Dental care is the care we take to keep our teeth and gums healthy. Strong teeth and gums make it easy for us to eat well and enjoy good food. It is rightly said that dental and oral health is an essential part of our overall health and well-being. Poor oral hygiene will cause bad breath, dental cavities and gum bleeding problems and if left untreated may lead to other severe life-threatening situations like ulcers or mouth cancer etc.

Quote from a health line magazine – “Maintaining healthy teeth and gums is a lifelong commitment!” Elders in the family is always seen advising the children to brush teeth properly and not to eat too many candies. The earlier we learn proper oral hygiene habits, the easier it’ll be to avoid costly dental procedures and long-term health issues.

Statistics shows that around 80% of school children have atleast one dental cavity and nearly 100% of adults have one dental cavity problem in their life span. Following a proper brushing regime is one of the simple ways to have healthy and strong teeth.

Dental care methods include –

• brushing teeth with a good fluoride toothpaste twice a day
• flossing teeth at least once a day
• decrease sugar intake and acidic drinks as much as possible
• include fruits and vegetables in your diet
• avoid smoking or other forms of tobacco products consumption
• drink plenty of water
• visit your dentist routinely for a checkup and cleaning

If a bleeding gum, ulcer, chronic bad breath, toothache, sensitivity and other such symptoms occur, it is best to seek medical advise. Oral cavity collects all sorts of bacteria, viruses, and fungi and hence the stress on brushing daily is very important.

Dental care is a costly affair and the burden of oral disease is much higher in poor or disadvantaged population groups. Dental care differs according to age and gender. A child’s oral care is different from that of an adult male or female. Children are more prone to have cavities because of their high intake of chocolates and candies. However, harmonal changes in a woman has direct impact on the dental health – pregnancy and menopause etc stages cause severe teeth issues. General notion is that men are less likely to follow correct brushing routines as compared to women and as a consequence throat cancer is more common in men.

In India, chewing of neem sticks and brushing teeth with charcoal powder is one of the popular methods followed in rural areas. Research has proved that neem sticks are effective against formation of plague and gum infections. Further more chewing neem leaves helps to maintain the alkaline level of your saliva and avoids bad breath.

A smile enhances the beauty of a person but healthy teeth and gums do contribute for those lovely smiles! Let us take dental care seriously and enjoy the correct form of brushing. I personally, change my tooth paste brands once in a while to bring in a new experience of brushing. It is also very important to change the tooth brush every 3 months or sooner if the bristles are distorted.

healthy teeth is not a destination, it is a way of life!