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Preserve Your Beautiful Smile With These Healthy Oral Habits
“Life Is Short, Smile While You Still Have Teeth”
On this September 12th, we are observing the World Oral Health Day. On behalf of the eminent dentists of ILS Hospitals, we bring you some useful tips to preserve that beautiful smile of yours. So, take down the notes and follows them like a regime to avoid untimely visits to seek teeth replacements.
1. Clean Your Entire Mouth, Not Just The Teeth.
Often people just settle with ‘twice a day’ brush mantra, but the oral health is comprised of the entire mouth. It includes teeth, tongue, gums, and roof of the mouth.
2. Hold the Right Brush In the Right Way
There are several types of brushes available in the market, it is crucial to pick the right brush as per age and special needs. It is also important to know the right technique to brush effectively. Holding the brush at an angle of 45 degrees to the gums and brushing both outward and inward, ensures the most effective cleaning.
3. Don’t Forget To Floss
Daily flossing can help to remove the residual food from the tricky corner of the mouth. Sadly, many people use hanging threads or other materials to floss, only when something stuck in-between teeth bothers them. It will cause more harm than good and is highly discouraged. Using a floss offered by a dental company is the safest.
4. Or To Use the Tongue Scraper
A brushing season is not complete without scraping the tongue clean. Apart from cleaning the bacteria from the tongue, it also helps to feel refresh.
5. Why Skipping The Mouthwash From The Regime?
Mouthwash is a new thing in the dental healthcare products. It acts as an extra layer of protection for teeth and gums. It also comes handy when one needs to have fresh breath in between a busy day.
6. Keep Your Diet ‘Teeth-Friendly’
Just like any other health aspect, dental health is also greatly affected by diet. Excessive consumption of soda, caffeine, sugar loaded food can cause enamel decay and other dental problems. Instead, eat fresh and crunchy, fruits and vegetables to nourish the gums and teeth. Moreover, midnight munching should be avoided at all cost unless it is followed by another sitting of brushing.
7. And Keep Your Brush ‘Dirt Free’
Cleaning the brush routinely is also crucial and so is changing them after every 6 months. This ensures the brush is good enough to keep up the good work.
8. Visit The Dentist Routinely
Seeing a dentist at least twice a year is strongly recommended. It can help in recognizing many dental problems at its first stage itself, which undoubtedly makes its treatment much easier.
So, pick your brush and cheers to a better, healthier smile. Happy and healthy brushing to you!
6 Signs That You Need Immediate Dental Treatment
“Life is short, smile while you still have teeth.” As rightly said by an anonymous person, a smile is best with all the teeth still intact. But sadly, not every individual takes proper care of their oral health, as much as they should. As per dentists, one should get a dental check-up every 6 months even without any signs of dental damage.
However, today we bring a list of 6 indications that certainly needs a dental appointment soon.
1. Tooth pain
A tooth pain should never be ignored, let it be onset while chewing or gulping cold and hot stuff. A persistent tooth pain is a sure sign of getting your teeth checked.
2. Tooth sensitivity
A tooth sensitivity is easy to spot as they cause sharp sensation to the teeth whenever consuming anything cold or hot. It certainly qualifies for a quick trip to the dentist as it may have an unresolved cavity or tooth decay.
3. Swollen/ bleeding gum
Having a gum bleeding or swelling is not common unless one has been punched in the face. So, in case anyone experiences these symptoms, it should NOT be taken lightly. A timely treatment can resolve this entirely and mitigate the risks of further damage such as loose gums and tooth loss etc.
4. Canker sores
Having a couple of canker sores from time to time is common due to some deficiency. It resolves on its own and thus is not severe. However, having persistent canker sores, even if they are resolving on its own, is a dental threat. Apart from being painful and affecting food and drinks, if left unresolved, it that may cause more damage in future as well.
5. Dry mouth/ discolored tongue
A persistent dry mouth or discolored tongue is a sign of underlying, unresolved gum and tooth decay. It might also give rise to bad breath even after few hours after the brushing.
6. Teeth spots
Having a discolored or white spot on teeth is related to some unresolved dental issue. It arises due to the erosion of enamel, primarily due to the influence of acid producing bacteria. Spotting a teeth spot can be quite tricky, but having a history of them certainly demands to have a regular screening in the future as well.
In case, one or more of the above-mentioned signs arise, it is best to go for a dental check-up.
We, at ILS Hospitals, encourage every individual to take special care of your oral health on this World Oral Health Day.
The Structure of the Tooth
Teeth are an important organ in the human body. Apart from tearing and chewing food, it also plays vital role in speech and helps building the facial structure. The dentists advise to take proper care of the teeth to maintain all its functions. The number and type of teeth had already been discussed here.
Let’s have a look at its structure closely.
The tooth comprises of two major parts, namely, the crown and the root. The crown is the visible part present uproot from the gums. The root is the embedded part in the jaw. It is not the visible part and anchors the tooth in the socket.
If we look closely, anatomically the following are the parts of a tooth-
Enamel- It is the hard, white color portion that forms the outer layer of the teeth. It is made up of calcium phosphate, which makes it the hardest element of the body.
