Tooth decay or dental caries was highly prevalent and a significant public health problem among children and adult throughout the world, said Assistant Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Professor Dr Kashif Ali Channar.
Talking to APP here on Monday, he said that the periodontal disease was a major reason for losing teeth, but there are some factors that appear to increase the risk. Oral and dental health was integral parts of good overall health, and dental caries is the most common chronic infectious disease of adult and childhood, he remarked.
He said that dental patients with severe dental caries may experience chronic oral pain and infection, be malnourished and suffer from low self-esteem because of missing or defective teeth.
Dentistry today was an influential discipline with important ties nearly every branch of medicine and Dentists were now physicians of mouth, diagnosing and treating a wide range of disorders with oralmani festations, he said adding that dentistry was one of the few health professions poised to become largely a discipline of prevention.
Elaborating upon the prevention Dr Channar informed that reduced consumption especially frequency of intake of food and drink containing sugar should be consumed only as part of a meal while snacks and drinks should be free of sugars and avoid frequent consumption of acidic drinks.
He suggested that the sugars, particularly non-milk sugars in items other than fresh fruits and vegetables, were the major dietary causes of caries and frequency of intake is more important than the amount.
About the pyorrhea, he informed that dental caries and gum diseases are common in our society and the two most common dental diseases, which have prevailed in our society, are the decay of teeth and pyorrhea.
About the causes of this Pyorrhea Prof Dr Kashif Ali informed that the causes of pyorrhea include health problems, improper diet, eating the wrong food excess sugar and general unhealthy lifestyle choices and the disease is also often related to a deficiency of Vitamin C, Calcium and Folic acid.
He said that considering the plaque forms on teeth as quickly as four hours after brushing the best method in preventing pyorrhea and periodontal diseases in general is through daily brushing and flossing with additional professional cleaning but surgical treatment may be required in instances of pyorrhea.
He further informed about the calcium that the lack of Vitamin C is just one of the causes of sick gums and more important is of balance of minerals.
He said that there is more to good oral health than continuously brushing and flossing, even though they remain important and that people take care of their mouth like any other part of the body because it’s linked to the rest of the body.
Dr Channar said that the meager amount was being spent in public sector on research work and there was need for private sector to come forward and invest the required amount in research work.
Dr Kashif Ali said that the use of the advanced technologies now become the need of the hours so that the medical community of the country could be able to find out new vistas in their respective fields and meet the challenges of the modern world.
Dr Channar advised the people who brush and floss regularly, use fluoride mouthwash, limit snacks and sweet drinks and visit the dentist twice a year.
