Diwali, the festival of lights, is a time of joy, family gatherings, and indulgence in delicious sweets and snacks. While celebrating this festive season, it’s easy to get carried away with the delectable treats that are synonymous with Diwali. However, it’s essential to remember that these sugary delights can take a toll on your dental health. In this blog, we will discuss the importance of dental care during Diwali and provide practical tips on protecting your teeth while enjoying the celebrations.
The Impact of Sugary Diwali Treats
Diwali is a time when homes are filled with an array of mouth watering sweets, from laddoos and jalebis to barfis and gulab jamuns. While these treats are a significant part of the celebration, they can wreak havoc on your teeth. The sugar in these sweets provides a feast for harmful bacteria in your mouth, leading to the production of acids that can erode tooth enamel, causing cavities and gum problems.
Practical Dental Care Tips for Diwali
Diwali, the festival of lights, is a time for joy and indulgence. However, it’s crucial to protect your dental health while enjoying the festivities. Here are five practical dental care tips for Diwali:
Moderate Your Sweet Intake: Diwali is synonymous with mouth watering sweets, but excessive sugar consumption can harm your teeth. Enjoy these treats in moderation, and try to limit your snacking to specific times of the day. This minimises the exposure of your teeth to sugar and reduces the risk of tooth decay.
Oral Hygiene is Key: Maintain a strict oral hygiene routine. Brush your teeth twice a day especially with fluoride toothpaste. Don’t forget to brush for at least two minutes, covering tooth surfaces and floss daily to remove food particles stuck between your teeth.
Rinse After Indulging: After consuming sweets, rinse your mouth with water. This simple step helps wash away sugar residues and reduces the acidity in your mouth, mitigating the risk of cavities.
Choose Sugar-Free Alternatives: Opt for sugar-free sweets or snacks when possible. These are less harmful to your teeth. Sticky and chewy sweets, like toffees and caramels, should be consumed with caution as they can cling to your teeth and increase the risk of cavities.
Regular Dental Checkups: Schedule a dental checkup before and after Diwali. This can help detect and address any dental issues early on. Professional cleanings and examinations can go a long way in maintaining your oral health.
By following these practical tips, you can enjoy Diwali’s delicious treats while safeguarding your dental well-being. Remember that it’s not about depriving yourself of sweets but about consuming them sensibly and taking proper care of your dental hygiene.
Its Celebration Time
Diwali is a time for celebration, but it’s crucial to remember that your dental health is just as important as the festivities themselves. By following these practical dental care tips, you can protect your teeth while still enjoying the delectable treats of Diwali. So, this festive season, light up your smile and ensure that your teeth remain healthy and happy. We at RajaRajeswari Dental College & Hospital know that this is that time of the year, when it’s not about avoiding sweets altogether, but about consuming them sensibly and taking proper care of your dental hygiene. Wishing you a happy and tooth-friendly Diwali 2023!
Dental college is a challenging and demanding educational journey that requires a unique set of skills and strategies to thrive. Aspiring dentists must navigate a rigorous curriculum, hands-on clinical experiences, and high expectations while managing their physical and emotional well-being. This guide offers essential survival tips, from effective time management and study techniques to self-care and stress management, to help dental students not only survive but thrive in their pursuit of a rewarding and fulfilling career in dentistry. By adopting these strategies, students can navigate the complexities of dental education and emerge as confident, skilled, and well-balanced professionals. Here are essential tips to help you succeed in dental college:
Dental College And Stress For Students
Dental college can be an exceptionally stressful experience for students. The demanding nature of dental education, which combines rigorous academic coursework with hands-on clinical training, can take a toll on students’ physical and mental well-being. The pressure to excel in both theoretical and practical aspects of dentistry, along with the responsibility of patient care, can be overwhelming. Students often find themselves grappling with tight schedules, frequent examinations, and the expectation of delivering precise, error-free treatments to patients. This stress can lead to sleep deprivation, anxiety, and burnout.
Additionally, the financial burden of dental education, with high tuition costs and the prospect of significant student loan debt, adds to the stress. The competitive nature of dental colleges and the desire to secure a place in top specialties can further intensify the stress levels. To cope, students should prioritise self-care, seek support from peers, professors, or counselling services, and develop effective time management strategies. Addressing stress is crucial not only for academic success but also for maintaining the mental and emotional well-being of dental students.
