Do you know? Billions of working hours are lost due to dental problems

Eight out of ten people in India suffer from one or other forms of oral health issues. Surprisingly billions of working hours are lost owing to dental problems. To discuss some of the oral health issues are cavities, periodontitis, irregular teeth, gum bleeding and last but not the leastsports injuries.

We can prevent cavities in different ways.

1. Brushing twice with fluoride toothpaste in kids older than 18 months. Fluoride concentration differs both in children and adults. Therefore, a dentist can prescribe optimum concentration according to age and requirement.

2. Various fluoride applications and pit and fissure sealants effectively reduce dental caries’ prevalence by 80 - 85%.

3. Regular dental visits.

4. Tooth-friendly diet and reducing sugar intake.

What is periodontitis, and how can we deal with it?

Periodontitis is a condition that results in wobbly teeth due to the inflammation of tooth-supporting structures. This disease can be easily identified at the early stage by the dentist. A dentist can identify the aetiology and proceed with necessary treatment options.

Can the irregularities of the teeth, like spacing, protrusion and crowding, be treated at any age?

The teeth malalignment can be corrected by orthodontic treatment. Dental irregularities can be predicted early, 5-6 years old. If it is detected at this age, the dentist can start the treatment using growth-modifying appliances if necessary. Orthodontic treatment can be availed at any age, provided the bone condition is healthy.

How often do sport injuries affect the teeth and surrounding structures? Can we minimise the harm?

Sport injuries are very common in teenagers. Some dental sports injuries are tooth fractures, avulsion, bony fractures and lip and tongue injuries. When the tooth is completely avulsed out of the socket, it must be stored in a proper medium like milk, saliva etc. Mouthguards help in minimising the harm due to sport injuries.

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