Dr Bharti Sharma, BDS (Rajasthan), SMO (Dental), CHC Nadaun, Hamirpur, March, 2014
Teeth play an important role in maintaining our health. They not only help in chewing food to prepare for digestion but also play an important role for our speech and esthetics. Proper alignment of teeth are essential for pronunciation of alphabets like – s, sh, t, th, d, dh, etc. Besides good alignment of teeth and healthy dentition adds beauty to our looks and beautifies our smile, as the saying goes. In simple terms, dentition refers to the development of teeth and their alignment.
A smile is an inexpensive way to change your looks. So, care should be taken to maintain good health of our dentition which is meant to serve us till the last moment of our life.
Types of Dentition
In our lifespan two types of dentitions are there, namely
1. Deciduous, and
2. Permanent.
Deciduous Dentition
These are also called milk teeth. Kids start teething from the age of 6 month, which completes by the time the child turn around two to two and a half years. In this dentition twenty teeth are present.
Permanent Dentition
This refers to when a person has 32 teeth. They start erupting at the age of six years and by the age of 12 years 28 teeth erupt and rest four teeth (wisdom teeth) can erupt any time after 18 years of age.
Care of Dentition
Both deciduous as well as permanent dentition need care. In fact the care of dentition begins with care of the expecting mothers. The deciduous teeth formation begins when the foetus is developing inside the womb of the mother. A healthy diet to the mother is essential and the diet should especially be rich in calcium, which is essential element in the formation of good dentition.
After child birth the correct age to introduce the child to his/her first dental check up is when the first deciduous tooth erupts, that is, around six to seven months. The deciduous teeth need special care as they are essential to be retained till teething of permanent is expected. They not only help in chewing food but also serve as space maintenance for the permanent dentition. The deciduous erupting teeth should be wiped with soft cloth. Once the deciduous dentition is complete the child should be introduced to brushing.
Methods of Cleaning Teeth – brushing, flossing and oral rinsing.
Brushing
Brushing is an important method of cleansing the teeth. It should be done twice daily and after meals, that is after breakfast and after dinner. Brushing should be completed within two minutes. A correct brush and brushing method should be adopted for proper cleaning.
Flossing
Flossing is a method of cleansing the inter-dental spaces with the help of dental floss which is a waxed thread.
Oral Rinses
Oral rinses are done with the help of mouth wash.
ROLE OF DIET
Diet plays an important role in the formation and maintenance of teeth. A healthy diet includes milk, milk products, rice, pulses, green vegetables, seasonal fruits, sugarcane, salad, sprouts, wheat and barley. A diet rich in calcium is important in formation and development of dentition stage. A healthy diet to the expecting mother should also be continued after child birth.
Unhealthy diet includes fast food, sweets, chocolates, beverages, ice creams, baked products like biscuits, cakes, pizza etc. these food particles stick to the pits and fissures of teeth and cause decay.
Thus, a correct diet and proper cleansing methods adopted are essential for a good dentition. Besides a regular dental check-up after every six months is important.
Tips on oral hygiene: NDTV.com photo gallery. (http://www.ndtv.com/photos/health/tips-on-oral-hygiene-7956)