Tag: NAAC Accredited Dental Colleges in Bangalore

Paediatric Dentistry: An Unexplored Frontier for Dental Students

rrdch

Paediatric dentistry, often overlooked, is a specialised field dedicated to the oral health of children from infancy through the teenage years. This branch of dentistry is not only crucial for the prevention and treatment of dental issues in children but also for instilling lifelong healthy habits. Yet, many dental students tend to gravitate towards more popular specialties like orthodontics, oral surgery, or cosmetic dentistry, leaving paediatric dentistry relatively unexplored. This blog aims to shed light on the importance, challenges, and rewards of pursuing a career in kids’ dentistry.

The Importance of Pediatric Dentistry

Paediatric dentistry plays a crucial role in maintaining and improving the oral health of children from infancy through their teenage years. Here are several key aspects highlighting the importance of paediatric dentistry:

Early Intervention and Prevention

Paediatric dentistry’s emphasises early detection and prevention of dental diseases in best dental college in india. Children are prone to dental caries (cavities) due to their dietary habits and often inadequate oral hygiene practices. Regular dental check-ups can help in the early detection of cavities, malocclusion, and other oral health issues. Preventive measures, such as fluoride treatments and dental sealants, can significantly reduce the risk of tooth decay.

Behavioural Management

One of the unique aspects of paediatric dentistry is behavioural management. Dentists working with children need to be adept at handling the anxieties and fears of their young patients. This requires a combination of patience, empathy, and effective communication skills. Techniques such as Tell-Show-Do, positive reinforcement, and the use of sedation when necessary are part of the paediatric dentist’s toolkit.

Comprehensive Care

Paediatric dentists are trained to provide comprehensive oral care that goes beyond just treating cavities. They assess and manage the overall growth and development of a child’s oral structures. This includes monitoring the development of the jaw and teeth, managing oral habits like thumb sucking and pacifier use, and providing guidance on nutrition and oral hygiene.

Special Needs Dentistry

Children with special needs require tailored dental care, which paediatric dentists are specifically trained to provide. These children may have physical, developmental, or cognitive impairments that necessitate a different approach to dental care. Paediatric dentists play a crucial role in ensuring that these children receive the appropriate care in a compassionate and understanding environment.

Challenges in Pediatric Dentistry

Understanding these challenges is crucial for dental students and practitioners to provide effective and compassionate care to young patients. Here are some of the key challenges faced in paediatric dentistry:

Communication Barriers

Communicating with children can be challenging, especially with very young or non-verbal patients. Paediatric dentists must be skilled in interpreting non-verbal cues and working closely with parents to understand the child’s needs and concerns.

Behavioural Issues

Managing the behaviour of young patients is perhaps the most significant challenge in paediatric dentistry. Children may be uncooperative, fearful, or anxious about dental visits. Paediatric dentists must employ various behaviour management techniques to help children feel comfortable and secure.

Complex Cases

Treating children with extensive dental issues or those with special health care needs can be complex. Paediatric dentists must often collaborate with other healthcare professionals to provide comprehensive care. They need to be well-versed in paediatric medicine and developmental psychology to address the unique needs of their patients.

Parental Involvement

Engaging and educating parents is a crucial part of paediatric dentistry. Dentists must ensure that parents understand the importance of oral hygiene, healthy dietary practices, and regular dental check-ups. This requires effective communication skills and the ability to build trust and rapport with families.

Rewards of a Career in Pediatric Dentistry

For those passionate about working with children and making a significant impact on their health and well-being, this specialty provides unique opportunities such as:

Top Dental Colleges in Bangalore

Making a Difference

Paediatric dentists have the opportunity to make a significant impact on their patients’ lives. By instilling good oral hygiene habits and addressing dental issues early, they contribute to the overall health and well-being of children. The positive influence of a paediatric dentist can last a lifetime.

Professional Satisfaction

Working with children and seeing their progress can be incredibly rewarding. Helping a child overcome dental fears, relieving pain, and witnessing their smile transformation provides a sense of professional fulfilment that is unique to paediatric dentistry.

Diverse Work Environment

Paediatric dentistry offers a dynamic and varied work environment. When you enter the field there won’t be a single day without challenges presenting opportunities to learn and grow. Paediatric dentists work in a variety of settings, including private practices, hospitals, and academic institutions, providing a range of career opportunities.

Long-term Relationships

Paediatric dentists often build long-term relationships with their patients and their families. These relationships are built on trust and continuity of care, which can be deeply rewarding both personally and professionally.

