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Dental Health at Every Age

At Shaganappi Dentistry we take pride in being your oral care providers. We are excited about helping your whole family achieve optimal to excellent levels of dental health. Your smile is unique to you and we understand that. Each age group has itʼs unique challenges and treatment options.

Learn about the  services we provide!

Strong Healthy Teeth for the Entire Family  

For babies and kids:

Your childʼs teeth are at risk of decay as soon as they first appear in the mouth. To avoid this:

 

  • Begin cleaning your baby’s mouth during the first few days after birth by wiping the gums with a clean, moist gauze pad or washcloth.

  • When your child’s teeth begin to come in, brush them gently with a child-size toothbrush and water. Most babies will have their first teeth appear into the mouth at 6-7 months of age.

  • For children older than 2, brush their teeth with a pea-sized amount of Fluoride toothpaste.

  • Until you’re comfortable that your child can brush on his or her own, continue to brush your child's teeth twice a day with a child-size toothbrush and a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste. When your child has two teeth that touch, you should begin flossing their teeth daily. Most children will get their full set of 20 primary teeth by 36 months of age. 

For teens:

  • Some common oral dental problems encountered in this age group are:

  • Crooked teeth : Braces or orthodontic treatment can help correct mal aligned teeth. If left untreated the crooked teeth can make it difficult to bite and chew, maintaining adequate hygiene can be difficult resulting in cavities and gum disease. Dentists are trained to diagnose these problems and suggest a solution.

  • Wisdom teeth: these teeth usually appear between the age of 17 -21 years. Many times they may not come into the mouth completely as they may be tilted or there may not be enough room in the jaw for them. Wisdom teeth can cause problems like swelling, pain, infection, cysts etc. The dentist can evaluate the need to have wisdom teeth removed. 

  • Smoking: this habit is detrimental to your over all health as well as oral health. Smoking has been known to cause:

  • stained teeth and tongue

  • dulled sense of taste and smell

  • slow healing after a tooth extraction or oral surgery

  • difficulties in correcting cosmetic dental problems

  • Gum disease and tooth loss

  • Oral Cancer 

Adults under 45:

  • Gum disease: Gum disease is the inflammation of the tissues that hold the teeth in place. Initial stages of gum disease is known as Gingivitis. It is a reversible phase which can be controlled by regular periodontal maintenance at your dental office. If gingivitis is left untreated it becomes more destructive and serious condition called periodontitis. 

  • Teeth grinding: Sub conscious grinding of teeth is known as bruxism and tends to occur most commonly during sleep. It could be stress related or could be result of a sleep disorder . It can lead to premature wear of tooth structure and damage the jaw joint known as temporomandibular joint or TMJ.

  • Sensitivity: Transient short lived sensitivity to extreme temperatures is a very common dental problem but a hard one to address as it can be multifactorial. Treatment comprises of determining causative factors and symptomatic relief by the use of sensitivity dentrifices or other professional products depending upon the nature of sensitivity.

  • Yellowing of teeth: Darkening of teeth is a natural process. Darkening due to the nature of foods we consume is known as external staining and bleaching / whitening can help significantly in this kind of staining by removing surface stains. Your dentist can recommend the right kind of whitening method and product for you and determine if your gum condition is healthy enough for whitening. 

Adults over 45:

  • Missing teeth : If you have missing teeth there are plenty of reasons why the problem must be corrected. These reasons could be esthetic concerns for missing front teeth, decrease in chewing capability due to loss of several back teeth, drifting or tipping of adjacent teeth into empty space thus causing gum problems and disturbing bite.

  • Here are some options to replace a lost tooth or teeth. Talk to your dentist about which option is best for you: 

  • Bridges: Anchored to your adjacent teeth, these can be removable or fixed, depending on your mouth, your dentist’s recommendation and your needs.

  • Dentures: An option if you’ve lost all or most of your teeth.

  • Implants: Most similar to a natural tooth. 

  • Dry Mouth: Everyone experiences a dry mouth at some point in their lives. Dry mouth refers to lack of salivary flow through out the oral cavity. Saliva has cleansing effect and washes off the plaque from tooth surfaces, it also contains antibodies that fight bacteria. More and more of our aging population is taking a cocktail of medications and living with chronic health conditions both of which can lead to dry mouth. Patients taking inhaler for asthma can sometimes develop oral thrush. Your dentist is well qualified to diagnose signs of issues arising due to dry mouth and suggest supportive measures to counter it’s effects

  • Oral cancer: Oral cancer can happen in any part of the mouth including lips, cheeks, gums, tongue, jaw or throat. A small white or red non tender patch or nodule or a non healing ulcer may sometimes be the only sign. Your dentist checks all areas of the mouth in addition to teeth at your dental check up, this can help identify, diagnose and treat these conditions at earliest possible. If you have any concerns like non healing ulcers, a lump, unexplained numbness in any area of he mouth, difficulty swallowing etc. make sure to bring it to the notice of your dentist.

  • Failing dentistry: Like everything else no dentistry is permanent and will at some point possibly will have to be replaced. As we age fillings, crowns and other forms of past dental treatment go through cycles of wear and tear. It is important to recognise early signs of failure to old restorations and treat them promptly in order to prevent catastrophic failure.

  • Gum recession: Gum recession causes exposure of root surfaces to the mouth. Root surfaces are softer compared to tooth enamel and thus wear away very quickly thus causing pain and sensitivity. Root surfaces are also very susceptible to decay and is often hard to treat. 

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