunately - most mouthwashes and mints are only cosmetic and not therapeutic. Simply put - they will only mask your bad odor and not eliminate the cause. Since they are only masking the odor - they act much like the foundation and cosmetics on skin - it only masks the blemishes underneath and does not get rid of them.

So what really causes bad mouth odor???

The causes are divided between those to be found in the mouth and those that are extra oral.

The intra Oral causes are:

1. poor oral hygiene
2. Deposits on the teeth
3. Deep cavities in your teeth which act as a food trap
4. Coated tongues ( when you do not clean your tongue everyday)
5. Gum disease
6. Dry mouth 
7. Dentures

The causes of bad odor that is extra oral ( rest of the body) are:

1. Throat infections and colds
2. Sinusitis/tonsillitis
3. Lung diseases
4. Some liver and kidney diseases
5. diabetes
6. A few other systemic conditions


The above are just some of the causes. There are more. Almost all of the causes within the mouth can be treated and most of those outside the mouth too.

Sometimes all you will require is a professional tooth cleaning ( scaling), correct toothbrushing technique demonstration and a nudge to take better care of your dental health. Do you think it makes sense to suffer a lifetime of self consciousness just because you are scared/ashamed or hesitant to get professional help from a dentist ?

And even if you need more treatment than the above because the cause is more complicated - wouldn't you want to know?

Bad breath is a deal breaker. Why keep it so close to you at the cost of you losing potential relationships, being made fun of by friends,  or maybe even be passed up for a promotion?

Bad Breath is much like body odor - it is an instant turn off. So instead - you can turn bad breath off. 

Find the cause and eliminate it. And maybe then - like those ads on TV - you could make a heart on the fresh breath that you blow onto a glass window when you see the love of your life :) 


www.aryasdentalclinic.com

We can never get enough of white sparkling teeth

Everybody wants whiter teeth. We haven't met one person in my entire life who said - " I want my teeth a little yellower or darker. I find them too white". And we don't believe we ever will.

Skin color on the other hand is different. There are lots of people who want fairer skin but there are an equal number who actually love tanned skin. That's why fairness creams do as well as tanning parlors and vice versa.

But teeth - ah teeth - we all want them white. Maybe because white is associated with clean - and white teeth means clean teeth!! That is one theory.

So what do we do if we are not one of the lucky ones? The ones with the shiny white teeth who flash them at every given opportunity and make the rest of us who are not similarly blessed, feel so miserable?? Do we resign ourselves to a lifetime of sad yellow teeth that we try to keep hidden forever through tiny smiles and controlled laughter?

We'd say one big emphatic - "NO".  Change it. Make them the way you want them to be.

How?

First we need to find out whats the cause of the yellowness or the dark color.

Is it merely a case of superficial stains and food lodgement?

Is it a case of intrinsic stubborn stains?

or is it a severe case of tetracycline stains or dental fluorosis?

There is a cure for all. All you need is a dentist who will correctly diagnose the problem.

If your teeth's natural white color is hidden beneath layers of tartar and stains accumulated over years of inadequate brushing - all you will need to unveil your pearly whites is a thorough scaling and polishing. Just one sitting will be enough on most occasions. After removal of the plaque, tartar and stains - your teeth should look as good as new.

However certain stains are intrinsic. This means that they will not come off with scling. If these stains are lighter the treatment would involve scaling followed by teeth bleaching. This line of treatment would result in a tooth shade 3 times lighter than the shade you began with, which would mean significant whitening.

And finally if the dentist should judge your teeth to be beyond the scope of scaling or bleaching as can be in the case of severe dental fluorosis or tetracyline teeth staining - then porcelain veneers could be your answer!!! Read more about porcelain veneers at rid yourself of spaces....


A smile is an incredible thing. It breaks barriers..forges friendships... begins relationships... nurtures some and more.... be confident about your smile. Its worth every trouble and every expense in the world!