The Tribune

By Dr Sparkman Ferguson

Almost everyone you talk to is seeking to improve their health these days. Bahamians are reading health articles, searching the internet, and best of all, seeing healthcare professionals – all in an effort to stay on top of things.

Although one’s medical health is very important, equally as important is one’s dental health. For many, this fact is not easily appreciated at first. However, more people are realising the importance of dental health and its direct relationship to one’s overall health.

The descriptive word “improvement” is a relative term. In health matters, it suggests a positive movement in the desired direction. In dentistry specifically, it suggests a movement from any mouth condition toward a more healthy disposition.

• Improvement No 1 : Have professional dental cleaning

For many, improvement is as simple as making a decision to see a dentist for a regular professional cleaning. To many, this seems like an unnecessary practice, but in truth, it is the most important of all dental visits. It is recommended that one has a professional cleaning every 6 months. This practice keeps the mouth fresh, the teeth sparkling, and the gums healthy.

• Improvement No 2 : Have dental caries eliminated

The term dental caries is still confusing for many. It simply refers to any part of a tooth that is rotting. This rotting is usually a silent process until a tooth breaks, or cold water chills it, or hot water hurts it, or food begins packing between teeth suggesting breakage. Any of these events suggests that the concern is at least two to three years old and needs immediate attention. The improvement takes place when persons seek professional visits to have carious teeth professionally restored.

• Improvement No 3 : Have missing teeth replaced

More and more, persons are discovering that it isn’t easy to chew properly without a full complement of teeth. If some of your teeth are missing, having replacements would be a huge improvement. If all of your teeth are missing, it will indeed be an improvement to have dentures fitted to aid in eating, speech,and good looks. If you have ill fitting dentures, an improvement will be to have them relined to improve the fit, or have them replaced with new ones.

• Improvement No 4: Accept dental imaging

Imaging is everything. We improve our dental health by knowing through imaging the condition of our teeth, gums, and jaw bones. The advantage in imaging is that your dentist can use it as an aid for early detection of dental diseases.

• Improvement No 5: Be consistent with dental home care

Home care is a most important aspect of dental health since it is taking place at all times, and outside of the direct care of a health professional. The healthy habits remain the same. One must brush daily with a soft toothbrush and toothpaste. One must also use dental floss between the teeth daily. This is not optional. The use of mouth wash, gum stimulants,tongue scrapers and whitening strips are encouraged where necessary or desired. If you are a denture wearer, it is important to clean and sanitize your dentures daily to freshen them. If you wear braces, it is important to remove all food particles from the brackets, wires, or retainers several times a day.

• Conclusion: It is obvious from the discussion above,that each person will have an individual approach in order to effect improvement in their personal dental health. It is certain that a brief self-evaluation could point the way to your particular dental improvement need.