Dr. Ahad M Hussain

When you walk into a dental consult assuming it’ll be just about that tooth which is hurting you’ll be shocked to know that it’s a lot more than just that.Every dentist is meant to evaluate you on a variety of characteristics starting from your mental make up down to your risk assessment. Remember (hangover the line about you’re just a dentist) those movies that talk about dentists not being doctors Well if you read on you’ll know why dentists are doing all the heavy lifting when it comes to your overall health as well.

1. Checking your overall health: It starts from the waiting room where we tend to check your overall appearance rule out any obvious syndromes and diseases. Your body language, breathing rate and sometimes even your gait can be telltale signs of underlying problems that when diagnosed well can medically save you years of treatment. A patient of ours was really tall and had a very oddly pronounced bone structure and we ordered hormone tests turns out he had a growth hormone excess which was due to a tumour which was thankfully removed in time. If you were panting getting to your dentist on the first floor you may want to get a fitness assessment for your heart. 

2. Checking your facial profile: Your face shape colour and size has a lot to do with how your smile fits into that frame. Most dentists have a good idea about your teeth size shape and even alignment even before you open your mouth. 

3. Profiling your personality: We learn to classify personality types in dental school as this helps us in communicating with you better and also customizing your smiles based on your nature. If you’re a bold female in a corporate job we reckon strong squarish teeth will suit your personality as opposed to round small teeth. If you’re a methodical and detail oriented patient chances are you’re extremely conscious about your dental hygiene as well. If you’re extremely phobic of the entire dental process we have prior assessments for the same to ensure proper treatment approaches suited to your needs.

4. Assessing your genetic propensity: When your dental checkup is happening we also take a family history to understand if you are genetically more prone to cavities and dental problems. These patterns have a tremendous genetic repetition and even if you brush twice a day you may wonder why you end up with cavities it could be because genetically you are more prone. This doesn’t mean all is lost but this means that you will have to protect yourself more than regular hygiene methods like a fluoride treatment annually starting from a young age can help give you extra protection.

5. Checking for any joint problems: Some of us end up getting severe facial pain and problems with our facial joints near the ears. Since this falls between the grey area of an ear,nose,throat physician or a dentist we don’t know who exactly will solve these problems. But many dentists undertake TMJ studies as a specialty in itself since it’s more to do with jaws and teeth than the ears. A normal checkup will entail assessing your joint is healthy as well. 

6. Saving you from Cancer: A dentist also must check your gums lips and cheeks to rule out any white patches or growths that may increase your risk to cancer. A routine full mouth panoramic X-ray is actually legally mandatory after each checkup to rule out any hidden bone or jaw growths.

If you are someone who shudders at the sound of the word dentist, read our blog to help you to take the first step.

A chipped or knocked out tooth can be a very painful condition. Tooth injuries are most often caused during a sports activity or when your child take a nasty fall. And such accidents can hamper children's general well-being, their ability to enjoy food, appearance and their precious smile. 

Different types of tooth injuries:

1. A minor chip: A minor tooth fracture usually involves chipping of the enamel only
2. A major chip: A deeper fracture can involve chipping of both the enamel and the dentin of a tooth
3. A serious fracture that exposes the nerve and blood vessels in the centre of the teeth
4. A fully displaced teeth: Here the tooth is forced upward, downward or to the side
5. A knocked off teeth: One that lands in your hand or shatters in the ground after impact
6. Trauma injuries: A more serious accident that involves head, neck and facial trauma
7. Wear and tear: Cavities or chewing and biting on hard objects like pencils, ice cubes, or hard chocolates can also lead to tooth injury 
8. Fighting the fight: When 'I'll break your teeth' ceases to be an empty threat

How are tooth fractures treated?

Treatment depends on the extent of your fractures. A knocked out teeth can be re-implanted in many cases. A permanent tooth that is re-implanted within 30 minutes has the highest chance of success. Here's what you can do to save your child's tooth:

1. Collect your broken tooth: Carefully collect the tooth fragments to not cause any additional damage which may prevent re-implantation. Avoid touching the root part of the tooth. Wash it gently in lukewarm water and keep it in a small bowl of milk. Avoid scrubbing or scraping to remove dirt. 
2. Reinsert your teeth if possible: Once you rinse the teeth, try to reinsert your hild's teeth in the socket. This may be a painful exercise, so proceed only if you think your child can bear through it. You can store it between your cheek and gum to prevent drying or in a bowl of whole milk.
3. Take care of your child : If there is bleeding, give your child's mouth a good rinse to clear off the blood that is blocking the view. Identify the source of bleeding and press in with a sterile gauze or cloth. 
4. Give your child a treat: This is a great way to get their mind off the pain and works wonders for children. Treat them with an ice lolly/ frozen pop to ease out the pain. If there is any cut on their gums or lips, another equally tasty home remedy is to cover it with sugar which will temporarily stop the bleeding and the sweetness will help them to forget the pain for the time being. 
5. Go to a child's dentist at earliest: Even if it is a minor chip, it is always advisable to see a dentist at the earliest, as the cut may be sharp and can eventually end up hurting your tongue. The sooner , the better it is.

Your children's teeth need to last their lifetime, so take good care of them, especially when faced with an injury. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult your child's dentist.