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Don’t neglect milk teeth. Here are ways to care for them
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IN CHILDHOOD Milk teeth should be cared for well as they are crucial for proper aligning of jaws
Most of us fall prey to toothache and sensitivity. Many of us go on to loose teeth, and consequently the original cheek contours and speech quality change as we grow older. And not only does teeth trouble inflict trauma, it also puts restrictions on
the kind of food and nutrition we can imbibe.
But the fact is, you don’t really have to loose your teeth down the years, neither in quantity nor in quality. Properly taken care of, teeth can last a lifetime with all its glory intact. And thankfully, 90 per cent of teeth trouble can be averted if a proper teeth care routine is maintained. The most crucial factor is to rinse and brush your teeth regularly and in the right way. “Food particles on the teeth attract bacteria, which secrete acid and consequently remove calcium from your teeth causing tooth discolouration, tooth decay and gum disease”, explains Dr. M.B. Aswath Narayanan, Professor and H.O.D., Preventive and Community Dentistry, Tamil Nadu Government Dental college. Here is how you can take care of your teeth.
Teeth and Children
Because milk teeth fall off, we tend to think that milk teeth do not need care. “But milk teeth are very crucial for proper growth and positioning of jaws and the succeeding teeth”, warns Dr. Vidyasagar. And to grow and maintain healthy teeth, we need to drink two glasses or 300 ml of milk everyday, besides other nutritious food rich in calcium, iron and fibrous food (which are natural cleansers). This is especially crucial in the formative years, but definitely needed as we grow older too.
Mothers need to watch out for thumb sucking and grinding of teeth in their kids too. This can lead to crooked teeth. And to ensure that teeth are formed in a row Dr. Narayanan suggests serial extraction of milk teeth. “This can make space for the erupting permanent teeth to form in a row, and avert the need for braces later on”, he says.
And finally, chew on this: If you detect tooth trouble early, both the pain and dental charges will be less. So, make yearly dental checks part of your life. These days, not just teeth discolouration, even malformed jaws which jut out of the face can be corrected with surgery.
HEMA VIJAY
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