Educational Pathway and Training

Pursuing a career in paediatric dentistry requires a combination of extensive education, specialised training, and a commitment to continuous learning. An overview of which is traced below for your reference:

  • Specialised Training: To become a paediatric dentist, one must first complete a dental degree (DDS or DMD) followed by a specialised residency program in paediatric dentistry. These programs typically last 2-3 years and provide in-depth training in child psychology, growth and development, paediatric sedation, and the management of dental trauma.
  • Certification: After completing the residency program, dentists can become board-certified by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry (ABPD) or equivalent bodies in other countries. This certification process involves a comprehensive examination that tests the dentist’s knowledge and skills in paediatric dentistry.
  • Continuing Education: Paediatric dentistry is a continually evolving field, and staying current with the latest research and techniques is essential. Paediatric dentists must commit to lifelong learning through continuing education courses, attending conferences, and participating in professional organisations.

The Future of Pediatric Dentistry

Paediatric dentistry is evolving rapidly, shaped by technological advancements, shifting healthcare paradigms, and an increasing emphasis on preventive care. Let’s take a look at what the future holds for paediatric dentistry.

Technological Advancements

Advances in technology are transforming paediatric dentistry. Innovations such as digital radiography, laser dentistry, and teledentistry are improving diagnostic accuracy and patient care. Paediatric dentists must stay abreast of these developments to provide the best possible care to their patients.

Emphasis on Preventive Care

The focus on preventive care is growing in paediatric dentistry. There is an increasing emphasis on educating parents and children about the importance of oral hygiene, healthy eating habits, and regular dental check-ups. Preventive care can significantly reduce the incidence of dental diseases and improve overall health outcomes.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

The future of paediatric dentistry lies in interdisciplinary collaboration. Paediatric dentists will increasingly work with other healthcare professionals, including paediatricians, nutritionists, and speech therapists, to provide comprehensive care as this collaboration can allow you a better approach to tap every aspect of a child’s health.

Research and Development

Research in paediatric dentistry is expanding our understanding of oral health in children. Studies on topics such as the impact of early childhood caries, the effectiveness of different preventive measures, and the genetic factors influencing dental health are paving the way for new treatment protocols and preventive strategies.

The End Thought

RajaRajeswari Dental College & Hospital

Paediatric dentistry is a vital and rewarding field that offers unique challenges and opportunities for dental students. We at RRDCH believe that despite being relatively unexplored, the field of paediatric dentistry holds immense potential for those who are passionate about working with children and making a lasting impact on their health and well-being. By choosing a career in paediatric dentistry, dental students can contribute to a brighter future for countless children, fostering healthy smiles that last a lifetime. Embracing this specialty requires dedication, patience, and a genuine love for working with young patients, but the rewards – both professional and personal – are immeasurable.

Mental Health And Oral Health – Is There A Connect?

rrdch

Well, stress is known to affect physical and mental health both but people are not aware around the connect of mental health with oral health too. People with stress conditions like bio-polar disorders and chronic depression often tend to ignore oral health issues at times. This leads to deterioration of oral health and on an average compared to general people, people with mental health issues are over three times more likely to lose teeth. Not many know that high stress levels could raise the cortisol hormone levels leading to periodontal disease conditions. Here are some of the reasons why mental illness leads to oral health issues as well.

Mental Health And Oral Health

Eating Habits – Eating disorder like bulimia could result in erosion of teeth due to acidity spike and vomiting. Also, there is a loss of calcium which in turn leads to deterioration of dental health.

Anxiety – Many people with mental health issues could also suffer from dental phobia and hence avoid dental visits.

Ignoring – Many people do not give importance to or pay attention to dental health issues including people with mental health issues.

Hygiene – Improper dental hygiene also leads to oral health issues as people do not tend to brush their teeth and take care of their dental health properly.

Medicines – Many times mental health medications do have side effects that cause oral health issues like dry mouth and more.

So, yes there is a connect between mental health and dental health in a way and if you live a healthy lifestyle and follow your oral hygiene routines properly even if you have a mental health condition you can manage dental health issues properly. Not to miss out, this does include staying away from harmful addictions like excess tobacco intake, smoking as well as do much of drinking and drug use.

*Just know about Rajarajeswari Dental College and Hospital

Smile Without Sacrificing – An Overview

rrdch

In the times when selfies are one of the most popular ways of clicking pictures and have slowly creeped in our culture, a good smile becomes one of the prerequisites for clicking a good one. If you have a smile that shows off your bright white shining teeth, that’s it. You feel like the selfie king or queen by far.

