Dr. Narasimhappa G M

Nursing improperly often becomes a big reason for tooth decay and caries in babies. The way out is to get the baby tooth cared for from the very first day. This form of tooth decay is associated with nursing, when the baby sucks the pacifier, or takes other sugary juices or drinks, or formula milk from a nursing bottle.

The main causes of nursing bottle caries:
The babies are often fed in nursing bottles or feeding bottles, and the bottle nipple often stays in the mouth for long; sometimes overnight also if not taken care of. Again, the babies are pacified with pacifiers, which are often dipped in honey or a sugar solution, and this again brings in more reasons for dental caries. In any of the situations described, the baby's newly formed teeth which are susceptible to all forms of decay and damages while being gentle and new can get cavities. The sugary liquids and milk can form a coating on the teeth which brings in cavities.

How to prevent the nursing caries:
The best option to prevent is not to leave the baby with the bottle or pacifier for long. Again, the pacifier or the bottle should be always washed properly, sterilized and not left in the mouth of the baby uncared, especially during sleep time, when the baby sleeps while sucking onto them.

There are some steps to follow to prevent the early tooth decay and maintain baby dental hygiene. They are:

1. Even before the first tooth comes out, massage and clean the baby's gums with a clean washcloth or soft cotton everyday, and after every long feeding.

2. You don't need toothpaste to start brushing the first few new teeth that come out. Just brush without a toothpaste and use a very soft gentle brush to form the habit. In areas where no tooth has come up, brush and massage the gums only.

• When all the teeth have come up, start flossing everyday
• Try to take the baby for a dental checkup at least every year if not every six months.
• Try to cut down on the consumption of extra sweet beverages. Add some water to the fruit juice to dilute the concentration and sweetness.

All these steps mentioned are great to start healthy and good dental care and hygiene, and if you follow them well, then dental caries will be away.

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder that results in higher level of blood sugar in the body. It is assuming epidemic proportions and India has become the new diabetic capital with more than 50 million diabetic people. The main problem with diabetes is that it does not completely go away and there is a whole myriad of issues that it brings along with it. Heart attack, stroke, eyesight problems, delayed wound healing, nerve damage and impotence. Therefore, diabetes and by that we mainly mean blood sugar level has to be managed so that there is a delay in onset of the associated conditions and/or reduced in severity.

Ayurveda refers to diabetes as Prameha (excessive urination) and Madhumeha (sugary urine) and has identified close to 20 forms of the disease. According to Ayurvedic belief, each disease is caused due to imbalance in kapha, pitta, and vata doshas and diabetes is caused by all these, predominantly by kapha. With any stream of medicine, management of diabetes involves two tracks – one is lifestyle changes and the second is medications.

Lifestyle changes include the following:

1. Diet: Reduce the amount of rice, sugar, potato, sweet fruits, maida, deep fried foods, and red meat. Protein-rich foods like lentils, soya, green leafy vegetables and fish should be increased. Diet plan should change to small, frequent meals instead of binge eating.

2. Exercise: Include 30 minutes of regular exercise into your daily routine if you have a diabetic predisposition.

3. Others: Avoid smoking and alcohol, ensure sufficient sleep, avoid sleeping during day time, improved foot and eye care, periodically check sugar levels and manage stress levels.

Medication

Ayurveda has a whole lot of home remedies which have proven to be very effective against diabetes:

1. Jambhul: Eugenia Jambolana whether eaten raw or juice extract has been shown to have beneficial effects in managing sugar levels and cholesterol.

2. Gymnema sylvestre: Used to manage diabetes for over 2000 years, it reduces sugar cravings and is being touted as the future for diabetes treatment.

3. Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia): It has 3 components that give it strong antidiabetic properties. The charantin reduces blood sugar levels; the polypeptide has insulin-like effects; and lectin that again has hypoglycemic effects.

4. Bel (Aegle marmelos): Also known as wood apple, leaves of the plant are shown to have antidiabetic properties. 5 to 10 leaves can be chewed on a daily basis to help control blood sugar levels.

5. Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graecum): Consuming 10 g of fenugreek seeds soaked in water increases the amount of insulin produced, thereby increasing sugar breakdown.

6. Neem: Chewing about 4 to 5 leaves in the morning on an empty stomach helps to control blood sugar levels. Alternately, neem leaves powder is available which can be dissolved in water and consumed.