February is National Children’s Dental Health Month

National Children’s Dental Health Month is meant to raise awareness about the importance of oral health.  Why is this type of celebration—and year-round attention to children’s dental health–important?

Despite the fact that it’s almost entirely preventable, tooth decay is the most common chronic disease in children. The good news is there are safe and effective preventive measures that can protect teeth. Good oral hygiene practices such as thorough brushing with a fluoride toothpaste can help keep children from getting cavities. In addition, dental sealants and community water fluoridation are two other strategies that can help prevent tooth decay.

Whether you’re a health professional, teacher, or parent, DrParande best dentist in Pune  has free health education tips you can use for National Children’s Dental Health Month events.

Recently Get Your Braces Tightened? Six Helpful Tips to Ease the Pain

If you visited the orthodontist in the past week to get your braces tightened, you might feel some discomfort around your teeth and gums. Don’t worry, this is normal!

Each time you have a check-up, your orthodontist makes adjustments to the archwire – the metal band that extends across your smile. At your appointment, your orthodontist may bend, adjust, tighten, or replace the wire with a thicker wire to force your teeth to shift. Your orthodontist may also change the ties used to hold the archwire to the brackets and make any other necessary adjustments to your braces.

Each adjustment is a step toward straight teeth, but sometimes the movement of teeth can be painful. If you experience soreness, follow these tips to help ease the pain:

Use an oral anesthetic

Orajel and Anbesol are a few pain relievers that can be applied directly to your teeth and gums. Use a cotton swab or your finger to apply the numbing gel to the areas of discomfort. The gel may not taste fantastic, but it does help to desensitize the mouth and decrease the pain of shifting teeth.

Take over-the-counter pain relief medicine

Be proactive! If you take pain relief medication an hour before your appointment, it will help ease any potential discomfort during the tightening process. Any over-the-counter pain medication should do the trick, but just make sure to follow the usage directions provided on the container. It’s not recommended to take pain pills regularly, as overuse can be dangerous, but they can be beneficial when the pain can’t be subdued by other remedies.

Use an icepack

Just like with an injury, it’s important to apply cold pressure to the area of discomfort, as inflammation increases pain. An icepack, or a gel-icepack applied to the outside of your mouth will help decrease inflammation and ultimately help to ease the oral discomfort.

Drink cold water

Ice cold water is a great, inexpensive way to ease discomfort after you get your braces tightened. The cold temperature provides a numb sensation in the mouth and decreases inflammation in the sore gums.

Eat soft foods

Your teeth will very likely be sensitive as they shift after your braces are tightened. Avoid crunchy, hard, or difficult to eat foods and opt for more soft foods. Mashed potatoes, smoothies, pudding and soup are good options because they don’t require much chewing and involvement of the teeth.

Be patient

While it may be uncomfortable to get your braces tightened, just remember that the pain is temporary and will go away in a few days. Any discomfort will all be worth it when you get your braces removed and you’re left with a perfectly aligned smile!

About the Author

Dr. Amol Pharande , has more than 10 years of experience in the orthodontics field. Based in Parma, OH, Dr. Amol Pharande provides high-quality, personalized orthodontic care to each and every one of his patients and utilizes the latest in orthodontic technologies. Learn more about Dr. Amol Pharande and his practice at http://drpharande.in/ Best Orthodontist in Pune Aundh

Why It’s Important to have a Root Canal Treatment for a Troubled Tooth?

Root canal treatment, also called endodontic treatment, is a dental procedure wherein the dental surgeon removes the diseased or damaged pulp and fills and seals the inside areas (the root canals and the pulp chamber).

Purpose

The main cause of a toothache is inflamed or infected pulp. In order to relieve the pain and prevent more complications, the tooth might be extracted, i.e. removed surgically or saved by performing this treatment. Today, this treatment has become a common dental procedure, with more than fourteen million performed every year, with a success rate of 95%.

Procedure

A general dentist or an endodentist (a dentist specializing in endodentic, which means inside the tooth)might perform this treatment. The pulp’s soft tissues inside the tooth contains the blood supply, with the help of which the tooth gets its nutrients, and the nerve by which the tooth senses cold and hot. This tissue is susceptible to damage from deep dental decay, accidental injury, tooth fracture or trauma from recurrent dental procedures (such as several fillings over time). If at all a tooth gets diseased or injured, bacteria builds up inside the pulp, thus spreading infection from the natural crown of the tooth to the root tips in the jawbone thus causing severe pain.

The surgeon performs this treatment under local anesthesia. He places a thin sheet of rubber, known as a rubber dam, so as to isolate the tooth. The dentist takes out any tooth decay and makes an opening through the natural crown of the tooth into the pulp chamber. Creating this access also relieves the pressure inside the tooth and can ease pain to a great extent. The length of the root canal is then determined by the dentist, generally with a series of x-rays. He then uses small wire like files for cleaning the entire canal space of diseased pulp tissue and bacteria. The debris is then flushed out with large amounts of water. The canals are also slightly enlarged and shaped to receive an inert filling material known as gutta percha. However, the tooth is not considered to be filled and permanently sealed until it’s entirely free of active infection. The dentist might place a temporary seal, or leave the tooth open to drain and prescribe an antibiotic to counter any spread of infection from the tooth. This is the primary reason that the root canal treatment might need many visits to the dentist.

How to Prepare

There is no typical preparation for this treatment as such. Once the tooth is opened to drain, the dentist could prescribe an antibiotic, after which the patient must take the full prescribed course. As the infection comes under control, local anesthetic is more effective, so that this procedure might be performed without any discomfort.

