Health and Dentistry

There is a saying: “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth”. Its origin is based on the fact that an animal’s dental health will always reveal the status of its overall vitality. Checking the horse’s mouth will show whether this ‘gift’ warrants the food, shelter and care it needs.

A healthy mouth is the gift we give to ourselves. Always get the best quality dentistry you can afford. The mouth is the gateway to the body, so money spent for your dental health is a very practical investment in long term healthy living. With health care costs soaring, it is important to realize that prevention is always the best strategy. And preventive dentistry is always the best approach to your dental health. As with any investment, include your budget for dentistry within your financial planning.

Your dental health is also an important investment in the beauty of your smile, in how you look and feel about yourself. Technical advances available in bonded and restorative dentistry today make it possible for all your dental work to be durable and bio-compatible, and to look and feel natural. Besides contributing to your dental health, any dentistry you have done should be considered cosmetic in nature as well.

The dentist you like and trust will always be an asset to your health support team. Find a dentist who inspires your confidence. Trust is only possible when the dentist takes time to explain all the different aspects of the patient’s dental health. Just as important is finding a dentist who listens to what you have to say. That way all your concerns can be resolved and your desires included in the final result. The outcome of treatment is always most positive and successful when the patient understands the process and is involved in their treatment.

The environment in the office will also play a role in the overall quality of your experience of dental treatment. Attention to air and water are two aspects of this, as is the use of bio-friendly dental materials. Your dentist’s environmental awareness also plays a role in contributing to the community as a whole.

When you have found a dentist you are happy with, stay current with your ongoing care. Make the commitment to your dental health and do any work you might require. Once again the emphasis is on prevention, because preventive maintenance is invariably preferable to fixing problems that have worsened over time. Regularly scheduled check-ups and cleanings are always advisable. In the long run this is a much easier path than deferred treatment.

Carey O’Rielly, DDS

Before the introduction of modern dentistry, people suffered from tooth ache, which gave way to tooth decay and later on, tooth loss. Today, despite the advances in dentistry, children and adult are still afflicted with tooth decay. There are several factors that are attributed to it.

One factor is hygiene especially oral hygiene, which is sometimes neglected. Often people forget to brush their teeth regularly or before going to bed. At times, people have snacks at midnight and find it very laborious to brush their teeth once more.

Another reason is the lack of visit to the dentist. People are afraid of seeing a dentist either by the indifference they feel or the cost that comes with it.

To know more about this subject, it is wise to know the components of tooth and the process of tooth decay.

Our tooth is composed of Enamel, Dentin, Gum tissue and the Pulp chamber that have blood vessels and nerves in it. The bacteria in our mouth, which dwell mostly on food particles, convert sugar into acids. These acids attack the enamel rendering it permeable. When the soft part collapses, it forms into cavity, or caries. Over time, it develops into tooth decay upon reaching the central pulp.

The worst happens when the plaque-forming bacteria hardens and becomes tartar. This inflames the gum and makes the tooth loose.

Dental Health and Our Diet

Diet plays an important role in achieving and maintaining good set of teeth. A healthful lifestyle and good nutrition must be founded from pregnancy and continued on to the breastfeeding stage, and further on, to childhood and adulthood. Health experts have identified the culprits – the frequency and amount of sugar we intake and the chewy and sticky foods.

To maintain good teeth, the following foods are recommended:

Milk rich in calcium
Cheese (it stimulates saliva reduction, which neutralizes acids)
Tea
Raw vegetables

Aside from foods high in sugar content, drinking acidic beverages should also be minimized.

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