But, this is not the story of your teeth always. Flip to reality and dull and yellowish teeth is not a new, rather a major oral issue. Though there is a solution for it viz teeth whitening but then again this could blow quite a big hole in your pocket.

Smile Without Sacrificing

Well, if you think, getting a that sparkling smile or the ‘ting’ smiles needs you to sacrifice your morning latte or your favorite glass of wine, you’re not right. Here are few tips in keeping your smile intact –

Floss daily – While we do brush, most of us do not floss. That leads to food getting stuck up in the teeth and bacteria breeding too. Flossing on a daily basis keeps bacteria at bay and protects your teeth from decay and bad breadth.

Brush Properly – Not a bad idea to look at an online demo of brushing teeth properly. Many if not most of us do not brush our teeth properly. The brushes that wither in not time are a proof of the how mercilessly it has been used on your teeth.

Dental Visits – Visit your dentist atleast once a year, twice better. Regular cleaning of your teeth can help you protect you from periodontal diseases.

Eat healthy – Eating healthy is also important for healthy teeth and ultimately a healthy smile. So eat calcium rich and lean protein packed foods to keep your teeth healthy.

Exercise – Yes, mouth exercise does impact your smile and help in improvement of the same as per dentists. So include a few smile exercises also in your daily regime and smile your way to sparkles.

*Just know about Rajarajeswari Dental College and Hospital

Got A Gummy Smile? Don’t Bother It Could Be Fixed

rrdch

Usually when we smile normally 2/3rd to 3/4th part is teeth and rest is gums covered by our lips. A person with a gummy smile though will have more of gums to show when smiling. So, if your smile shows up 2-3 mm of gum as a continuous band then it’s a characteristic of gummy smile. As compared to males, gummy smiles of women seem to be very prominent making them conscious as well. There are various reasons one could have a gummy smile. Here are a few-

  1. Strong upper lip muscles

  2. Uneven teeth

  3. Smaller or Shorter teeth

  4. Small upper lips

  5. Increase in vertical face growth

This could lead to gum display that could affect your smile. Though, it is perfectly okay to have a gummy smile, there are people who experience lack of confidence and psychological issues if they have a gummy smile. So, for those people who have a gummy smile and want to repair the same, there is a solution called ‘Lip Positioning Surgery’ available already.

It is a cosmetic surgery which is used for repositioning your lips in a way that they cover the gums and give you the smile you want. The surgery needs to be carried out by a dentist by giving local anaesthesia to the gums. The dentist then cuts the excess gums display and stitches the gums nearer to the teeth. The surgery usually lasts around 40 minutes giving instant results. Though you need to take precautions so that the stitches remain intact till they dry. So, you need to have a diet plan for two to three days after the surgery. The stitches are removes after one week. The procedure is a safe one and the outcome is generally satisfying and enhances your beauty.

*Just know about Rajarajeswari Dental College and Hospital, Bangalore

The Effect of Zinc Deficiency on Oral Health – A Sneak Peek

rrdch

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 –

  1. Fights inflammation

  2. Improves immunity

  3. Improves Skin health

  4. Slows aging

  5. Enhances metabolism

  6. Fights viruses and cold

  7. Regulates blood flow

  8. Avoids blood clot

  9. Enhances fertility

  10. 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.

Just know about Top Dental Colleges in Karnataka

Highly Prone to Oral Disease Inspite of Brushing Twice – Elite Athletes

rrdch

A recent study has revealed that Inspite of brushing twice elite athletes are highly prone to oral disease. Published in the British Dental Journal, the study involved a survey of 352 Olympics as well as professional athletes across 11 sports like swimming, football, hockey, rugby, athletes and sailing. The study also highlighted that the athletes seemed quite interested in working around the improvement of their dental health.

Dental Oral Care - Elite Atheletes

The study involved a dental checkup and questions around how the athletes kept their teeth, mouth as well as gums healthy. The study showed that 94% of the athletes brushed their teeth minimum two times a day and 44% flossed their teeth on a regular basis. They study also found that the athletes did show higher figures in terms of dental care compared to the general populace.

Researcher for the study Dr Julie Gallagher (UCL Eastman Dental Institute Center for Oral Health and Performance found that most of the athletes maintained good oral hygiene. But, they did mention the use of energy gels, sports drinks as well as bars on a frequent basis during training and competition. These products are high on sugar and raise the risk of decay of teeth and erosion due to rise in acidity.

The study is a further to the research carried out by Professor Ian Needleman of London 2012 Olympics. The earlier findings revealed that the athletes suffered from dry mouth issues while training and even were at a higher risk of oral conditions.

