Whoever claims that dentist has the most perfect set of teeth,..i have to say tht i disagree with this statement. But if the sentence were changed a little to " dentist knows better how to take care of teeth, "..then maybe i would say yeap, because that's what we're here for. To be the one spreading the words about oral health and hygiene. Recalling a colleague's usual answer when asked about what she does for a living..-" .. i take care of ppl's teeth !" -=]
I dont have perfect set of teeth myself. Malocclusion, uneven teeth colour...u name it. In fact, i often joke with friends.." i have excellent set of teeth that can be used as exam's cases!". But i try my best to make sure it's clean. And it's not hard to achieve,.. you dont have to be a dentist to have squeaky, clean, a well-taken care of teeth. You just need some drive in yourself, to realise that having a clean, healthy oral condition is a MUST, and willing to kick lazy, filthy habits out into the bin.
Sometimes it's hard to pretend that i didnt notice the swollen gums of friends who's happily chatting and laughing in front of me, a sign of gum inflammation which usually caused by plaque. And i could see the accumulation of plaque ( when there's abundance of it,..) all around the gingival margins of front teeth, indicating lack of proper brushing ( or maybe not brushing at all..?). Seriously people, i can see all tht...( thanks to the 5 years training )
There's nothing wrong having crooked teeth, as long as it's clean. And I dont mind being asked by friends several questions about their teeth, as i'm more than willing to help. Obvious things like big cavities at the front teeth, terribly, terribly swollen gums not to mention the plaques around..just tells what kind of person you are. How can u look in the mirror, not noticing such obvious defect at your front teeth, unless you just couldnt bother to care about your own oral hygiene. Well..at least, think about your spouses, who have to endure and bear your not-so-good oral status each time they kiss you..=/
There are of course, treatment available. But most importantly, prevention is always better than cure. Brush your teeth well. Keep your mouth odour fresh and pleasant. Make a habit to gargle vigorously with water after eating to remove food debris. Be your own judge, look in the mirror and grin widely exposing yor upper and lower teeth, do you like what you see.? Remember that it's not a straight, well-aligned, pearly set of teeth that we aim for, ( no one is perfect i know )..we just want clean teeth. Not too much to ask right..=]
So, being the new dentist,.., here's a few things to say,..as a short dental reminder ;].
1. Consciously brush your teeth, stand in front of the mirror so u'll see what u're doing more clearly. ( instead of just running ur toothbrush aimlessly ). And no, brushing should not only take about 5 seconds,..spend more minutes to ensure tht u really manage to reach all the teeth, esp the last molars.
2. Make a system, start from right moving to the middle and left. Begin by brushing the front part and progress to the the back. Whatever way, it's up to ur style or preference in brushing ur teeth, as long as u're brushing effectively. Tht way, you wont miss a spot.
3. No, mouthwash is not a substitute to teeth-brushing. It's a complement to oral hygiene regime, but there's no exception ..u still have to brush !
4. We know tht our job includes cleaning ur teeth, by means we do scaling and give oral hygiene instructions to those who needs it. It just ... we trully appreciate if patients could at least gargle with some water before coming to see us..? ( if u could brush first, tht would be much better =] ). It helps to remove the residual chicken, kangkungs and chilli bits stuck to the teeth, and creates a more pleasing appearance as u open ur mouth in front of us..
5. If your gum bleeds when u brush, it might be a symptom of some periodontal problem. Get your teeth checked. Gum will bleeds easily when it's inflammed, which like i said earlier usually caused by plaque that's left for long around gingival margins. Take good care of oral hygiene, brush effectively ( note the word used 'effectively'..not 'frequent brushing using the wrong technique').
6. When you stand in front of the mirror, dont just marvel at what a great-fit- bod you have. Peer closer to the mirror, and examine your teeth. Is there any white, yellowish thick layers at the junction of your gum and teeth, or between teeth? It might be the long-standing plaque that stood undisturbed by your improper brushing. Or is there any brown, blackish cavities on any teeth surfaces that need filling?
7. Please, please..gargle after eating. Gargle vigorously. It helps a lot as we smtmes can't straight away reach for our toothbrush, at least some gargling will wash away the food debris and preventing it from getting stuck to our teeth for long.
8. And last but not least..bear this in mind, tht our teeth is just like any part of our body. See it as important as our fingers, toes, and our belly-button ( just naming a few ). Imagine our life without them. So..make sure to love and care about your teeth..the way you care about other body parts.
Well..people, least i can do...hehe. Still learning a lot myself. Tata..!
" cleaner teeth, fresher breath, a more confident you! "- =D
p/s : how many times i repeat the word 'clean' in here ?.. must be almost a dozen!
