Dr. Pooja Guglani

When brushing your teeth, position the bristles at an angle of 45 degrees near the gum line. Both the gum line and the tooth surface should be in contact with the bristles. Brush the outer surfaces of the teeth using a back-and-forth, up-and-down motion, making sure to be done gently in order to avoid bleeding. To clean the inside surfaces of the teeth and gums, place the bristles at a 45-degree angle again and repeat the back-and-forth, up-and-down motion. Lastly, brush the surfaces of your tongue and the roof of your mouth to remove bacteria, which might cause bad breath.

The mere thought of biting into something crunchy brings a refreshing thought. However, realize that crunchy things are not always good for general health and oral health. While some crunchy foods can be very good for the teeth, others can do a great deal of harm.

Given that crunchy foods are something more popular with kids, they should be taught the good and bad about crunchy foods. That does not mean they are banned from eating any bad crunchy food. There are ways to reduce the effects of eating a bad crunchy food and the children should be taught those early on.

Let us look at the bad crunchy foods first. A packet of chips or crackers may sound extremely exciting for the kid, but they are very damaging to the teeth. Pieces of these stick to the teeth and in-between the teeth, thereby attracting germs and causing decay.

Candies are the next lot. They contain a great amount of sugar that does not leave the mouth after the candy is swallowed. The sugar stays long after the candy is out of the mouth and continues to cause damage.

In both these cases, the child should not be told not to eat. The trick is to teach them that while they can eat these, it should immediately be followed by a brushing session or a thorough rinse if brushing is not possible. Get them into the habit of a thorough rinse after each meal and no crunchy food can produce the same damage.

Good Crunchy Foods: The vegetables and fruits are undoubtedly the best crunchy foods to bite into. Not only are they good for overall health with their rich fiber content and vitamins, they also have a great benefit for the oral health. Any fruit from apple to a pear induces salivary glands and increases the cleansing effect of the saliva. The natural fibers also produce the same effect as does brushing for a couple of minutes. The teeth surfaces are freed of plaque and bacteria, thereby reducing the chances of tooth decay. Carrots and celery also contain vitamin A, which is good for healthy tooth structure. They also are rich in water and provide good amount of water for the body. Another good crunchy food is popcorn, which not just is light on the stomach, but also has a good amount of fiber.

The next time you need something crunchy to bite on, take a decision. What you might munch into can have a lot of effect both on your overall health and your teeth. Also, watch your children and teach them how to nullify the bad effects.

A common question asked by parents about braces is at what age our kid should go for braces.
 Orthodontic treatment is not just corrective. We can try to avoid malocclusion by various methods. One should take their kids for a dental check up every 6 months. Sometimes it is possible to do a little bit of treatment like extraction of milk tooth to avoid malaligned teeth.
 If one has developed irregular teeth or forwardly placed teeth, the kid has to wait till all milk teeth fall. It is easy to put braces with that. Sometimes we have to remove milk teeth if it is not gelling at the right time.

The treatment to save and repair a badly infected or damaged tooth is known as Root Canal Treatment. The backbone of the procedure includes removal of the pulp which is the damaged region of the tooth, disinfecting and cleaning the pulp and finally sealing the area. The common problems that affect the pulp are a deep cavity, cracked tooth, pain or recurring dental treatment. The nerve of a tooth is not absolutely important for tooth’s functioning and health after it has emerged through the gums. Its only purpose is sensation – whether an item is hot or cold. It is not required for daily functioning.

Damage to the pulp or nerve tissue of a tooth can break it down and cause bacterial growth which in turn leads to an infection and an abscessed tooth. The abscess is a pocket that is filled with pus which is formed at the base of the roots of the tooth. Additionally, infection at the root canal can cause:

1. Loss of bone at the tip of the root.

2. Swelling that might spread to other areas of the face and body

A typical root canal treatment, which happens over a few office visits, involves the following steps:

1. X-Ray: In case you need root canal treatment, X-rays might be taken or previous X-rays could be checked in order to locate the area of decay.

2. Anaesthesia: Administration of local anaesthesia is administered to the infected tooth.

3. Pulpectomy: The diseased tooth is removed by making an opening at the area.

4. Filling: The opened roots are filled using gutta-percha material and sealed off using cement.