Aftercare

It’s highly possible that the tooth could be sore for few days after filling. The dentist might subscribe some antibiotic to the patient to ease the soreness. The tissues around the tooth might also be irritated. The patient can be benefited by rinsing the mouth with hot salt water many times a day. Also, the patient must avoid chewing on the side of the mouth for first few days where the procedure has been done. Also, remember that for a successful treatment you need to consult the best orthodontist in Pune that will guide you well in every possible way.

How Efficient is Root Canal Treatment?

Root canal treatment is a simple dental procedure used for treating infection at the center of a tooth. The other name for the procedure is ‘endodontics’. The infection which is caused by bacteria that live in the mouth and invade the tooth is the major reason for which the individuals undergo this procedure. This infection can happen after tooth decay, damage to teeth as a result of trauma, such as a fall and leaky fillings.

Structure of the Tooth

A tooth is primarily made up of two parts. The crown is the part of the tooth that one can see in the mouth. The root further extends into the bone of the jaw, thus anchoring the tooth in position. The following things are part of the teeth:

1. Dentine: It’s a softer material that supports the enamel and forms most of the tooth
2. Enamel: The hard outer coating
3. Cementum: It’s a hard material that coats the surface of the root
4. Dental Pulp: It’s a soft tissue located at the center of the tooth

The Root canal treatment mainly possesses the dental pulp and extends from the crown of the tooth to the end of the root. A single tooth can have more than one root canal.

Infection of the Pulp

The pulp primarily comprises of soft tissue that includes nerves as well as blood vessels. The pulp starts dying if it gets infected by bacteria and the bacteria can then multiply and spread. The bacteria along with the substances they release will ultimately pass out of the end of the root canal through the small hole where the nerves as well as the blood vessels enter. This process will be in continuation as there’s nothing that will stop more bacteria passing down the root canal, which leads the tissues around the end of the tooth to become red and swollen. This can result into the tooth experiencing pain and in extreme cases, your face might become swollen.

Procedure

The bacteria need to be removed out for successful Root canal treatment in Pune. The surgeon can do this by either removing the tooth or trying to save it by removing the bacterial from the root canal system. After the surgeon removes the bacteria, he will fill the root canal and seal the tooth with a filling or crown. In most cases, the inflamed tissue at the end of the tooth heals naturally.

This procedure is always better than Dental implants in Pune as the pain is less and there’s no loss of tooth as well.

Myths and Facts about Root Canal Treatment

A chill runs down the spine of most people when the thought of visiting a dentist comes to their mind. But, the visit has to be made, especially when tooth infections, cavities and other dental problems lead to invigorating tooth pain. The treatment suggested by the dentist varies depending on the condition of the tooth affected. If the tooth can be saved then the first option that the doctor opts for is the root canal procedure. Most people fear at the thought of undergoing this treatment, due to the myths associated with it. They feel that getting the tooth removed is a better option, as that would be quicker and less painful, as well as easy on their wallet.

Root canal treatment involves taking out the inflamed or infected dental pulp tissue. Besides taking out the pulp, the root canal, which is a channel in the root of a tooth through which the nerve and blood vessels enter the pulp cavity, is cleaned filled and sealed. The surgeon later places the dental crown on the tooth to protect and restore it to full function.

Facts to Know for Root Canal

• Many believe that root canal procedure is extremely painful, however, the truth is that it’s not as painful as it might seem. Advancements in the field of endodontics, as well as the use of effective anesthetic agents are responsible for making this procedure relatively less painful.
• Many even think that taking out the tooth completely is a better option than the root canal procedure but very few know that the procedure if performed correctly can help the restored tooth to last for several years or even a lifetime.
• There is this belief that this procedure is not required for a dead tooth, but the fact is that a tooth dies when the blood supply to the nerve inside the tooth rut is cut off. This could occur due to trauma or decay.
• Many believe that this procedure is not very effective, but the fact is that the success rate of this procedure is nearly 95%. However, technical expertise and experience of the dentist is a major factor that determines the outcome.

Frankly speaking, it’s always better to save your natural tooth through root canal instead of having it removed, provided the best dentist in Pune you consult is experienced enough to carry out the procedure smoothly.

Tips to Select your Child’s First Dentist

It’s very important to carefully decide on selecting a dentist who meets your requirements and expectations. This is because any wrong decision can make your child’s first dental experience painful, and it could be something that he could carry with him forever. Certainly, no parent would want their kids to be scared of dentists because sooner or later in their lives, they have to consult their dentists. As such, to make sure that your child will have a pleasant experience with the dentist, you must opt for the best orthodontist in Pune that you can completely trust. Personality, qualifications, compatibility and working principles are some of the vital factors that you need to look in for prior to choosing the best dentist in Pune for your child. Though, general dental practitioners can treat both adults and children, there are professionals who have expertise in pediatric dentistry.

Such experts are particularly trained on the care of children’s teeth. These professionals actually attend school for an additional two years to study orthodontics, child psychology and speech therapy along with prevent care. Selecting the dentist in Pune Aundh that has undergone these additional two years can be extremely beneficial to your child. By opting for the best professional, you ensure that your child gets the best preventive oral care. In addition, it’s vital as well to select a dentist who has adequately worked with kids in the past. On the other hand, it’s also vital to select a dentist who is compatible with your family. This means that the dentist’s clinic should be close to your house. It’s also good if the waiting room in the clinic has coloring books and toys, so that it would make your child feel comfortable, particularly if you have brought him for root canal treatment in Pune, which can be quite troublesome for him.

Also, opting for the one, specializing in dental implants, who is conveniently located will make waiting time shorter and more pleasant. Accordingly, this will make your visit to the dentist regular. Lastly, you also need to consider the working principles of the pediatric dentist for your child. You must opt for a dentist who focuses on preventing cavities, educate your child on the technique of brushing and flossing properly.