Essential Survival Tips
Dental college is a demanding and challenging endeavour, but with the right strategies, you can successfully navigate this journey and excel. Here are five key survival tips:
Effective Time Management
Time management is crucial in dental college to juggle classes, labs, clinical work, and extensive study requirements so:
Create a Detailed Schedule: Develop a weekly or monthly schedule that outlines your class times, study hours, and even personal time for relaxation. Stick to this schedule as closely as possible to maintain a structured routine.
Prioritise Tasks: Identify your most urgent and important tasks each day. Use techniques like the Eisenhower Matrix (dividing tasks into quadrants based on urgency and importance) to guide your focus.
Set Realistic Goals: Break your lessons into manageable sections. This approach makes large projects seem less daunting and helps you track your progress.
Minimise Distractions: Find a quiet, organised study space free from distractions like your phone or social media. Consider using time management apps or website blockers to stay focused.
Effective Study Strategies
Studying efficiently is key to mastering the vast amount of information in dental college. Consider the following strategies:
Active Learning: Instead of passively reading or listening, engage with the material. Take notes, ask questions, summarise information, and teach concepts to someone else.
Study Groups: Form or join study groups to discuss complex topics, clarify doubts, and quiz each other. Explaining concepts to peers can deepen your understanding.
Spaced Repetition: Use the spaced repetition technique to review and reinforce knowledge over time. This approach enhances long-term retention of information.
Practice with Past Exams: Review past exams and practice questions to familiarise yourself with the format and the types of questions you may encounter in your assessments.
Self-Care and Wellness
Maintaining your well-being is crucial for success in dental college so check and see these tips on how to take care of yourself:
Adequate Sleep: Prioritise sleep to ensure you are well-rested and mentally sharp. Lack of sleep can hinder your cognitive abilities and increase stress.
Balanced Diet: Eating nutritious meals acts as a fuel for your body and brain. Try to avoid the consumption of excessive caffeine and sugar, as it leads to an energy crash.
Regular Exercise: Incorporate physical activity into your routine to boost energy, reduce stress, and improve your overall well-being.
Stress Management: Practise stress-reduction techniques such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, or yoga to stay calm and focused.
Social Support: Maintain connections with friends and family to provide emotional support and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Seek Support
dental college can be overwhelming, so don’t hesitate to seek support when needed:
Academic Advisors: Consult with faculty or academic advisors to discuss your academic progress, challenges, and get guidance on course selection and study strategies.
Study Groups: Join or form study groups to share knowledge, clarify doubts, and provide mutual support during challenging times.
Counselling Services: If you face emotional or mental health challenges, consider utilising counselling services provided by your school. It’s essential to address these issues and seek professional help when necessary.
Stay Motivated and Maintain a Work-Life Balance
Maintaining motivation and finding a balance between work and personal life is essential:
Setting Clear Goals: Keep your long-term goals in mind. Remind yourself why you chose to pursue dentistry, and let this motivation drive your efforts during challenging times.
Coping with Challenges: Understand that failures and setbacks are part of the learning process to use it as an opportunity to learn and grow.
Mentorship: Seek advice and mentorship from experienced faculty members or practising dentists. They can provide insights, guidance, and valuable perspectives on your dental career.
Work-Life Balance: Avoid overworking and prioritise time for relaxation, hobbies, and personal interests. A healthy work-life balance will prevent burnout and keep you motivated.
In conclusion, dental college is a demanding journey, but with effective time management, study strategies, self-care, a support system, and motivation, you can not only survive but thrive in this challenging environment. These tips by RRDCH will help you maintain your physical and mental well-being while excelling academically, ultimately preparing you for a successful career in dentistry. Remember that perseverance, dedication, and a passion for the field are essential components of your dental college survival kit.
Teeth pain issues do crop up during the winters particularly in regions where the winter is extreme. Apparently cold weather does affect your teeth as they turn to be even more sensitive due to the sudden temperature variation.
A good smile is all about shining and healthy teeth and thus keeping your teeth in the pink of health is required to keep your confidence levels up too. Cold weather does effect your teeth and its quite uncomfortable to bear the discomfort, sharp or constant pain in the teeth. Well, to deal with this issue a better idea is to go an visit your dentist for a routine checkup. While there could be various reasons for teeth issues in winter some of them include, cracks in enamel, sensitive gums, brushing too hard, grinding or clenching teeth frequently and gingivitis to name a few.
