When it comes to looks, teeth matter just as much as the eyes, lips, nose and skin. Perhaps that is why, amid the growing craze for social media and the race to look one's best, people are no longer hesitant to change the colour, shape and form of their teeth. Everyone wants a celebrity-like smile, and that desire is driving them to dentists with all sorts of demands. The result is that people are now spending freely on their teeth.
Dr. Suman Yadav, a well-known senior doctor and oral maxillofacial surgeon in Delhi NCR, says such cases keep coming to her, with people asking to enhance their smile. Beyond that, she adds, several other kinds of cases also turn up that are worth talking about.
When Bad Teeth Were Holding Up a Marriage
Dr. Suman Yadav recalls one case in which a girl's marriage kept falling through, simply because her teeth were in bad shape. When she came in for treatment, the colour, shape and form of her teeth were changed and made attractive. After that, her marriage was finally fixed.
Another such case involved a 55-year-old man who wanted his teeth fixed. Even at that age, he had a desire to look good. At first he could not picture how he would look once his teeth were treated, but once the work was done he was genuinely delighted. Dr. Suman Yadav explains that in such cases the teeth are given a completely original look, so that no one can tell an artificial implant has been placed. According to her, there is now simply no counting the number of people spending money on their teeth.
The Risk of Baby Bottle Tooth Decay in Children
Dr. Suman Yadav says that along with celebrity-smile cases, cases involving children also keep coming in. If a child is left with a milk bottle in the mouth while sleeping, the risk of the teeth getting damaged rises. Dentists call this baby bottle tooth decay. According to her, when a child falls asleep, the production of saliva in the mouth drops.
In that situation, the natural sugar in milk, that is lactose, stays in contact with the teeth for a long time, which lets bacteria produce acid and decay can set in. That is why a bottle should not be left in the mouth after feeding. After a night feed, gently clean the gums and teeth with a clean cloth or gauze. After the age of one, gradually start replacing the bottle with a cup.
Teeth Can Reveal Your Illness
According to Dr. Suman Yadav, if someone has diabetes, they will repeatedly get some form of infection or sores in the mouth. Many times people arrive complaining of recurring mouth sores, and after examination they are advised to get a sugar test done. In many such cases, when the patient went for the test, they did turn out to have high sugar.
This is precisely why looking at the teeth and mouth can give a clue about the disease a person has. Dr. Suman Yadav also notes that before placing any implant in the teeth, the patient is asked whether they have sugar, BP or any other medical history. Her advice is that anyone who wants to keep their teeth healthy, fit and beautiful should get a dental check-up done every six months. Regular cleaning, she says, ensures that teeth never go bad.
