DENTAL CARE Presentation by: Dr. Piponsuhu-Nasiru Rafiat (Dental Unit, Randle General Hospital) 6th May, 2012
Mar 31, 2015
DENTAL
CARE
Presentation by: Dr. Piponsuhu-Nasiru Rafiat
(Dental Unit, Randle General Hospital) 6th May, 2012
INTRODUCTION
WHAT IS DENTAL CARE?
Dental care is the maintenance of healthy teeth and supporting tissues.
The function of teeth in the mouth:
•Aesthetics•Mastication/chewing•Phonation/speech•Maintenance of the dental arch and facial structure
The Structure Tooth And Supporting Tissue
The tooth is divided into two parts:
• The crown
• The root
• The crown of the tooth has an outer very hard enamel,
• middle hard but porous dentine and
• the inner pulp tissue which contains blood vessels, lymphatics and nerves
The root has a bony hard cementum
• The middle layer dentine
• The pulp tissue.
The tooth in good health is covered and supported by the periodontium and alveolar bone.
In healthy state, the
periodontium consist of a pale
pink stippled, well defined
knife-edged scalloped outlined
gingivae (gum) which does not
bleed on gentle probing with
periodontal probe or while
brushing the teeth.
Unclean teeth result in holes (cavity) and gum
diseases. This is caused by plaque accumulation around the teeth and subsequent gum irritation.
What is Dental Plaque?
This is a sticky combination of bacteria and food debris. These are usually found on the molar fissures ( grinding surface), gingival crevice (inner surface of edge of the gum) and surfaces between adjacent teeth.
PLAQUE FORMATION:
After the teeth are cleaned,
mucopolysaccharide coating (pellicle) is
deposited almost immediately around
the teeth. After eating, plaque begin to
accumulate on the teeth within 20
minutes, if the plaque is not removed
thoroughly after about 72 hours the
plaque starts hardening into calculus or
tartar.
When present, calculus is commonly
found on the inner surface of the
lower front teeth near the opening of
the salivary gland duct and on the
cheek surface of the upper molar
teeth near the opening of the parotid
duct.
Plaque accumulation on the teeth
could result in a number of
problems, such as:
•Teeth decay
•Gingivitis - Swollen, Inflamed,
bleeding gums.
•Periodontitis - Destruction of
ligaments and bone that support the
teeth, often causing tooth mobility
and subsequent tooth loss.
• Bad breath.• Abscesses.• Pain and inability to use teeth with
subsequent poor nutritional intake which impairs general health.
• Also severe bactereamias(dissemination of bacteria through the blood) due to acute or chronic dental infection may contribute to brain abscesses, endocarditis, unexplained fever etc.
Why Is Basic Dental Care Important?
1. Prevents tooth decay.
2. Prevent gum (periodontal) disease.
3. Shortens time with the dentist and
dental hygienist and makes trip more
pleasant.
4. Saves money, reduces need for filling
and other dental procedures.
5. Helps prevent bad breath.
How Do We Care For Our Teeth?
1. Brushing and flossing our teeth
regularly. This is achieved by
brushing twice a day i.e. in the
morning and before bed. And
floss once a day. This removes
the plaque.
2. Visiting our dentist/dental
hygienist for regular check ups
and cleanings.
How Do We Care For Our Teeth?
3. Eating a mouth healthy diet i.e.
food high in whole grains,
vegetables and fruits and dairy
products.
4. Avoid food that contains a lot of
sugar. Sugar helps plaque grow.
How Do We Care For Our Teeth?
5. Use of toothpaste that contains
fluoride, which helps prevent tooth
decay and cavities. Sometimes, a
mouthwash which contains fluoride
might be recommended by your
dentist. A toothpaste endorsed by
NDA.
6. Avoid chewing tobacco and drinking
excessive tea as it can cause
discoloration of the teeth.
How Do We Care For Our Teeth?
7. Avoid using tobacco products, which can cause gum disease and oral cancer. Exposure to tobacco smoke also may cause gum disease as well as other health problems.
8. Practice tongue cleaning: you can use tongue cleaner or a soft bristle toothbrush, slowly in a back to front direction.
How Do We Care For Our Teeth?
9. Avoid touching the mouth after touching other materials such as keyboards, tops of shelves, shoes and clothes.
10.You should use a soft ended toothpick to remove the debris and food particles that might be stuck between the teeth. Never use a pin that can pierce the gum which can cause bleeding or inflammation.
Dental Care Of A Child Patient
Proper dental care begins even before a baby’s first tooth appears. This can be achieved by running a damp washcloth over the baby’s gum following feeding to prevent buildup of damaging bacteria.Once the child has a few teeth showing, they can be brushed with a soft child’s tooth brush or rub them with gauze at the end of the day. Avoid putting baby to sleep with a bottle in his or her mouth.Take your child to a pediatrics dentist for checkup
Professional Aspect Of Dental Care
This is mainly preventive measures given by the dentist or dental health providers. They are fragmented into three basic:
1.Primary Prevention: This is aimed at educating patient to develop good hygiene oral attitude and controlling some environmental factors such as smoking and nutrition that could predispose to developing teeth and gum problem.
Professional Aspect Of Dental Care
2. Secondary Prevention: The
measure is directed to those
who have already developed
dental disease in which disease
process can be stopped or
reversed.
Professional Aspect Of Dental Care
3. High Risk Prevention: Measure is directed at both prevention and therapeutic approach. People that fall into this category have underlining diseases that predisposes them to periodontal diseases or dental caries. E.g. diabetic mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, juvenile periodontitis, patients undergoing radiation therapy or poor nutrition.
Conclusion:
Tooth brushing and other mechanical cleaning procedures are considered to be the most reliable means of controlling plaque provided cleaning is sufficiently and thoroughly performed at regular intervals.
Success of personal oral hygiene measure depends on
(a) Tooth brushing technique (b) Toothbrush design(c) Inter dental cleaning agents(d) Frequency of cleaning
Aisha has reported that,“the prayer before which the miswak is
used is seventy times more excellent than that before which
it is not used.”
Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) states that,
“make miswak a must, do not be headless as there are twenty four benefits in miswak, the greatest benefit is that Allah (SWT), becomes pleased, there is increase in wealth, it freshens the breath, it strengthens the gums, it relieves headaches, it relieves toothache and due to the light from the face and teeth the angels shake hands.”
Thank you for listening!