Dentistry

We, human beings are food lovers and cannot stop ourselves from eating our favorite dish without caring about the time and place and due to such other habits we are facing the issue of tooth decay. It is a serious concern nowadays as the issue is not limited to old aged people but has spread among youngsters and kids also. As per the oral hygiene case reports, the number of cases has been increased in last some years. The data has been increased by a higher number and the condition is like this that in every 10 persons we can find at least 4 persons having some issues in their teeth which is not an ignorable report and must be looked with proper care. According to a medical belief, it takes only a few nanoseconds for bacteria to settle down on the food which we have eaten but not cleaned our mouth. The food which is stuck between our teeth gives birth to bacteria and causes a deposit on the base on the teeth termed as plaque. Plaque is a hard deposit which is responsible for the tooth decay or any other gum disease.

Reasons behind Tooth decay-

• Trapping of food between the teeth and not removing it properly either by flossing or brushing.
• Sugary, sticky foods like chocolate and beverages like coffee, cold drink.
• Poor Oral Hygiene- not brushing teeth regularly and properly develops the plaque and damages the teeth.
• Dry Mouth- saliva helps in washing plaque so if you have a dry mouth then there is more probability of yours to get attacked by plaque.

How to Prevent Tooth Decay-

There are many ways in which you can save your teeth from bacteria and can keep them healthy like-

1. Brush your teeth at least twice a day. Set a reminder if you forget to brush your teeth at night. Move your brush properly at the front, back, up and down to remove the plaque properly from everywhere.
2. Flossing must be complemented with brushing to avoid the problem completely. Food particle gets trapped between the teeth which can further lead to cavities.
3. Schedule your visit to the dentist after every 6 months as there are many cavities which a dentist can only detect.
4. Healthy Eating- nutritional food provides the required nutrients to the teeth and so helpful in keeping our teeth healthy.
5. Use of Mouth rinse- After each meal you need to rinse your mouth so that to prevent yourself from plaque and this way is a very much helpful idea and is medically proven.
6. Chewing Gums- it may sound weird but this is a true fact and it really helps in preventing the teeth from plaque but take care that the gum you are chewing must be sugarless.
7. Use Fluoride toothpaste- using toothpastes which contain fluoride helps you to prevent your teeth from getting damaged.

Treatment– it is always good to have your check-up at the initial stage only and never be too late to visit the doctor. The initial recommended treatment of the cavity is filling. If you are done with any feeling then you must take care of the filling properly as time passes the filling becomes rough and filling material can become weak and starts breaking down.

• A Need of filling- when the tooth decay is at the initial stage and is spread only to enamel then filling is done to stop the tooth from decaying further. In this process, dentists remove the infected part and cover it with something else to regain the shape of the teeth. The filling may be done with the elements which are of same as of tooth color or an amalgam that may include mercury.

Limitation of filling- there is a misconception in some of the people mind that mercury may harm their health so they hesitate to go for the filling. Proper counseling works in such cases to make the patient comfortable.

• A Need of Crowning- crowning is needed when your tooth decay is at its par level and filling cannot work in the case. The elements used to do the crowning are generally porcelain and it can be gold or a combination of any of the metals and porcelain. The best and the only way to restore a heavily damaged tooth.

Limitations of Crowning- There are several cases witnessed where a patient feels sensitivity to hot and cold things. There are rare however existing cases in which a patient feels allergic reaction and in some cases, the material used for crowning gets washed away.