Most of us only go to a dentist when we are in pain , but there are some very important and interesting secrets that no dentist will ever tell you . The top 10 among them are these. Not only are these interesting but useful too. Have a look here…
1. Pain isn’t your biggest problem
You would rush to a dentist as soon as you have dental pain , but as any dentist would tell you , dental pain is not your biggest issue. Pain is the last pit stop. Just like any other body part, teeth too have to be kept healthy and primed. Cholesterol does not pain but it kills, similarly dental decay, infected gums, bad oral health can lead to heart issues and other diseases, even without feeling any pain. Look out for infection and not just pain. Pain is not your biggest problem, infection is!
2. Brush your back teeth more than the front
Many of my patients have periodontal disease affecting their back teeth, but their front teeth are fine. Evidently, most people brush only what they can see! Proper oral hygiene requires ten minutes of brushing and flossing every day. The average adult spends two or three minutes total, and kids do even worse and most of us only brush in front and not at the upper back of the teeth . The trick to healthy teeth is to have the right brushing technique for the back of your teeth as well.
3. Flossing is essential, not mouthwash
Most advertisements and dental hygiene ads focus on brushing and toothpaste but very few speak about flossing. Brushing doesn’t go deep enough into the gums to reach the plaque that causes bad breath. One needs to floss every day and get a professional cleaning done every few months. Using a mouthwash is good but not essential . A mouthwash with alcohol dries out your mouth—you’ll smell nice and minty for a half hour, but then the bad breath can come back , hence brush and floss
4. Don’t stress about germs on your toothbrush
There’s no reason to sanitize a toothbrush unless you’re sharing it with other people. Those UV devices and other germ zappers are totally unnecessary. The exception: Replace your toothbrush if you’ve been sick or have had mouth sores.
5. Truth about the toothpaste never told…
There’s no a limit to the ingredients that any toothpaste may have – from salt and clove oil to fluoride. But, what does a tooth paste really do? New whitening formula? It can get rid of surface stains, but it can’t whiten like professional bleach. Fluoride is good but it alone cannot strengthen your teeth as shown, that depends on the food you eat and your oral hygiene. Tooth paste is a good accessory to proper brushing but is not a great medicine or treatment in itself. Any tooth paste will work as long as your brushing technique is proper.
6. Baby teeth are not important
Most dentists will not tell you the truth but baby teeth, but it is more important than you think. Kids having cavities and teeth rotten down to the gums tend to have bad teeth even when they grow up . In fact, young kids with tooth problems and cavities often struggle in school due to pain and school days lost due to teeth troubles. They’re distracted and easily agitated. Teachers will say they have behavior problems too, but what they actually have is – toothache.
Many times dentists have to extract a lot of baby teeth that are abscessed or heavily decayed. Parents think there’s no reason to pay attention to baby teeth because they fall out. But when a tooth comes out prematurely, other teeth crowd in to fill up the space. Without the right treatment, it turns into a mess. So baby teeth as much attention as permanent teeth.
7. Cold drinks destroys your mouth more than you know
Soda in tall glasses with ice is a sure teeth killer, but no one ever told you that! It cuts through teeth. And it’s not just the sugar—it’s the acid that stains and ruins enamel and the teeth. Soda lowers the pH level of the mouth, and softens tooth enamel. The acidity of the sweeteners and the carbonation can lead to tooth decay.
8. Listen to the dentist not just Google
Most patients listen more to Google and the sites they read than the actual doctor. It is better to listen to the dentist and incase of doubt, go in for a second opinion from another dentist . trust your doctor and not just the web results because your doctor can accurately diagnose and treat your tooth problems. “Not everyone takes my advice”, says Dr John Sullivan , MDS, Utah College of Dentistry ‘ and it never helps them to go by Google alone!”
9. Dentist love it when you ask questions
Contrary to what you think, dentists like to explain to you what is wrong with your teeth and how to correct it ; provided you are eager to know. So, go right ahead and ask as many questions as you like about the tooth problem and what they can do about it , what is the cost etc , any good dentist , worth his salt will be more than happy to help and counsel you .
