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Articles
Care for Your 32
Pearls
by
Dr. Anjana Maitra
 A beautiful smile is
always an asset. The smile makes the best first impression. A smile is said to
be an investment with a cent per cent return. The moment you smile at someone,
he immediately smiles back. Since nice teeth make for the best smile, taking
good care of your teeth makes a lot of sense.
The first thing to know about your teeth is that they will never be at their
absolute best without the regular help of a dentist. Though most of us are
reluctant to visit a dentist, it should be borne in mind that he is our best
friend as far as our teeth are concerned. A regular visit to the dentist every
4-6 months is absolutely essential.
It is indeed
surprising that many of us do not know the correct way of brushing our teeth.
The best way to brush is to keep the bristles of the toothbrush at a 45 degree
angle to the gum-line. Brush with short, gentle, scrubbing strokes – in a
downward motion for upper teeth and an upward motion for lower teeth. Most
dentists recommend soft bristled brushes because they get between teeth easily
and are gentle on gums and tooth enamel. For best results replace your tooth
brush every 3-4 months.
The main idea of brushing one’s teeth is to sweep food particles from the gums
towards the tips of the teeth, to be washed off later. Start at one end of your
upper (or lower) teeth and brush each area atleast twice – the surfaces next to
the cheeks and next to the tongue, the upper and lower chewing surfaces – before
moving down the line. Brushing not only removes food particles thus warding off
decay, but also discourages film from accumulating and stimulates the
circulation of blood through your gums.
Dentists recommend that one should brush within 10 minutes of eating. This is
essential to dislodge the food particles before they start to ferment and decay.
The mouth with its warm temperature is a perfect incubator for decaying food and
bacteria. Acids form on teeth within a few minutes after sugars and other
refined carbohydrates are eaten.
Massaging your gums regularly is a part and parcel of dental care. Healthy gums
are vital for healthy teeth. By healthy gums is meant those which are pink and
firm and cling snugly to the teeth. The simplest method of massaging your gums
is to place your thumb and forefinger over one section of your gums at a time
and go over each area with a gentle circular motion. This can be done either
first thing in the morning or last thing at night. It stimulates the circulation
of blood through the gums and keeps them supple and healthy.
If your teeth aren’t pearly white, don’t despair. Actually very few people have
chalk white teeth. The color of the enamel (the tooth’s hard outer covering) is
the determining factor, and since this is hereditary you cant do much to change
it. To make the teeth as bright and shining as possible, brush regularly, have a
professional cleaning done every 6 months.
Rubbing your teeth with table salt also helps to whiten them. Another quick
method of making your teeth glisten is to polish them with a piece of linen. An
excellent tip for having shining teeth is to soak your toothbrush in lime juice
before brushing. An apple is a wonderful tooth cleanser. According to dentists,
an apple taken after a meal has the same effects as a toothbrush in cleansing
the teeth, with the added advantage that the acid content of the apple assists
in promoting the flow of saliva in the mouth, which is also beneficial to the
teeth.
As far as possible avoid stain-encouragers like tea, coffee, tobacco, grape
juice etc. Discolored or stained teeth look very unattractive. If you notice
tan-colored stains building up (they are often noticeable first on your front
lower teeth), try cutting down on these culprits and see a dentist for a
cleaning to remove these stains.
Another common
problem is that of bad breath. When the bacteria normally present in your mouth
break down food particles, gases are produced and the result is bad breath. The
process of eating which produces saliva actually helps control mouth odors by
washing down old bacteria and dead cells. You can minimize bad breath by
brushing your teeth and tongue (which harbors the most mouth bacteria)
regularly, by rinsing your mouth with water and eating well-spaced meals. Some
mouth washes also help prevent bad breath.
The health of your teeth is directly related to your diet. There are certain
foods that don’t do your teeth any good. These include refined starches and
sugars (including all types of sweets, chocolates etc), pastry, syrups, jellies,
soft drinks, chewing gum etc. These are the foods from which mouth bacteria
produce the acids responsible for tooth decay. These acids attack the enamel of
the teeth causing the teeth to become porous. Small cavities begin to appear in
the molars as sticky food gets lodged there. More and more food particles tend
to get lodged in these minute cavities and this vicious cycle goes on, causing
bigger cavities and even in the loss of a tooth.
On the other hand some foods do your teeth a lot of good. Some actually have a
cleansing action like oranges, apples, guava, celery, carrots and cabbage. These
have a natural cleansing-cum-exercising function. Some foods by requiring the
teeth to chew harder give them the “exercise” they need to help develop the jaws
and maintain healthy gums. These foods include nuts, whole wheat bread, toast
and also raw apples, celery, carrots and cabbage. In general a balanced diet
rich in calcium and phosphorus is essential for healthy teeth and gums.
A few other hints to remember about dental care is not to misuse your teeth. For
example do not use them to open bottles, crack nuts or cut strings. Never chew a
pencil with your teeth. Nail biting, cuticle chewing and clenching your teeth
are also to be avoided.
Thus the few tips
mentioned above can go a long way in caring for your 32 pearls and helping you
to have a dazzling smile.
December 7, 2008
Image under license with
Gettyimages.com
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