My dentist told me I should consume fluoride for healthy teeth and gums. Where can I get fluoride, apart from the fluoride toothpaste I have been prescribed?

You will find fluoride in the following food:

• Cereals

• Fresh fruit and juices
• Vegetables
• Turkey
• Cherry
• Tea

One of teeth is chipped. My friend suggested bonding. What is it and what are its benefits?

Bonding is the corrective treatment for chipped. Bonding also helps fill gaps between teeth. In the bonding procedure, a composite material, typically resin, is used (bonded) on or between teeth to correct any visible flaws.

The benefits of bonding include the following:

• The composite material used in bonding sticks to your teeth firmly.
  The material used in bonding grows along with your teeth, thus avoiding the development of any cracks.

I don’t smoke but my teeth are stained. What could be the possible cause?

The cause of stained teeth may not necessarily be external. The common causes of coloured teeth, apart from smoking, are:

• Drinking tea or coffee

• Eating chocolate
• Certain medication
• Drinking red wine
• Drinking cola

If you think these are not causing the stain in your teeth, see your doctor. If the factor is external, your dentist can help whiten your teeth.

Happy smiling!

Why do children fall ill when they are teething?

All children do not fall ill when they are teething. However, cases of diarrhoea, fever, and vomiting are noticed when children teeth. It is not necessarily associated with teething. Do visit your paediatrician for advice on taking care of your infant if he/she is ill. You should not consider it normal and ignore professional help.

How important it is to take care of a child’s milk teeth?

People often do not pay much attention to the care of primary teeth thinking that they will soon be replaced by permanent teeth. It is important to understand that the teeth give shape to a child’s face. They are the building blocks of the child’s visuals as well as the foundation for his/her permanent teeth.

What if a child develops cavities in her primary teeth?

You should take care of a child’s primary teeth exactly the same way you would take care of your permanent teeth. Like in an adult’s teeth, poor dental hygiene can lead to the development of cavities in the child’s teeth. Some people tend to think that primary teeth do not need the same treatment as the permanent teeth as they will eventually fall off. However, it is important to understand that primary teeth give way to permanent teeth; if they are infected, they will cause problems for the permanent teeth by damaging the pulp etc.

Ask your dentist for the right treatment for cavities in your child’s teeth. Advice of tooth fillings and extraction should not be ignored.

Click here for a detailed post on dental care in children.

Happy smiling!

If a group of foodies were to hang out together, you can be sure that sweets will be a big part of their conversation. Love for sweets is universal, and people from different parts of the world possess the sweet tooth in equal abundance.

Let us understand why the sweet tooth becomes a cause for concern. Though not necessarily a reason for problems, the sweet tooth can cause or aggravate the following:

• Obesity

• Diabetes
• Tooth and gum problems

They say everything in moderation is good. Too much sweet can affect not only your smile but also your general health. Let us look at what you can do to prevent your sweet cravings from ruining your oral health.

Rinse your mouth after eating any sweet product.

Yes, it is not too difficult to get some water to cleanse your mouth after satisfying your sweet tooth. Yeah, the after-taste will be gone, but isn’t that better than feeding bacteria in your mouth?

Rinse your mouth after consuming coffee, tea, or other sweetened beverages.

If you are the workaholic who keeps his/her spirit high by pouring cups of coffee and tea down his/her system, you may be damaging your teeth beyond you can imagine. It’s better to cut down the intake of these beverages. It is important that you rinse your teeth every time you gulp down a cup of coffee or teeth.

Ask your dentist to prescribe the right toothpaste.

Your dentist can help you pick up the right toothpaste. If you do not drink fluoride water, he/she will ask you to use fluoride toothpaste. He/she may prescribe you sugar-free toothpaste too.

Choose the right kind of sweet.

Choose a fruit over a bar of chocolate to satisfy that craving. Eating chocolate is fine if taken in moderation.

Did I mention that these are apart from the advice to follow stringent dental care routine?

Happy smiling!

All of us know the significance of smile in our lives. Reams have been written describing smiles. Romance, love, fascination, even conning have been associated with smiles. The smile imparts personality to a face. It becomes important to keep the smile radiant. What can we do to ensure that our smiles are never compromised? To know the answer, read on.

