5 Things to keep Teeth Safe when Binging on Sweets

Tooth decay is the most common disease seen in more than 80% of the population. It is an Irreversible Microbial Disease which may probably be considered as a disease of Modern Civilization. When we say, Modern Civilization, we literally mean “The Modern Lifestyle”.

Today, we live a fast life. We want things available at our finger tips. We lack patience. This is responsible for our dependability on easily available food resources. With increase in commercialism around, lots of flavoured foodstuffs are easily available in the market. In this very competitive world, many multi-national companies have brought to the market, many such foods that are carbohydrate based. To add to this, such foods are made sweet to attract the child population. The increased consumption of such “Civilized or Refined Foods” such as wafers, chips, chaat, papad, candy, sweet drinks, dry snacks, sugar gums, chocolates, cakes, etc which are “Readily Fermentable Carbohydrates” by all the age grouped population has led to the increase in the Dental Decay.

Before, people with low socio-economic status were more prone to such Dental disease as a result of neglect, non-affordability and ignorance towards oral care. But now, the population as a whole is more prone to Dental Disease.

The busy lifestyle or the lack of time or the laziness amongst the population is responsible for the most of the population to avoid Night Brushing and suffer from Dental Disease.

Those who wish to enjoy their taste of sweet food to satisfy their Sweet Tooth should remember that it can lead to Tooth Decay and also the feeling of Guilt by enjoying “The Cheat Day” they indulge in every time.

Here are a few tips for all Sugar Lovers to keep your teeth healthy and clean every time they think to enjoy “The Cheat Day”.

1. Always carry a Kid Portable Tooth Brush with you which allow you to visit a restroom immediately after the consumption for such sugary food. Simply wet your tooth brush in tap water and brush it on the surfaces of your teeth.
2. Change your tooth brush the moment you see its bristles bending. Bend bristled tooth brush cannot clean your teeth effectively. Ineffective teeth brushing can cause accumulation of plaque on the teeth surfaces.
3. Select a tooth brush which has a smallest head and a long handle. This helps in easy brushing of the back teeth including the wisdom teeth.
4. Prefer not just a fluoridated tooth paste but also a remineralizing tooth paste. This helps in strengthening the enamel of your teeth set, thus reducing teeth sensitivity.
5. Brush your teeth with the brushing technique recommended by us.
6. A sugar free gum may help you to clean your teeth after consumption of sugary food as it will increase the production of the saliva in your mouth. Saliva and swallowing helps in removing the retentive carbohydrates from your teeth surfaces.
7. Use a fluoridated and waxed dental floss to clean the in between surfaces of your teeth.
8. Engage in the habit of Night Brushing.

Back to School

We all have learnt in our school “Prevention is better than Cure”. Do you know the extent of its relevance in relation to maintaining a Good Dental Health? What do we mean by this?

Here, we help you go back to your School to guide you in maintaining Good Oral Health.

1. Carry a Tooth Brush with you which allow you to visit a restroom immediately after meals. Simply wet your tooth brush in tap water and brush it on all the surfaces of your teeth.
2. Change your tooth brush the moment you see its bristles bending. A worn-out tooth brush fails to clean your teeth effectively, thus causing accumulation of plaque on your teeth.
3. Select a tooth brush which has a smallest head and a long handle to reach up to the wisdom teeth.
4. Prefer a tooth paste which has fluoridating and remineralizing abilities to strengthen the enamel of your teeth, prevent teeth decay and reduce teeth sensitivity.
5. Brush your teeth with the brushing technique recommended by us.
6. Use of a fluoridated mouthwash may also help in cleaning teeth.
7. Get a Professional Teeth Cleaning session every six months with us.
8. Make it a rule to brush your teeth in the Night.
9. Use a fluoridated and waxed dental floss to clean the interdental surfaces of teeth.

What is the necessity towards maintaining Good Oral Health?

We have seen our grandparents with their teeth intact in their mouth. Then, why do we experience lot of dental discomfort?

Did you know?

1. When the tooth is incubated in saliva and bread or sugar, the decalcification process starts, means that the Tooth Decay initiates. But, when the same tooth is incubated in Fat or Protein rich substance, no decalcification process starts. Also, the tooth decalcification is less when the tooth is incubated in Raw Starch in comparison to cooked starch or sugarcane substance.
2. The meals rich in fat, protein or salt reduce the oral retentiveness of carbohydrates on teeth surfaces.
3. Sticky and solid carbohydrates like chips, wafers, dry snacks, papad, etc are more decay producing then those consumed as liquids like sweetened and flavoured drinks. This is because the carbohydrates that are easily and quickly cleared from the teeth surfaces by saliva and swallowing are less decay producing then those that are difficult to clean from the teeth surfaces.
4. The Decalcification process initiates when the salivary bacteria causes bio-degradation of the consumed carbohydrate or starch-rich food, the end products of this bio-degradation process are acid and gas. Such acid when released causes decalcification of both enamel and dentin.
5. Polysaccharides such as starch, cellulose glycogen and dextran are less easily fermented by oral bacteria than Monosaccharides such as glucose, fructose and Disaccharides such as sucrose and lactose.

Remember a Simple Dental School Formula:

Bacteria + Sugar + Teeth = Production of Organic Acids – which leads to the Decalcification process – Initiation of Tooth Decay or Caries.

The Cariogenicity of a Dietary Carbohydrate is dependent on following factors:

1. Frequency of Ingestion of carbohydrate
2. Physical form of carbohydrate
3. Chemical composition of carbohydrate
4. Route of Administration of carbohydrate
5. Presence of other food constituents that may help in further enamel solubility or affect antibacterial properties.

A good Oral care can help you to flaunt your healthy teeth and thus boost your self-confidence. Put efforts to maintain your teeth healthy now, to carry them with you the lifetime. Prevention is better than Cure.