There are various home remedies that could also help you take care of your teeth during the winter season. It’s easy. Just ensure that you brush your teeth on a daily basis and even floss it without fail. If still problem persists try for a toothpaste for sensitive teeth with a potassium base. Its better to start the toothpaste even before the falls because this will give the toothpaste time to work on your teeth and make them ready to face the chills ahead effectively. Another toothpaste to help desensitizing your teeth is one that is calcium based. It encase tooth calcium thus providing instant relief by closing the pores that are open. Even the toothbrush you use matters. A tooth brush with soft bristles is advisable.
In the winter season we avoid drinking more water because we don’t feel thirsty frequently and also we want to avoid going to the washroom frequently. But, the fact is that you need to stay hydrated all the time by consuming 2 lts of water across the day to keep your teeth healthy like your body. More water means more saliva and less bacteria. Bacteria buildup is more when we consume foods that contain sugar so avoid sugar and acidic foods as this could lead to a rise in sensitivity.
Many of us aren’t aware of the significance of Zinc on oral health. A trace mineral, zinc is apparently naturally found in our saliva and helps us fight bacteria as well as plaque that are responsible for cavities, tooth decay and gum disease.
ROLE OF ZINC
The role of zinc is similar to that of flourides. It helps in demineralization and remineralization of your teeth, further reducing cavities as well as tooth decay. It also protects your teeth against diseases like gingivitis, mild periodontal issues and other gum diseases.
Zinc and Gum bleeding
Another important property of zinc with respect to our oral health is that it aids in healing our oral wounds. There has been a lot of research that reveals the importance of having zinc in our diet because it helps in keeping periodontal health in place. It is zinc, that is your main defense against the plaque that forms around your teeth. Hence, is your body is deficient of zinc it automatically means that your oral health is at risk already. Your bleeding gums would not heal faster if your body is deprived of zinc because without zinc your body cannot transport the Vitamin A that your gums need in order to heal naturally.
And if that’s not enough here’s how zinc offers helps your body in many ways than one –
Fights inflammation
Improves immunity
Improves Skin health
Slows aging
Enhances metabolism
Fights viruses and cold
Regulates blood flow
Avoids blood clot
Enhances fertility
Improves skin health
Having said that, excess could also be a problem and could cause what is known as zinc toxicity. If your body has excess of zinc it could show symptoms like Epigastric pain, Lethargy, Fatigue and vomiting, etc. If you are deficient of zinc then its better to consult a physician before taking any dietary supplements so that you do not get it in excess.
None of us can think of visiting a dentist when having a prolonged or recurrent headaches, ain’t it? Obviously, because considering headache to be a result of teeth conditions is far from anyone’s thinking really. One reason is that it is extremely rare and there could be many more reasons for headaches and a dental problem is the least thought off. Here’s a case study where a 45 year old lady was having recurrent headache for a long period of time. She paid many visits to physicians, ENT specialists as well as Neurosurgeons and even underwent many diagnostic tests like EEF, MRI and CT Scans but with no success in diagnosis about the reason. She was then suggested by Neurosurgeons to go for an open surgery of 2 lacs cost. She was already distraught about not known the reason behind the suffering.
Amidst all this chaos her daughter found out through her on research and judgement that it could be a dental condition. She then visited one of the popular dental clinic chains in Bangalore and the doctors immediately diagnosed it as a dental condition. The headache was because the lady was having unevenly aligned teeth in a small jaw. As a result of improper placement and crowding, it was triggering headache.
The doctors then created a treatment plan of action for here which was short, simple and even painless to an extent. After the orthodontic treatment was done, not only did she get rid of her headache but also got her beautiful smile.
This only throws out one question, if only had she not heard to her daughters suggestion and went ahead with the open surgery, the results could have been unimaginable. Additionally, it could have cost her a bomb that too on a surgery that wasn’t needed at all.
Well, this also brings to light the fact around lack of awareness or ignorance of dental problems and issues in the country. Dental health is equally important and ignoring it is not a good idea, and awareness around it can always help.
