Baby Teeth…. The Foundation for a beautiful smile!!

Why are baby teeth important?

Many parents overlook the importance of their child’s teeth, especially their baby teeth (also called primary teeth). Some parents do not realize teeth serve functions other than biting and chewing.

Your baby’s teeth perform the following functions:

• Help provide nutrition
• Help make speech possible
• Aid in the normal development of the jaw bones and facial muscles
• Add to an attractive appearance
• Reserve space for the permanent teeth and help guide them into position

Without healthy, reasonably well-aligned teeth, your child may have difficulty chewing and may not be able to eat a well-balanced diet. If your child’s mouth is sore because of cavities, loose teeth, or sore gums, she may refuse to eat.

How to Care for your Baby’s Teeth

The baby teeth begin to erupt at about age 6 months and continue until about age 24 months at which time all 20 of the baby teeth should be in place.

Dental decay is among the most common diseases affecting children, and it is the most preventable. Caries in the primary teeth must be taken care of to relieve your child’s pain and to help maintain the teeth until they are ready to be replaced by the permanent teeth. The child can have inflamed and bleeding gums if she has deposits in her teeth which should be carefully cleaned by a dentist by scaling. Untreated gum disease or dental decay in primary teeth can lead to infection or other problems that may affect the permanent teeth.

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Catch decay at an early stage
Apply pit and fissure sealants to arrest caries

Apply fluoride varnish for early cavities

Feed your child a well-balanced diet low in sugars

Teach your child to brush after meals and use correct brushing method

Visit the dentist at regular intervals to prevent any unwarranted pain                                your little one has to go through

Painless, Single visit, Automated Root Canal Treatment

 Why would I need a Root Canal Treatment?

 Endodontic treatment is necessary when the pulp, the soft tissue inside the root canal, becomes inflamed or infected.

The inflammation or infection can have a variety of causes:

• deep decay
• repeated dental procedures on the tooth
• crack or chip in the tooth
• an injury to a tooth
• If pulp inflammation or infection is left untreated, it can cause pain or lead to an abscess.

What are the signs of needing Root Canal Treatment?

Signs to look for include pain, prolonged sensitivity to heat or cold, tenderness to touch and chewing, and discoloration of the tooth. Sometimes, however, there are no symptoms.

 How does Root Canal Treatment save the tooth?

The endodontist removes the inflamed or infected pulp, carefully cleans and shapes the inside of the canal, then fills and seals the space. Afterwards, we will place a crown or other restoration on the tooth to protect and restore it to full function. After restoration, the tooth continues to function like any other tooth.

    

Salient Features of Automated Root Canal Treatment:         

• Single Visit
• Less treatment time
• Less discomfort
• Better result than Manual RCT
• No difference in treatment cost.

Though the number of visits for the root canal treatment is decided by the clinical condition of the particular tooth involved, more than 90% of the cases can be done in single visit using Automated RCT.

Automation makes it possible to complete the treatment in amazingly less time when compared to manual RCT and also provides an excellent outcome and less discomfort post operatively.

How It Works:

Specially designed Nickel Titanium instruments are used instead of conventional hand instruments made of stainless Steel.  These instruments clean the root canal completely without damaging the roots.

Advantage…Automation

Automated root canal treatment is a boon for old people who prefer a safe and quicker treatment.   Though the instruments are imported, the cost of the automated RCT is the same as that of manual RCT.

Ask our experts…

Dr.J.Prabhakar, M.D.S.(Endodontist & Geriatric Dentist) has been trained extensively in the field of Endodontics for treating infected root canals by single visit, automated root canal therapy.

Mail us @ toothhelpline@gmail.com for queries.

Baby Steps for a healthy pregnancy and on-time delivery

How does pregnancy affect your teeth and gums?

Expectant mothers (and women who take some oral contraceptives) experience-elevated levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. This causes the gums to react differently to the bacteria found in plaque, and in many cases can cause a condition known as “pregnancy gingivitis” 65 to 70% of all pregnant women developed gingivitis during this time!

Symptoms include;

• Swollen, red gums
• Bleeding of the gums when you brush, Usually starts around the second month of pregnancy and decreases during the ninth month.
• If you already have gingivitis, it will most likely get worse during pregnancy especially without treatment. Only half of most pregnancy women go to receive dental care. Remember that the bacteria in plaque (not hormones) are what cause gingivitis and it is an infection of the gum tissue.

What are “pregnancy tumors”?

Pregnancy tumors (pyogenic granuloma) are inflammatory, benign growths that develop on the gums as part of an exaggerated response to the irritants found on the tooth surface.

 

• Rare & Painless
• Develop on your gums in response to plaque.
• Although not cancerous, should be treated.
• Usually subside shortly after childbirth.

 

Do you know that the health of your gums can

affect your pregnancy and health of your baby???

 

Studies have shown a relationship between periodontal disease and preterm, low birthweight babies. In fact, pregnant women with periodontal disease may be seven times more likely to have a baby that’s born too early and too small.

Gums infected with periodontal disease are toxic reservoirs of disease causing bacteria. The toxins produced by the bacteria attack the gums, ligaments, and bone surrounding the teeth to produce infected pockets that are similar to large infected wounds in your mouth.

Excessive bacteria can enter the bloodstream through your gums. If this happens, the bacteria can travel to the uterus, triggering the production of chemicals called “prostaglandins”, which cause uterine contractions that induce premature labor.

 As very high levels of prostaglandin are found in women with severe cases of periodontal disease, your body may interpret it as a signal to go into labor and your baby can be born preterm ( less than 37 weeks) and of low birth weight (less than 2.5 kg).

 What if I’m diagnosed with periodontal disease during pregnancy?

If you’re diagnosed with periodontal disease, your periodontist might recommend a common non-surgical procedure called scaling and root planing. During this procedure, your tooth-root surfaces are cleaned to remove plaque and tartar from deep periodontal pockets and smooth the root to remove bacterial toxins.

Research suggests that scaling and root planing may reduce the risk of preterm births in pregnant women with periodontal disease. The added bonus is that the procedure should alleviate many of the uncomfortable symptoms associated with pregnancy gingivitis, such as swelling and tenderness of the gums.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

1. Brush your teeth at least twice a day and after meals.
2. Floss daily.
3. If you suffer from vomiting, repeatedly rinse your mouth with water as often as possible to neutralize the acid caused by vomiting.
4. Eat a well-balanced diet with plenty of vitamin C and B12.
5. See you dentist for help in controlling plaque and preventing gingivitis.
6. Schedule routine exams and cleaning to maintain good dental health.

Have a healthy pregnancy and safe delivery ~ Tooth Helpline

Hello world!

We are one of the leading multi specialty dental clinics in Chennai, situated right in the heart of the Chennai City at T.Nagar and also at Ramapuram, the new IT centre.

Our primary commitment is to maintain the highest standards of service, sterilization, and above all – patient care. We are providing the latest in dentistry with dedicated patient care and exceptional customer service in a friendly and comfortable environment.