Oral Health

Bad Breath - Causes & Treatment  Bad breath or halitosis could be really nasty at times. It occurs transiently post waking up in the morning due to stagnation of saliva & reduced fluid intake or after consumption of foods like garlic, onions, radish, spices and also tobacco, betel nut and alcohol. The resulting breath takes on a different odour that may last for several hours. Apart from this chronic oral malodour could be a sign of either the dental causes or underlying systemic conditions. Dental causes include poor oral hygiene, dental infections, pyorrhoea, ulcers or oral mucosal lesions. Systemic causes mostly include cases originating from ENT (ear, nose & throat) areas like inflammation in tonsils (tonsillitis), nose (rhinitis), sinus (sinusitis) & pharynx (pharyngitis), upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) & lower respiratory tract infections like chronic bronchitis, lung abscess, asthma, cystic fibrosis, and pneumonia. Gastric & ...

Counter Back Oral Cancer Oral cancer is the 11th most common cancer in the world while India alone accounts for one-fifth of all oral cancer cases and one-fourth of all oral cancer related deaths. Oral cancers include cancers of the lips, tongue, gums, floor of the mouth, cheeks & palate (roof of the mouth). Tobacco use, in any form, excessive alcohol consumption, dietary deficiencies are the major risk factors implicated in oral cancer while environmental influences & HPV virus also act as causative agents in few cancers.      Preventing tobacco and alcohol use with lifestyle & dietary modifications can potentially prevent the vast majority of oral cancers. When primary prevention fails, visual screening of the oral cavity is accurate in detecting precancerous changes & developing cancer lesions. This leads to early diagnosis & initiation of prompt treatment thereby reducing to deaths related to oral cancer. Be MOUTH AWARE. A chronic ...

Oral Hygiene Maintaining oral hygiene is as important as the cleanliness of rest of the body. An unhealthy mouth makes the smile greatly unaesthetic & leads to a very unwelcoming odour. Apart from the obvious reasons it also serves as a depository to a number of diseases which can affect the whole body.   Thus, it is imperative to take good care of the mouth as well and stop being indifferent to it. A number of oral hygiene aids are available namely, tooth brushes, tooth pastes/powders, mouthwashes, dental floss, inter-dental brushes. While making a choice in regard to tooth brush it is advisable to use a soft bristle brush as it prevents abrading the teeth. The tooth paste in use should preferably contain a fluoride compound as it prevents caries. It is important to brush twice a day using a proper technique. While brushing care should be taken to brush the outer surfaces, the inner surfaces (towards tongue & palate) & the chewing areas of the teeth as t...

Gum Disease in Pregnant Moms: Lean babies & Early birth The mouth serves as a mirror to general health and also as a portal for disease to the rest of the body. Periodontitis, also generally called  gum disease  or pyorrhoea, begins with bacterial growth in the  mouth  and may end -- if not properly treated -- with  tooth  loss due to destruction of the tissue that surrounds your  teeth . . Gum diseases are among the most common diseases in humans, affecting 5% to 30% of the adult population. A number of factors are responsible for this viz. poor oral hygiene, habits like tobacco & smoking, systemic illness like diabetes, hormonal changes like pregnancy.  Of these, the association between periodontitis & adverse pregnancy outcomes like preterm birth & low birth weight babies is long been studied and documented.  Pre-term birth is   a   major   cause   of   infant   mortality  ...

Periodontal disease & Pregnancy Outcomes: Studies Conducted The association between the gum diseases (periodontitis) in pregnant females and its impact on the newborn baby is being studied in 2 phases: I Phase study – A study done in 2008 included 280 pregnant females in the age group of 18-37 years. Most of them belonged to either low or middle socioeconomic status & have attended school till pimary level. Among 251 subjects of full term group, 51 subjects delivered LBW babies and among the 29 subjects of preterm group 23 subjects delivered LBW babies. It has been observed that preterm subjects delivered LBW babies. II phase study – This study was done in the year 2014 included 200 educated pregnant females belonging to high socioeconomic strata. The incidence of preterm birth (<37 weeks) was 20.5 % in patients free of gum diseases (periodontitis) 48.5% in the group suffering from periodontitis. The incidence of LBW (<2500gms) was 4.5 % in peri...

Pregnancy & Periodontitis Periodontitis, also generally called  gum disease  or pyorrhoea, begins with bacterial growth in the mouth  and may end -- if not properly treated -- with  tooth  loss due to destruction of the tissue that surrounds your  teeth . It begins initially with inflammation of gums (gingivitis) and slowly progresses to involve the supporting structures of teeth thereby leading to periodontitis. A number of factors are responsible for this viz. poor oral hygiene, habits like tobacco & smoking, systemic illness like diabetes, hormonal changes like pregnancy.             Of these, the association between periodontitis & pregnancy outcomes is long been studied and documented. There has been mounting scientific evidence suggesting that periodontal disease may play an important role as a risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes like preterm...