The Wisdom Tooth

      Don't we all dream of a perfect set of teeth without spacing or crowding? Well spacing is common in children and mostly gets corrected by itself as permanent teeth come in. Except in few cases, where timely diagnosis and correction can make that dream come true. This is where regular dental visits come into play!     Generalised spacing Localised spacing- Midline diastema   Midline diastema (spacing)- gap between two upper front teeth.   Causes of midline diastema include, High frenal attachment Mesiodens- an extra tooth between two upper teeth Ugly duckling stage (explained later in this post) Retained milk teeth Midline pathology- cyst, tumor Pressure habits   Some causes of generalised spacing can be, Pressure habits- Tongue thrusting, thumb sucking Macroglossia- Tongue size larger than normal Microdontia- Teeth size smaller than the jaw Macrognathia- Jaw size larger than teeth Loss of permanent teeth Unerupted ...

  Being in the middle of a pandemic, we think this would be the best time to discuss antibiotic over usage. To dodge another possible pandemic, it is high time we use the antibiotics in our hands wisely. New resistant strains of bacteria are growing so fast that we are running out of antibiotics to treat them. WHO has released a list of bacteria for which new antibiotics are needed. HOW DO ANTIBIOTICS WORK? To make something clear, not all antibiotics kill all bacteria. Certain antibiotics are effective against certain bacteria.    To simplify, these antibiotics specifically target the components or a particular process of microbes which is not found in the host (humans).      Generally by studying the symptoms or nature of the infection, the likely causative organism is decided and apt antibiotics are given. In unfamiliar scenarios, pus culture is done to find out the causative organism. ANTIBIOTICS IN DENTISTRY:     Use of antibiotic...

      "We become aware of the void as we fill it"! Be aware of the void (space) you may have in your mouth and fill it. As not filling it can lead to dire consequences. Read through to know more! Back to basics!    Primary (milk) teeth- 20   From 6months- 6years. After which permanent teeth start replacing primary teeth.    Permanent teeth- 32  28 out of 32 teeth come in by 14years. While 4 (wisdom teeth) teeth erupt between 18-25 years of age. This may vary from person to person. Know the names! Functions of teeth: Grinding and chewing Articulation Aesthetics Maintaining facial form  Apparently all these functions are lost when you loose a tooth.  Teeth have tight contacts with their neighbors. Hence when a tooth is lost, adjacent teeth will automatically start moving from their original position. This movement differs for different teeth.   What happens when you loose a front tooth?    The first and foremo...

 Instructions should include both What to do and Why it is important! You would have come across post-extraction instructions in your dentist’s office, but do you know the significance of these instructions? Read on to more.... Before going for an extraction, Patients MUST carry previous health reports and medications if they are under any treatment. Never withhold any information regarding your health. What should you notify your dentist before hand,    Any medications/ treatment (chemotherapy, dialysis) you are under,     Any diagnosed systemic illness- hypertension, diabetes, cardiac problems, seizures, bleeding disorders, renal (kidney) etc.   If you are a pregnant or a lactating mother,    Any recent hospitalization or surgery,    If you are experiencing breathing difficulties,     Not revealing any health conditions can have serious consequences. Do not ignore any of the above; thinking it is not related to teet...

   Always trust your gut! For that, you must have a healthy one. And probiotics are one of the many ways to get there. Though probiotics are having their moment only now, we have known them for thousands of years in the name of yogurt, wine, cheese, etc.    In the light of gut health being the key to overall health, we are here to discuss more about probiotics. ABCs of Probiotics:-    ‘Pro’- promoting, ‘biotic’- life; Probiotics are beneficial food supplement which improves the intestinal microbial balance. Our body has both good and bad bacteria. Maintaining balance between these is necessary for optimal health.        Prebiotics- a non-digestible carbohydrate that nourishes the probiotics & bacteria in the gut. This selectively stimulates the growth of good bacteria. Prebiotics include banana, barley, onion, garlic, rye, soya beans, sugar beet, tomato, whole wheat, asparagus, and artichoke.     Even prior to our first bre...

   In the wilderness of life, you can never be too prepared. A  child can do more in one unsupervised minute than most people can do all day. Brace yourself for every possible situation you might encounter. Here we are giving our thoughts on one such situation.  What is avulsion?    Avulsion is a kind of tooth injury in which the tooth falls out mouth as a whole. Upper front teeth are often involved around the age of 8-12 years. Why you should know about it?    Believe it or not, an avulsed tooth can be placed back into its original position. There are many factors that influence the success of this process. Among which two things are under your control, The period of time the tooth is out of your child's mouth The storage medium while the tooth is out     The success of the treatment depends on the timely measures taken at the place of accident. Your knowledge on such emergency situations can save your child from years of ...

  By Guest author,   Dr. Abhinaya. J   Have you ever been in a situation where you just thought you were out of trouble but it comes back and bites you!     Yes, I am talking about the sensitivity that you feel after the dental filling (post-operative sensitivity).    I t’s easy to blame your dentist when you develop sensitivity soon after the filling.  But it’s not just our misdeed. Want to know how and why?     Do you know what a dental filling is and what actually makes it stay in your previous cavity?    The decayed portion of the tooth is removed and made clean, devoid of bacteria that was eating away your tooth slowly and filled with a bio-compatible (not toxic/ injurious to living tissue) material.    Does the dentist choose the filling material or the patient? - We, the dentist normally explain both the benefits and the not so beneficial effects of the material. Later, the patient is all...

    Myth is nothing more than ancient gossip! Some of the dental myths have existed for years and are being passed down to generations. It's high time that we decipher the truth behind these myths. Root canal treatment is painful & horrifying.         Untreated decayed tooth is more painful than root canal treatment itself. The treatment is usually done under local anaesthesia and you can be at ease once the treatment is completed. Like my great grandfather, I'm going to brush my teeth using neem sticks!    This is nothing but a folk tale. Neem branch only does more harm than good. It can easily wear off your enamel causing sensitivity. The same goes for tooth powder. I do oil pulling regularly, I won't have any teeth problems.   Oil pulling is only an adjunct to your regular oral care ( brushing & flossing ). Though oil pulling can reduce bacteria, it is only up to 20%. Also, already existing cavities and hard deposit...

  All that glitters are not gold! Same way all your white teeth are not healthy and vice versa. Moreover a healthy adult tooth is yellowish white in color. So before you want to whiten your teeth, think twice. If your answer is still yes...glance through! Know about the stains in your teeth!   Stains in your teeth can be external or internal. External stain due to beverages   External stains can be due to plaque build-up, tobacco, beverages (tea, coffee) Internal stain- fluorosis   Internal stains are hard to remove. They can be due to fluorosis, any defects in development of teeth (dentinogenesis imperfecta, amelogenesis imperfecta), dental decay or trauma. How to remove these stains?   As in any process, the first step would be to decide the cause. This can be done by taking proper history and evaluation of teeth.   Usually whitening of lower teeth is not required. Because they are covered by lower lip while speaking.   Teeth whit...