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

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!