As pending professionals, it is important for college students to look our best. Unfortunately, some only care about how they look on the outside, like the health and appearance of the teeth. According to Healthyteeth.org, no matter what a person’s age, it is critical to take care of one’s teeth and see a dentist regularly, otherwise one may contract disease and cavities and suffer irreversible damage.
Dentists are doctors that diagnose and treat problems with teeth and tissues in the mouth, along with giving medical advice and administering care to help prevent future problems. They are trained to remove tooth decay, fill cavities, examine x-rays, straighten teeth and repair fractured teeth. They are also able to perform minor surgery like extracting teeth or corrective gum surgery. Dentists are allowed to administer anesthetics and write prescriptions for antibiotics and other pain medications for their patients.
The main reason for going to a dentist is prevention. The goal is to prevent tooth decay, gum disease and other disorders that can put the health of a person’s teeth and mouth at risk. Dr. Gupda, a dentist who works at a primary care office in Joliet, IL, says that a general dentist visit can last anywhere from 1-3 hours, depending on the state of one’s teeth or mouth. A dentist visit usually consists of three main parts: a dental and medical history, a dental examination and a professional cleaning. The dentist will examine the teeth, gums and other mouth tissues. He or she will use a probe, a metal pick-like instrument, to check each tooth for plaque and evidence of looseness or decay. He or she will then check for any swelling, pinkness or inflammation of the gums. After examining the visible parts of the mouth, the dentist will take x-rays that may reveal tooth decay, abscesses (swollen tissue) or impacted wisdom teeth.
Professional cleaning is usually preformed by a dental hygienist, a specially trained and licensed dental professional. A scaler, a scraping instrument, is used to remove plaque deposits or an ultrasonic machine, which uses high-frequency sound waves, may be used to loosen any hard plaque deposits upon the teeth. The particles removed are then rinsed off by water.
After cleaning, the dentist will polish the teeth, removing stains and making it harder for plaque to stick to the teeth. Lastly, the dental hygienist may treat the teeth with a fluoride compound to help prevent tooth decay. Dr. Gupda says that a person should visit a dentist about every six months.
“It is up to us from the profession to persuade (the patients) that they need to visit their dentist at least twice a year for their regular check-up. This benefits [the patients] who then get to keep their own, healthy teeth well into old age,” said Dr. Gupda
It is also critical for everyone to take care of their teeth on their own time. To prevent cavities, one needs to remove plaque, a layer of bacteria that coats the teeth, from the teeth every day. The best way to do this is to brush the teeth twice a day and to floss once a day. Brushing not only cleans the teeth, but it also stimulates the gums which helps them from contracting any disease.
“Brushing and flossing are even more important than regular dentist visits, to keep a person’s teeth and gums healthy,” said Dr. Gupda
Using a fluoride toothpaste is a must. Fluoride is the most common active ingredient in toothpaste, and is the ingredient which prevents cavities. Toothpaste also contains abrasives, detergents and foaming agents which all work to clean the teeth and prevent bad breath. Flossing is important because brushing cannot remove the food and bacteria that is between the teeth. Dentists usually recommend using unwaxed floss because it is thinner, but any floss is okay as long as one flosses once a day.
Believe it or not, a person’s teeth do get noticed by peers as well as professionals. For more information on how to keep the teeth healthy, visit a dentist or go on
www.HealthyTeeth.org
Kari Hart, Staff Reporter
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