Cavities are one of the most common dental problems in India. While, the basic solution to this problem is brushing and flossing on a daily basis, still many a times you cannot reach every nook and corner. The molars that we use to chew are of uneven shape and rough and it’s possible that even after cleaning bacteria can still remain back. But, fret not, there is a solution to protect them too and it is known as sealants.
Sealants
Sealants are like protection shields for the teeth. There is a thin coating made from plastic or similar dental material and stick to the surface of your back teeth. These sealants are known to be highly effective and have an ability to reduce tooth decay by almost 80% in molars. Outside India and as per the reports of Center of Disease control (CDC) around 43% of the children who do not use sealants are at three times higher risk of getting cavities.
Like you wear raincoats to save yourself from rain, you wear sealants to save your teeth from decay, it is as simple as that. The bacteria responsible for cavities reside in the mouth and with the help of food particles that are left back produce acids that further lead to creation of holes inside the mouth, called cavities. Once the sealants are applied they protect the teeth from decay. The process of application is quite simple and pain free. The dentist cleans your teeth dry and applies an acidic gel on your teeth, in order to roughen up the surface. Once the sealant is applied on this surface it will form a strong bond with the sealant post application. After some time of application of the gel, the dentist rinses the tooth once again and then applies the sealant in the teeth grooves. The dentist makes use of the special blue light to harden the sealant.
Sealants can be used for children above 12 years of age and adults as well. They can be used in areas where decay has just begun so as to avoid further decay. Sealants are transparent in color and hence ensuring the sealant is doing its job is easy for the dentist.
Oral health has been a cause of concern in India. The primary reason is the high level consumption of tobacco and next is unawareness about it particularly in rural areas. Excessive usage of tobacco and added to that lack of oral hygiene amongst Indians more so rural Indians has led to loss of lives due to oral cancers and other life threatening conditions. One example is that of a 42 year old Bareilly resident Mohsin Khan, an embroidery worker who started chewing tobacco on the behest of friends. Recently, he faced issues with concentration while doing embroidery after he returned from a Tobacco Cessation Cell in New Delhi, but it was too late for him as he had been diagnosed with leukoplakia viz. a pre-cancerous lesion. He also mentioned that he wasn’t aware that oral health was so vital and could cause life threatening conditions like Cancer. He also mentioned that he used to clean his teeth using Neem Sticks and Coal Ash.
As per government statistics over 70% of the school children have cavities and over 90% of the adult population in India does get affected by periodontal condition. Even National Oral Health Policy draft of 2018 does mention that oral diseases in India are rampant and repetitive as well making it a silent epidemic of sorts.
Oral issues within Indian children and adults in India include problems like cavities, periodontal conditions, oro-facial anomalies, temporo-mandibular joint disorders, loss of teeth, dental fluorosis, dental trauma as well as oral cancers as per Consultant Dentist of Columbia Asia Hospital.
Rural Areas it gets worse because there is lack of infrastructure there. Scarcity of dental health professionals in public hospitals is also and added issue. Well, this makes it difficult for the common man as he/ she have to shell out the expenses for oral treatment from their own pockets. As a result the common man opts out of treatment and goes for extraction, which is a cheaper way out.
Well, addictions like alcohol and tobacco do play a vital role in oral health. Additionally people in India ignore dental health issues big time. There has been proven research that managing dental health properly can help prevent many health conditions and even reduces the risk of diabetes, preterm labor and even heart attack as per Praveshh Gaur, Founder, Director of Srauta Wellness Center.
Quackery has been in practice in the dental ecosystem for a long time now. A simple reason behind the same being the demand is more than supply, viz. there is a scarcity of qualified dental professionals. The domino effect, gullible people falling to the dupes of quacks, who provide dental treatment apparently backfires.
In India particularly people residing in remote areas, are deprived of affordable oral healthcare services. Quackery, for those who aren’t aware of the term means ‘fraudulent misrepresentation of one’s ability and experience in the treatment and diagnosis of a disease or the effects of the treatment that is provided’.
Even the high court has mentioned a quack as ‘a person who does not have knowledge of a particular system of medicine but practices in that system is a quack and a mere pretender of medical knowledge or skill’.
If we go by the statistics, approximately 3000 quacks are already practicing dentistry across India on an illegal basis. Well, there is this huge difference in the allocation of dentists in public and private sector. Again wherever there is some basic oral healthcare facility available the infrastructure is really poor with limited workforce and resources.
