Dr. Prashant Kothari

Proper brushing

One of the easiest steps to do to help your teeth keep clean. 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 45degree angle again and repeat the back-and-forth, up an down motion. Lastly, brush the surfaces of your tongue and the roof of your mouth to remove bacteria, which might cause bad breath.
Try to brush at least twice a day to prevent acid buildup from the breakdown of food by bacteria. However, if your work or activities prevent you from doing this, thoroughly rinse your mouth with water after eating to minimize the amount of food that would serve as substrate for the bacteria.

What is scaling?
Over time, even with regular brushing and flossing, plaque (sticky, soft, bacteria infected layer) and tartar (calcium) deposits build up on your teeth. Scaling removes the tartar and plaque with specialised equipment. Scaling effectively cleans up your teeth by using ultrasound to loosen the tartar and then using tools to scrape it off from the surface of the tooth.

What is polishing?
Polishing is done to remove excess plaque and remove stains. Scaling is always followed by polishing. Polishing also smoothes and shines the teeth to prevent plaque from building up again. It is either done by foam or fluoride gel treatment to reduce the possibility of tooth decay and sensitivity.

Why are they done?
Scaling and polishing are not only done for cosmetic reasons; they are also done for overall oral health. Excessive plaque and tartar buildup will eventually lead to the perfect environment for bacteria to thrive and multiply. The ultimate purpose of polishing and scaling is to clean the surface of the teeth so that the bacteria cannot attach to them and cause serious oral problems (such as gum disease). Also, scaling and polishing offer far better cleaning of your teeth than everyday brushing and flossing.

However, scaling and polishing is not a curative treatment. If your teeth have been damaged by cavities or other oral diseases, you need medical attention.

In fact, professionally, this treatment is called prophylactic treatment; and the word ‘prophylactic’ comes from prophylaxis, which is Greek for ‘to prevent disease’. Thus scaling and polishing is more of a preventive measure than a cure.

Do they hurt?
This process is essentially painless. Most of the people who undergo this treatment usually have the following experiences:

1. Tickling sensation
2. Coolness from the water used to clean the mouth
3. Pressure during the scraping process (The dentist uses specialised tools to “scrape” the tartar deposits off the tooth’s surface). If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a doctor and ask a free question.

What is a root canal?

Root canal is a layman's term to describe a dental procedure that is performed to preserve a tooth that is at risk of being lost due to deep decay, infection, or other forms of trauma. Endodontic therapy or root canal treatment are the dental terms to describe this procedure. Root canal treatment is the removal of the infection-prone contents within the tooth and its roots. Subsequently, the resulting space is filled with an inert material to prevent infection. This treatment thoroughly disinfects the tooth's inner space. Root canal treatment enables a tooth to remain intact to function and serve its purpose in the mouth despite losing its vitality. Vitality is the tooth's ability to sense pain, pressure, or temperature. Prior to the implementation of root canal treatment, if a tooth had a large cavity or was abscessed, the only option was extraction of the bad tooth. All in all with Root Canal Treatment, we get to preserve a natural tooth and restore good dental health.