Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How to maintain the best oral hygiene?

Ans: Brushing twice daily, once just before going to bed and once in the morning after the breakfast along with flossing once daily will ensure the best hygiene for your mouth. However, both brushing and flossing must be learnt from a dentist in order to reap maximum benefits.

Q2. "Doctor, which is the best tooth paste that I can use for my teeth? Cost is not an issue for me.

Ans: Are you asking the right question? It is important to note that generally people focus a lot on the tooth paste rather, its much more important to focus on the toothbrush and the brushing technique/frequency. You may use any commercially available paste in the market that is available over the counter, they are more or less equally effective but the main difference in your oral hygiene will be brought about by brushing at least twice daily (once in the morning and just before going to bed) and with the correct brushing technique (we diligently explain it to all our patients). 

Q3. "I brush twice daily and rinse after every meal, I neither smoke nor consume tobacco and i do not even eat non vegetarian food, still I get cavities or other teeth problems?

Ans: Smoking and tobacco consumption is not recommended at all for good oral health. Cavities and other dental problems including gum issues etc. are multifactorial and cannot be completely attributed to the choice (veg/ non veg) food. There are many other things that must be thought upon in such a situation:

• The brushing technique maybe incorrect/ ineffective.

• Carbohydrate/ sugar/ fat rich multiple mid meal snacking may be there.

• There maybe a need to use other oral hygiene aids for example: an interdental brush.

•  Most importantly: How often do you visit a dentist? Even if you are taking all the oral hygiene measures it is mandatory for you to see a dentist once in every 6 months as initial stages of dental diseases are mostly symptom free and can only be detected after a thorough checkup.             

Q4. " I'm having sensitivity in a certain area or certain teeth of my mouth, should i use antisensitivity toothpaste for resolving it?"

Ans. NEVER. You should always consult a dentist before using anything including antisensitivity tooth pastes for your dental troubles. Reason being, sensitivity to cold/hot/sweet/sour are common symptoms for many dental issues for example: Dental cavities, Gum problems-pyorrhea, gingivitis etc. It must be detected first as to why the sensitivity is there and a treatment plan must be decided after visiting a dentist. Using an antisensitvity tooth paste over the counter (OTC) can mask or decrease your symptoms which can cause delay in seeking professional help leading to progress of the disease process leading to longer treatment time and increased treatment cost. However, if your dentist advises you an antisensitivity toothpaste after a thorough examination, this is the right time to use it in a prescribed manner and for a prescribed time period.  

Q5. "We are planning a baby and I'm in constant touch with a gynaecologist, do I need to consult a dentist as well as it has not been recommended to me by anyone?"

Ans:  Definitely. It has time and again been evidenced in many studies that Pregnancy brings about many changes in the body pertaining to the hormonal surge that occurs with the increase of progesterone and estrogen in a female's body and oral cavity is in no way different. It is evidenced that during pregnancy there may be exacerbation of all your preexisting dental issues for example: a. Pain in a badly decayed tooth that was otherwise symptomless.

b. Severe pain and swelling in the region of an impacted wisdom tooth which was other wise pain free.

c. Excessive bleeding from my gums which used to bleed less frequently before pregnancy. (Pregnancy Gingivitis)

d. Severe pain in a tooth that was having a deep cavity already but was never painful before.

e. Severe dental pain or poor oral hygiene including poor gum health have been linked to Pre term/ Premature babies as well.

Considering all these factors it is prudent to see a dentist before you conceive and get all the preexisting dental issues addressed before you get pregnant. As during pregnancy, it is better to avoid any dental intervention as much as possible considering the sensitive nature of this condition for best health of the mother and the baby.

Q6. "I'm pregnant and having severe/mild pain in my tooth, should I visit a dentist, is it safe to get any dental procedure done during pregnancy?"

Ans. YES, you must visit a dentist at the earliest if you are having pain or any other dental issue during your pregnancy. We make sure to tale all necessary precautions while examining and treating an expectant mother. After taking a due consent from your gynaecologist many dental procedures can be safely performed at our center including, teeth cleaning, cavity fillings and even root canal treatments and extractions. However we have to make sure that the mother and the baby are in appropriate medical condition to undergo any procedure. According to literature the best time to get such treatments done would be your second trimester i.e. 3rd to 6th month of pregnancy, however, procedures can be performed at other times as well if the situation necessitates.

Q7. "I have a 1/2/3 year old child and I make him rinse his mouth frequently, when should I start his brushing?

Ans. As soon as possible. It is advisable to start brushing a baby's teeth as soon as they erupt in mouth i.e. on an average at the age of 6 months when the lower front teeth (the lower milk central incisor). In fact, we do recommend cleaning baby's gum pads (portion of jaws before any teeth erupt in the mouth) with a clean cloth after every feed as well and specially after the last feed at night. Please meet our doctors to get a detailed description on how to manage teeth in infants, toddlers and children.

Q8. I'm having pain while chewing or even spontaneously in my already Root Canal Treated (RCT) lower molar. Can a RCT treated tooth cause pain? as according to my dentist its nerve has already been cut. If yes, what is the solution to it?

Ans. Yes. A root canal treated tooth/teeth can pain in certain situations:

• Due to incomplete cleaning and disinfection of the entire length of the canal, and the remnant bacteria left overin the unaccessed areas of the canal that may cause pain and repeated infection. (Most commonly)

• Due to fracture of a RCT treated tooth.

• There maybe prosthetic issues (issues with the crown/bridge covering the tooth) causing food impaction or gum problems which can cause pain in the tooth associated areas.

What to do? RCT and crowns does not make the tooth immune to any future issues. Maintaining proper hygiene and regular follow up visits to the dentist are essential. Hence please do not try any home remedies in such a situation and visit a dentist at the earliest. Such teeth can be saved by timely intervention with Repeat RCT (Re-RCT/ Endodontic retreatment), correcting the crown/ bridge overlying the tooth or other necessary intervention as indicated. However, a delay in treatment for such cases can lead to an eventual loss of the tooth.

Q9 .  I have a fear of Dentists and Dentistry and cant stand the sight of a needle. I know that I need dental treatment that I have been procrastinating. How can you help?

Ans. You are not alone. Maximum people fear dentists or dental treatment so you are definitely not alone. On the other hand you must understand that such fears are rooted in many either due to a past bad experience of dental treatment either for self or a close relative or based on some feedback from a friend/colleague or a family member. We at Dental Perfection believe that we are not treating your teeth but we are treating you as an individual, we take a holistic approach to manage/ alleviate your fears before any treatment is begun regardless of the number of appointments it takes to do so.

Our mission is not just to treat you but also to instill a positive attitude towards our field which we consider SACRED, "DENTISTRY'.

We have all the techniques in our kitty to make you comfortable. So, please do not postpone your treatment and visit us as soon as possible. Who knows, you become our very own brand ambassador.

Q10. My tooth is badly destroyed and I have been advised removal of the tooth followed by replacement with a dental implant, is this the only option for me, can the tooth be saved anyhow?

Ans. Will need a thorough checkup. Although we can't be sure about whether or not your tooth can be saved without a proper check-up, but we can surely say that we at our center believe in and practice evidence based conservative dentistry (minimum intervention tooth saving dentistry) and tooth extraction is done always as the last resort. We welcome you to visit our center and take a proper professional opinion and who knows we might have a more conservative option for your tooth available. Fingers crossed. In case, extraction is inevitable, there are other non surgical options available for replacement as well apart from Implant like a bridge(Fixed partial denture).