Care for your pearly whites to make them last a lifetime

"Say cheese!" and get clicked. When you see the picture, how do your teeth look? The healthier the teeth are, the happier you look.

Why is it so? It's because your teeth are important in many ways. If you take care of them, they'll help take care of you. Strong, healthy teeth help you chew well. They help you speak clearly. And yes, they help you look your best.  As a child you have 20 milk teeth which erupt between the ages of 6 months and 2 ½ years. Milk teeth fall off in a sequence between the ages of 6 to 13 years. It is important to maintain them till they fall off naturally.

Nowadays poor dietary habits are leading to growth of dental cavities among children. If ignored over a period of time it can lead to loss of teeth. Fermentable carbohydrates (sugar and other carbohydrates from food and drink) are your dental enemies. The germs present in our mouth meet up with sugars that are found in snacks such as cookies, candies, dried fruits, soft drinks, popcorn or potato chips to create acid. When an acid 'attack' occurs, the teeth are weakened and cavities start building up.

Bad food

Soft drinks, diet drinks (contain phosphoric acid) excessive fruit drinks, coffee/tea with sugar chocolates and candy (particularly for those who leave it in the mouth and let it dissolve, large amounts of dried fruit (dehydration concentrates sugar), large amounts citrus fruits (citric acid) popcorns, chips, pizza,  burgers etc.

It's said that prevention is better than cure. If you follow some simple instructions, you can have a perfect set of pearly whites.

o  Brush your teeth carefully.

o  Eat lots of fruits and vegetables and drink water instead of soda.

o  Avoid eating sweets between meals.

o  Avoid chips, breads, chocolates etc. at snack time as they are sticky and can be harmful to teeth.

o  Avoid excessive intake of aerated soft drinks.

o  Regular dental check ups once in six months is good to help detect any problems when they are little and can avoid pain or other problems related to advanced dental diseases.

o  Brush with a fluoride toothpaste for two minutes twice a day using a soft bristled toothbrush. We have been blessed with two sets of teeth. It is our duty to make them last a lifetime.

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