Eat well

It is important to eat the right kind of food not only for your overall well-being but also for that attractive smile. Click here for a list of foods that will help you get that smile you always wanted.

Follow a proper dental routine

Yes, you know this since you were in kindergarten. Brush, floss, and do everything that makes for the perfect dental care routine. If you would like to know what a proper dental care routine is, click here.

Apart from adhering to a dental care routine, make sure you visit your dentist twice a year.

Visit the smile spa

If you haven’t heard of the smile spa yet, click here. Like the usual spa, a smile spa pampers you while performing a dental procedure like teeth whitening. Visit the smile spa for a relaxing experience.

Get tooth errors corrected

Don’t let you smile be affected by worn out, chipped teeth or gaps between teeth. Treatments using veneers, crowns, bridges, and bonding can rectify the errors in the teeth. Visit your dentist for teeth correction.

Get dental ailments treated

Bad dental habits or failure to follow a proper dental care routine may cause plaque and cavities to form in the mouth. Gum diseases like gingivitis and periodontitis can also occur because of poor oral hygiene. Seek dental treatment to get rid of these ailments.

It is important not to take you smile for granted.

Happy smiling!

In this post, we will recapitulate important oral hygiene information that we shared in earlier posts.

What do stained teeth indicate?

Stained teeth may also mean that you have tooth decay; the decay causes parts of your teeth to become brown in color. Apart from this, teeth discoloration without an apparent reason may indicate that the teeth have been damaged because of some injury. Visit your dentist to know if the stain on your teeth is indicative of a deeper problem.

What toothpaste should I use?

The recommended toothpaste is the one that contains fluoride. However, if you are getting your dose of fluoride through the water you drink, you can use any toothpaste you like. If your teeth are sensitive, ask your dentist to prescribe an appropriate toothpaste for sensitive teeth.

How is grinding the teeth or biting nails harmful for the teeth?

Some of us grind our teeth when angry, others do it for no reason. Whatever may be the cause, grinding the teeth is a bad dental habit. It results in chipping of teeth. Nail-biting does not only harm your nails but also causes chipping of teeth.

Happy smiling!

Several times in the previous posts we have mentioned that fluoride is good for the teeth. In this post we will explore why.

What is fluoride?

Fluoride is a mineral. Fluoride is a compound of two elements: fluorine and oxygen.

How is fluoride connected to teeth?

Fluoride, along with calcium and phosphate, is present in the enamel of our teeth. Bacteria and plaque rob the teeth off the mineral deposits. This process is called demineralization.

What happens if fluoride is washed off the teeth?

Fluoride is essential for healthy teeth. When bacteria and plaque eat away the fluoride, the teeth start to decay. Thus, fluoride is very important to avoid tooth decay. Fluoride also helps in re-mineralization, attracting other essential minerals.

What can you do to restore the fluoride content in your teeth?

It is very simple to get the required fluoride for your teeth: just follow the advice given below.

• Drink water that contains fluoride.

• Eat food that has fluoride in it.
• Use fluoride-based toothpaste.

Ask your dentist to recommend a fluoride toothpaste.

What foods contain fluoride?

The following contain fluoride:

• Cereals

• Fresh fruit and juices
• Vegetables
• Turkey
• Cherry
• Tea

Ask your dentist if you need fluoride supplements.

Happy smiling!

In yesterday’s post, we discussed answered some common queries people have about dental care. We will address some more queries today.

How do I choose my toothpaste?

The recommended toothpaste is the one that contains fluoride. However, if you are getting your dose of fluoride through the water you drink, you can use any toothpaste you like. If your teeth are sensitive, ask your dentist to prescribe an appropriate toothp[aste for sensitive teeth.

When should I visit my dentist?

For regular check-ups, you should visit your dentist two times a year. However, you should see your dentist soon if you experience any kind of dental discomfort or pain. Rush to your dentist right away if you have a dental accident. Click here to read a list of situations and conditions when you should see your dentist.

One of my teeth seems to have moved a bit away from the socket. What should I do?

If your tooth has not moved because of an accident, use your finger to push the tooth in. After you have move the tooth to its right place, old your teeth together in a biting posture so that the tooth stays at its place. See your dentist next so that the tooth is fixed properly.

