HealthBaba
Dr. Parveen Chopra's Health Blog
Child’s First Dental Visit
Jan 31st
Many people are under the false impression that children are not required to get any dental check-up because they have milk teeth which will shed off after some years to make way for the permanent teeth. In India even adults don’t go for regular dental check-ups. When a tooth hurts or gums bleed or bad breath or some oral ulcer troubles, only then they visit a dentist.
I think we don’t discuss adults’ teeth – let it be Child Special post. As there is no concept of dental check-ups of kids, the health of milk teeth is at stake. Many kids sleep with bottle in their mouth and it leads to Nursing Bottle Caries. Some kids keep on indulging in other parafunctional oral habits like thumb-sucking, tongue-thrusting which adversely affects the symmetry of dental arches and lead to irregular arrangement of teeth (Dental Malocclusion).
Naturally there is a big question for parents – what is the time for the child’s first dental visit! First visit of a child should be at the age of one year. This is very important- it is not my personal view, this recommendation is being given world over.
A child’s first visit is very important. She is to be provided a friendly ambience. As at this age, generally 8-10 milk teeth have already erupted, so parents need to be guided for their regular cleaning.
Gums Move Away In Pyorrhoea
Jan 29th
It a very common dental complaint that gums have moved away from teeth. As a result of this gum recession (dental term for this shying away of gums), patient starts feeling a lot of problems like food impaction, sensitivity to hot and cold and in some cases when this recession involves front teeth, aesthetics is compromised.
Dental Quacks Unmindfully Fill “Dental Gaps”
Jan 28th
It needs to be clearly understood that all dental “spaces” don’t require restorations(fillings). At times these are quite detrimental for dental health. Many patients approach their dentist for getting in those “spaces”. However, fillings can only be done in case of dental cavities –due to dental caries, dental abrasion etc. I mean if there is a hole or some cavity in a tooth, obviously that is the only indication for filling to manage that defect.
Science Fraud Creates Public Fear
Jan 26th
In India, we are now talking of universal immunization after so many years’ concerted efforts of medical personnel . Once in a while when there are media reports about the adverse reactions to commonly administered vaccination, the nation gets a big shock ! It takes a long time to recover from such shocks—after all allegations and counter-allegations are exhausted. No doubt such instances, howsoever rare these might be, are an obstacle in universal immunization programme. This is all the more complex in a country like ours where already so many misconceptions about immunization are rampant in society.