10. Brushing at night is mandatory
Even if no advertisement or dentist ever tells you this, brushing at night is more important than early morning brushing because the bacteria ruin your teeth at night while you sleep especially if there is lodged food particles, sugar extracts or milk remains, hence you must brush at night before you hit the bed to prevent dental decay . Dentists can only work rightly when you cooperate with them and good oral health is only possible when both patient and doctor work hand in hand .
Hence these are the top 10 secrets your dentist may not tell you explicitly but they are actually life changing , if you decide to follow them !
As a dentist, I am often asked a lot of questions about RCT and I am trying to answer the most common ones here in this blog post today . The very first question is usually about what exactly is RCT treatment?
A root canal treatment is a very common dental treatment for repairing damaged and diseased root canal inside a tooth. This RCT dental treatment aims to repair tooth by fighting infections within the soft, dental pulp and/or on the tooth. A dentist will essentially remove the infected or inflamed pulp from a tooth and clean the canals, filling them with a replacement agent that works to prevent further infection and then seal the tooth with filling agent and laser.
In this day and age, with a range of high tech technology and anaesthesias available, no dental treatment is as painful as before. An experienced clinic with a range of anaesthetics and pain-relieving agents often make this as painful as a pin prick only!
Most of the times the patients do not feel any pain during a root canal treatment, which means the procedure can be pain-free. At Partha Dental, we make sure you’re as comfortable as possible throughout the whole procedure with minimum discomfort.
The stages of tooth decay infographic. Dental toothache symbol. Illustration of tooth with caries pulpitis and periodontitis
Root canals are needed when the dental pulp or root canal of a tooth becomes infected or decayed beyond repair and this is established after a tooth x-ray. As a result, the tooth can also die off, leaving the entire jaw line in a weakened state. This usually occurs when teeth are not kept clean and bacteria in the mouth gets into the tooth and infects the pulp or cavities are left untreated.
A dentist is the only person who can truly advise you about whether or not a root canal is needed to save a tooth. Although each patient is different, some generic symptoms that require RCT are as follows. These symptoms show that the tooth pulp is diseased, these are / include the following:
Continuous pain in the teeth, gums or jaw
Over-sensitivity to hot or cold foods and drinks
Loose tooth and/or swollen or inflamed gums
Evidence of pus around the teeth or gums
If you experience any of these symptoms, you should book an appointment with Partha Dental immediately as the more you delay , the more you will pay to save the tooth and the more extended will be the procedure.
5. What is a Crown?
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A crown is like a ‘cap’ or a ‘cover’ that fits over the top of a tooth to protect it from breaking, cracking, chipping or splitting. In many cases, a tooth that receives a root canal treatment will often require a crown as well. This is because without the root, the tooth will be weaker and will hence need a crown to keep it strong and durable.
6. What If I Decide to Not Have a Root Canal Treatment?
If an infected tooth root is not treated, it can lead to more severe problems with the tooth, gums and jaw bone. If this occurs, a tooth extraction, along with other surgical treatments, may be needed, ruining the entire mouth and jaw line . A root canal treatment is performed to essentially save a tooth.
7. Won’t It Be Easier to Extract the Tooth?
Tooth extraction is considered a last resort if a root canal treatment is not feasible. In most cases, a tooth will only be extracted if it is beyond repair.RCT is a much cheaper and easier treatment than getting a tooth extracted and then getting an artificial one.
8. Will the Treated RCT Tooth Last Long?
Root canals are known as one of the best ways to preserve infected teeth. If you employ good oral hygiene practices, a treated tooth or teeth should last a long time and many can last for the remainder of a life. Most people only get an RCT done once and it stays !
After a root canal treatment (and a crown fitting, if you need one), a tooth/teeth and gums should function as normal and you shouldn’t notice any differences in the feeling or performance of an RCT tooth versus your NATURAL teeth.
Root canal diseases are often the result of poor oral hygiene and failure to meet regularly with a dentist. To lower a risk, you should brush and floss teeth twice a day, use a daily mouthwash and visit a dentist at least once every 6 months for a DENTAL checkup.
If you are experiencing any issues with a teeth, our friendly dentists are ALWAYS AVAILABLE at Partha Dental, with quick appointments facility available for patients with severe tooth pain or problems.