Make sure you do not press too hard while pushing the tooth in its place.

We will be back with more information in the next posts.

Happy smiling!

Today, we will discuss some of the most common questions that come to mind when a person thinks about dental care. Here are a few questions and their answers.

My gums bleed when I brush. Should I be scared?

First of all, you need to see if you are brushing too hard, especially on the gums. If you are, you should stop the habit immediately. You should brush your teeth and gums gently so that they are not hurt in the process.

Next, see if you are bleeding almost everyday. Blood in the gums once in a blue moon could be a result of holding the brush at a wrong angle, brushing too hard etc. However, if you are bleeding frequently, visit your dentist right away.

You should not stop brushing if your gums bleed. It is still important to take care of your dental hygiene so that the condition is not aggravated.

What happens in tooth extraction?

Most people assume that tooth extraction is painful. The process itself is not at all painful. Some patients may feel some discomfort after the procedure. In the procedure, the area around your tooth is numbed by anaesthesia, making sure you do not feel any pain. Next, the tooth is taken off its socket without damaging the area around. Dentists also prescribe antibiotics so that patients do not develop any problems after the procedure.

Can I loosen my teeth by over-brushing?

Though over-brushing, if done for a long term, can harm the teeth enamel, it cannot loosen your teeth. Brushing in any way cannot loosen your teeth because they are strongly bonded to the root. Only diseases and accidents loosen teeth. However, you should not over-brush in order to keep your teeth healthy.

Happy smiling!

In the earlier posts, we have told you about the proper dental care routine, the good and the bad dental habits, and advised you on healthy eating habits. In this post, we will tell you why we give so much importance to dental care.

Teeth help us eat.
Yes, imagine your mouth without those teeth. Will you be able to bite into that cheese burger or munch on those wafers without them? Bite, munch, chew – relish your food with healthy teeth!

Teeth enable us to speak.
If you thought teeth have nothing to do with our voice, this will surprise you: Teeth help make certain sounds. If we didn’t have teeth, we wouldn’t be able to pronounce words like ‘later’, ‘taste’, ‘loiter’ etc. Try to figure out the sounds you cannot make without the help of your teeth.

Teeth help in the digestion of food.
How? By helping us chew the food properly. If food is not broken down enough, it hampers with the natural digestion process, leading to health concerns.

Teeth decay may cause other health problems.
Any problem in our teeth will consequently cause problems in other parts of your body. Click here to learn about the connection of dental health with overall health.

Had it not been for teeth, human beings would have had to come up a different set of languages and a different cult of food! Seek expert help to treat any dental complications you have.

Happy smiling!

In the last one month, this blog carried dental care dos and don’ts, busted dental care myths, listed bad dental habits, familiarized you with dental jargon and entertained you with teeth trivia. In today’s post, we will tell you what the mystery proper dental care routine is that everyone talks about.

Let us look at what comprises the perfect dental care routine.

• Brush after every meal. So, actually, the first brushing in the morning just freshens your breath and helps you get rid of the bad breath.

• Floss everyday. Flossing is as important as brushing. While brushing takes care of the surfaces of the teeth, flossing ensures that the spaces between the teeth are cleaned.
• Clean your tongue regularly. Some say that you should clean your tongue as often as you brush your teeth. However, gently cleaning your tongue once a day is more than enough. Too much scraping can make cracks on your tongue, making home for bacteria.
• Rinse your mouth after consuming anything. A sip of juice or a bite of chocolate can help bacteria grow and flourish inside your mouth if you are hours away from your post-meal brushing. You cannot possibly brush every time you put something in your mouth. However, you can rinse your mouth with water or mouthwash.
• Visit your dentist twice a year. You may not have a visible reason to visit your dentist, but you should still visit him/her for a check-up like you would for your general health. One visit in six months should be a part of your annual itinerary.

Apart from following a proper dental care routine, try to cut down on smoking and curb your sweet cravings.

When you are traveling, along with medicines and bare necessities, carry your toothbrush, floss, tongue scraper, toothpaste, and mouthwash in a kit that you can keep all the time with you.

Do not ignore any pain, swelling, or any kind of irritation in your mouth. See your dentist at once if you have some dental problem symptoms.

Happy smiling!