Healthier Teeth - Well.....STRINGS ATTACHED

At the end of every scaling ( cleaning appointment) we usually take out time to talk to the patient about oral hygiene. Ask about their technique - correct it - recommend stuff etc.

The one question we invariably get is - DO I NEED TO FLOSS? (We shall not even go into the 'Floss? What's floss?' category of patients)

Contradictory to the answer we give when the patient asks about using mouthwashes (which is it varies patient to patient) - the answer to this question is YES YES and YES.

If you can and are willing - Do IT.

Why you ask?

We lets just take an example to understand this.

You have a bed at home. You clean on top of it. You clean the sides of it. However the bed is rather low and you cannot get under the bed and hence the underside is left as it is. Now being good quality wood and all - maybe it may never really get ruined. But suppose there was a leak - water got into the room and under the bed as well. Now don't you move that bed so that you can dry the floor beneath ? Better still don't you empty it out and take it outside perhaps so that you could dry the underside of the bed itself? 

Of course you would - given that you don't want fungus growing out the bed. 

Now our teeth have 5 sides as well - and though with meticulous brushing we can clean 3 of them - 2 sides are like the underside of the bed. While nothing much accumulates there most days ( if you have really really tight contacts) - there is always the risk. 

It would be lovely to get those teeth out - wash them in the sink and put them back. But since that isn't happening anytime soon ( unless of course you prefer dentures) - we have to make do with what is available to clean out those surfaces.

Food does get stuck between teeth - even if its not a big chunk - it will be a thin almost transparent layer. Moreover when we are young contacts between teeth are tighter. As we age teeth start collecting more and more food particles making flossing all the more essential. 

Yes it is inconvenient ( but you get used to it)

Yes it is time consuming ( But you get faster with regular use)

Yes it involves putting your fingers in the mouth ( But you can always use those floss handles)

But given that it decreases your trips to the dentist - what more motivation could you possibly want?

There are a zillion different types out there - choose any one based on your convenience and budget.

Use it everyday, once a day. Here's How -How to floss your teeth

Or ask your dentist for a demonstration of the correct technique. 

For those of you who find the regular floss too tedious and inconvenient there are now a multitude of water flossers available - these can be hand held portable devices or even table top devices. You can read more about water flossers and the options available here - Top Water Flossers in India

You can check the technique of how to use the water flosser on this link How to use a water flosser

For more information contact Dr Arya aryasdentalclinic.com

Your Child's First dental visit

I have lost count of the number of times I have been asked this question....' when should I start bringing my child to a dentist?'

Most people imagine that if and when the child has trouble with his/her teeth - that is when you go see a dentist. In short - they apply the strategy they follow to their child. 

I would like to ask a very simple question - " When do you take your child for his/her very first medical check up?" 

'Do you wait for them to fall sick? Or do you visit the doctor soon after the child is born - monthly - sometimes even weekly? Do you not make sure the child gets his/her shots regularly and properly?'

So then why the stepmotherly treatment with regard to the child's teeth? 

Your child's first dental visit should coincide with the eruption of the very first milk tooth or deciduous tooth. 

There are several advantages of visiting the dentist so early -

1. You can learn how to take care of the child's oral hygiene  early on.
2.  Abnormalities and malformations of teeth/jaws can be detected early.
3. Eruption timings of teeth differ and at times may be abnormal. This can be detected early. 
4. Most importantly - if you wait till your child has a problem then his first dental visit may involve a procedure that is uncomfortable. This will determine the way he views dentists all his life, which would involve him further avoiding dentists and treatment. If regularly check ups begin early - the child begins to believe that not all trips to the dentist involve procedures/treatment. He begins to adopt a better attitude which will serve him well later on. 
5. Also not all parents are good at detecting problems with their child's teeth. It is not their fault really. They are not dentists. So if you wait until there is frank pain - sometimes its too late to save the tooth. If you visit the dentist regularly - early lesions can be caught out before they progress.
6. There is a lot of preventive treatment that can be done to prevent cavities. 
7. Nursing caries/baby bottle tooth decay must be detected and corrected early. 

Have you noticed how children co-operate better with Doctors rather than dentists? Even though doctors give injections ( which may be painful) too? It is simply because the doctor is far more familiar to the child. This familiarity is the result of lots and lots of friendly check ups and visits over the years right from birth. 

Give your child a chance to 'LIKE' his/her dentist :)

We do not like being feared/hated all the time :)

Visit www.aryasdentalclinic.com

Milk and Dental Cavities

Lots of doting parents walk in everyday to our practice wanting the best for the apple of their eye. And why not? With the trend towards smaller families - every child becomes just so much more precious ( not that - those with big families don't consider their children precious - but I am sure you get my drift).

 Just today a young mother walked in with her 3 year old complaining that his upper front teeth were turning black and breaking off. She wanted to know what it was and why? The answer was obvious - multiple cavities and spreading rapidly. A little digging - and the culprit was caught out.

Surprise Surprise - A milk bottle at night.

Wondering how ??

Its simple.

The child was sent to bed with a milk bottle.

He drank the milk and fell asleep with the bottle in his mouth.

The result - multiple cavities.... Simply a case of the wrong thing at the wrong time.

The distressed mother couldn't believe that the cause was something so seemingly innocent such as a bottle of milk....

Its easy to prevent such cavities in your child.

Just follow the points below:

No Food Pacifiers 

Ensure that your child doesn't fall asleep eating or drinking anything....

and I mean anything. 

Not milk. Not biscuits. Not anything.

Start Early

Make it compulsory to brush before sleeping.

If he/she is too small to do it himself/herself - do it for them

Regular Dental Check Ups

Cavities can be detected early and sealed before they progress 

The early - the better

In fact there are ways to prevent them too

Ask your dentist today

Set your child up for a life of dental health.

Detect. Prevent. Correct. Early.

www.aryasdentalclinic.com