Dentin- It is made up of live cells that underlies the layer of enamel. The dentin secretes hard mineral substance that fills the bulk of tooth. Without the enamel, it can suffer serious erosion.
Pulp- It is the soft living tissue in the inner structure of the tooth. The pulp has blood vessels and nerves running through them. It extends from the root tip to the crown of the tooth.
Cementum- It is a layer of connective tissue which helps the roots of teeth to bind with the gums and jawbone. It plays an important role to maintain the teeth stability.
Periodontal ligament – It is the tissue which keeps the teeth firm against the jaw. It comprises of thousands of fibers. These fibers hold the cementum tight to the bony socket. It also acts as a shock absorbent during heavy chewing.
Apart from the structure of the teeth, the followings are the structure around the teeth-
Oral mucosa- It is the moist soft tissue that lines the mouth.
Gingiva- Most commonly known as the gums, it is the soft tissue, which lies immediately around the teeth and bone. It protects the teeth and bone.
Bone- It is the solid structure that surrounds and supports the teeth, especially the root.
Nerves and blood supply- Each of the tooth and the periodontal ligament has a nerve to supply blood, which is vital for its function.
All of these must work together for effectual functioning of your teeth. Any deviation from the same must be consulted and corrected with the help of a well-qualified dentist.
Types of Teeth and Their Functions
While brushing your teeth daily, do you ever consider, how helpful these little white dressed soldiers are for us? Toddlers often use these as defense and attack weapons as well, but ideally teeth are designed to chew food, assist in digestion and of course to support facial muscles. When any of these purpose gets obstructed, we need a visit to the Dentist.
Teeth are an important part of the human body. Based on the time of its onset, teeth are primary and permanent. The primary teeth are 20 in numbers, but, more importantly, are the permanent ones, these are 32 in numbers. Each tooth is unique in shape and function. Today, let’s explore the types of teeth and its function.
1. Incisors
These are eight in numbers and are in the central front of the mouth, four each, on upper and lower jaws. It erupts at the age of 6 months and then later between age 6 to 8, making it the first teeth to sprout. Apart from biting the food, it also helps to pronounce words and support the lips.
2. Canines
These are four in numbers and placed immediately next to each of the outermost incisors. These are the sharpest teeth and helps to tear the food along with supporting the lips. It sprouts between 16 to 20 months, primarily and then between 11 to 12 years later.
3. Premolars
Also known as bicuspids, these are eight in numbers, four in each jaw, two on each side. These are crucial for grinding and chewing the food, it also supports the cheeks. The first set shows up at age around ten and the second set follows about a year later
4. Molars
Just like the prior type, molars also help chewing and grinding of food, along with supporting cheeks. These are eight in number, four in each jaw, and two on each side. Out of these, the first molars erupt at the age of about 6 and the second molars first erupts between 11 and 13 and stay permanent.
5. Third molar
These are more commonly called as wisdom teeth and are four in numbers. These lay at the extreme end of the jaw. These are the last teeth to erupt around at the age of 20 to 25, however, some may never develop these their entire lives. Several times, these wisdom teeth get crowded because of molar and need surgical removal.
So, take good care of your teeth, and if needed take the help of Dentist, because remember what Mallory Hopkins said,
“Life is short. Smile while you still have teeth.”
5 Habits That Are Ruining Your Teeth More Than You Realize
As Mallory Hopkins once said, “Life is short. Smile while you still have teeth.” Indeed, teeth are one of the most useful part of the body. Though, nowadays, with the help of medical science, one can get a new set of teeth, but nothing can replace the original one.
With time, the wear and tear leads to corrosion of teeth, wrong types of food and drinks are major players for the same. However, some of the activities also cause significant damage to them. Here are 5 habits that can lead to damage of your teeth in the long run.
- Brushing too harshly– Though brushing is always encouraged since childhood, brushing with aggression is bad for your teeth. This counts for both hard bristles and wrong technique. Also, the time of brushing is also important.
Choose the right brush, use a lighter hand and adequate time dedicate towards it.
- Sucking on thumb– Thankfully, this habit wears off as you grow up. But the children who keep doing the same can damage their own teeth. This includes mainly the misalignment of the teeth.
Monitor your child for these behaviors and discourage them. Seek help, if required.
- Clenching jaws and teeth– also known as bruxism, is the habit, by which you keep clenching your upper and lower jaws to each other. It can cause severe damage and tooth decay, along with fractures and craze line. Bruxism is one of the most serious and troubled habit that can cause you harm in more than one way.
Seek medical help as soon as you realize having it. In case of doubt, let a dentist examine your teeth and jaw.
- Misusing teeth– chewing things too often that exerts too much pressure on your teeth is yet another factor for teeth damage. This includes chewing pen or pencil, ice, hard candy or even fingernail.
Try to avoid using your teeth as package opener as well. Instead, opt for the healthier option for both chewing and cutting stuffs.
- Bad habits such as chewing tobacco and cigars– the tobacco contents reduce the flow of blood to the gums. Apart from harming your respiratory system, it also challenges the wellbeing of your teeth and gums as well. The dental problem associated with the same, ranges from mere appearance, bad breath, teeth decay to even oral cancer.
Quit these bad habits as soon as possible for a better life and if problem still persists then don’t hesitate to look out for help from the dentist.