As per Dr. Gallagher, the athletes wanted to work towards improvement of their oral health and were ready to use mouthwash based fluoride additionally and also visit the dentist on a regular basis. The team further plans to devise an oral care plan for them and publish the results of it too.

*Sourced from Internet

RRDCH is one of the Best Dental College and Hospital in Bangalore

Smile For Life And – The Dental Theme Of The Year And Present Scenario

rrdch

World Oral health day was celebrate on March 20, 2019 with the theme – Smile for life. Well, if we consider India there has be significant advancement of technology in dentistry domain and development too. Yet, statistics tell a different story which says that a major chunk of Indian population are not able to have access to dental facilities and its benefits due to various different reasons.

The National Oral Health Program of India shows startling statistics around dental health and facilities in India. As per its report around 95% of Indians suffer from gum disease, 70% of the children under 15 years of age have dental issues and 50% of the population of India don’t even use a toothbrush for that matter.

A report titles Utilization of dental care- An India outlook published in the Journal of Natural Science, Biology and Medicine shows an awful dentist patient ratio difference in Urban and Rural Areas. While in urban areas the ratio is 1:10,000 its 1:150000 in rural areas. People in rural areas as compared to urban areas do not have access to even basic dental care due to reasons like lack of infrastructure, behavioral, socio-economic, demographic as well as epidemiological factors. People in rural areas still fear dental treatment and there is a lack of awareness in them about the importance of oral health as well.

This only means that there is not only a need to have basic dental health facilities in the remote rural areas of India but also simultaneously have awareness initiatives and programs about importance of oral health and the need for dental checkups and on time treatment and programs to take the fear out of the community around dental procedures. People need to be aware that oral health is equally important as general health and provide dental care services that are at par with facilities in urban areas. The IDA has already calculated the growth rate of dental industry by 30% and has to meet the same presently has 290 dental colleges that churns out 25,000 graduates every year. India has housed almost 2 lac dental professionals including 5000 labs and 35000 specialists. As per the World health organization, India still needs to setup 2500 dental clinics every year to meet such a high demand. India is already a huge market for dentistry particularly with growing incomes and awareness for dental care in urban but it’s the rural areas of India where the focus needs to be more and the role of the government here is a big one for sure. Even Dentists can join the movement by education consumers. Nowadays, branded dental chains and networks are beginning to spread their wings. A welcome move, this can certainly help in propagating the message around dental care and treatment and achieve the goals of –smile for life.

*Sourced from Internet

know more about Top Dental Colleges in Bangalore

Dental Public Health In India – A Concern?

rrdch

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.

Dental Public Health In India

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.

*Sourced from Internet

Just know about Rajarajeswari Dental College and Hospital, Bangalore

Frailty Among Indian Elderly. Is Poor Dental Health The Culprit?

rrdch

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.

*Sourced from the Internet

Just know about RRDCH Banglaore

Dental College Admissions 2019 – Your Checklist To Choose The Best Suit For You

rrdch

The field of dentistry is already booming in India and globalization has opened doors to endless opportunities in dentistry across the globe. A five year course including mandatory internship, after which you may go for higher education as in masters in India or abroad or pursue a job or private practice. Once you clear your 12th in Science with Physics, Chemistry, Biology and English and crack the entrance exam for the same, you are eligible for admission to BDS.

rrdch-bangalore

Though while choosing a college for BDS it is advisable to consider a few vital points that will help you get the best suit for you. Here’s a run-down those vital points

Ranking – While college rankings do matter and is one of the important criteria you could have some flexibility around the same as far as other vital factors like infrastructure and education standards of the institute do matter. If the college has its own dental setup for practical learning and it’s doing well. That is one criteria that needs to be kept in mind ahead of ranking at times.

Infrastructure – Infrastructure of a college is one of the most important points you need to consider when choosing a college. Infrastructure does play an important role even influencing the rankings of the college. If the infrastructure is good enough you will love to learn because infrastructure makes up for the learning environment.

Education Standards – You’ll get a lot of information around the college education standards by word of mouth. It’s a good idea to talk to someone who has completed education from the college or has been studying for a while in the college.

Location – Location does matter primarily because many students taking up the course would be living away from their home or comfort zone. Again it’s not a short term course. It might require you to spend around four to five years at the location. So, do keep this factor in mind when you shortlist your dental college.

Making a career choice is primarily is about doing or pursuing what you love to do the most, only then can you excel in doing it, so choosing the right college is necessary but what is utmost necessary is your interest. So, do put that point at the top of your checklist as well.

know about the Dental College in Bangalore