Malpractices that the quacks carry out in dentistry include life threatening risks like using the same needle on multiple patients, not using sterilized equipment, no usage of aspepsis while undertaking procedures, using self-curing acrylic for replace a missing teeth. Using an already extracted tooth for replacing a missing one. The aforementioned are just a few examples of unethical practices that people fall prey to due to paucity of oral healthcare professionals. In the name of providing instant and pain-free treatment these quacks fool the people who are not well informed around oral care and are in need of immediate solution to their problems. In contrast, the treatment they receive when they consult such quacks is not only painful but destructive too, at times causing irreversible damage.
This problem too has a solution and the solution lies in providing accessibility to dental services in remote areas alongside stringent polices against unethical practice. Alternatively, spreading awareness amongst people around dental quacks and furthermore training these quacks after absorbing them would certainly help curb these problems to a great extent.
For those who aren’t aware what frailty is all about, it means vulnerability towards dental health conditions or inability to perform daily routines due to declining health. One of the risk factors of frailty is poor oral health because it effects the abilities like smiling, eating and even speaking, ultimately the quality of life.
A study including 7735 British male participants and published in the American Geriatrics Society Journal does show that frailty and oral hygiene to go hand in hand.
The study started off when the participants were 40-59 years old in 1978 -1980. Then again in 2010-2012 the 1722 participants who were alive then were called for re-examination. At that time their age was 71-92 years. The participants were examined for their physical health, vital statistics as well as weight, walking and grip test as well. A questionnaire explaining their medical history as well as lifestyle was also needed to be answered besides information around social medical and health.
Additionally, there was a dental exam for noting the frailty status of the participants. The confirmation of frailty was done on the basis of three issues – weak grip, slow walking speed, weight loss, exhaustion or low physical activity levels.
Dental examination showed that around more than half viz. 64 percent had less than 21 teeth, over 54 percent were suffering from gum disease, 34 percent of the participants rated their oral health as poor or fair, 29 percent exhibited minimum two symptoms of dry mouth while almost 20 percent were having no teeth at all. 11 percent of the participants had difficulty eating food.
Well, considering this study, there seems to be a direction connection between frailty and oral health. As per an expert Dr. Carter, Chief Executive Oral health Foundation, in UK the people have good longevity but it comes at the cost of significant health problems for people over 65 years of age. Hence, brushing teeth effectively is necessary but due to dexterity and limited mobility, it makes it hard for the elders to do so. Hence, its advisable that elders give priority to their oral health and even the government takes measures in devising a effective oral health system particularly for the elder population.
Known to be the last of the permanent teeth that erupt on side of the upper and lower jaws, the process of eruption can be a problem many a times because there is very little room left to accommodate these molars. As a result most of the times these teeth erupt either partially or in a crooked form. There is therefore a possibility of these teeth getting impacted is high further resulting into tenderness and swelling of the areas around them.
As per the American Dental Association it is better that teenagers of 16-19 years age evaluate their wisdom teeth for if there is a need to remove them. Once you visit your dentist, he/she will carry out the routine diagnosis for the same. If there’s a need for uprooting the molar, he/she will recommend the removal of the impacted teeth. This will include either the use of local or general anesthesia or IV sedation. In order to limit the bleeding caused due to the extraction the doctor will ask you to bite on a soft gauze piece for over 30 to 45 minutes.
The procedure is also a simple one, wherein the Surgeon puts an incision into the gums incase the impacted teeth is imbedded in the bone and will remove it in sections so that he is able to save as much bone as possible. The side effect includes a probable swelling that would go away within a few days. If the swelling, pain, fever or bleeding continuous consult the doctor on an immediate basis.
One of the complications that could occur and is rare is dry socket. Normally, after the tooth extraction, a blood clot forms in the tooth socket and helps the area to heal. In rare cases dry socket occurs wherein the blood clot breaks down exposing the nerves as well as the bone of the tooth. It is a highly painful condition and needs medical attention on an immediate basis.
The dentist primarily rinses the affected area, removes debris around it if any and then dresses it up in order to reduce the pain and protect it from further damage. Additionally, he/she might prescribe painkillers to pain relief and prevent infection. The condition takes around 10 days to heal with proper medical care and rest.
