By Dr. Rajesh Bansal

FACT: There are numerous reasons for this perception mainly because pain and the swelling of an upper tooth radiates towards the cheek bones and lower portion of the eyes; therefore the correlation. The teeth are normally extracted in middle/old age when the eye sight is in any case getting weaker. Actually vision is not affected in anyway while undertaking treatment of upper teeth including their extraction.

MYTH: REGULAR CLEANING/SCALING/REMOVAL OF CALCULUS WEAKENS YOUR TEETH.

FACT: Regular cleaning like bathing is a must. One cannot clean all the surfaces of a tooth effectively; hence professional cleaning is an important adjunct to home aids. Proper cleaning does not damage the teeth enamel which is the hardest substance in the body; on the contrary, scaling strengthens gums by removing hard food deposit — tartar which is responsible for the loss of bone resulting in tooth loss eventually.Thus professional cleaning is also a part of proper dental care.

MYTH: PERMANENT TEETH WILL BE SHED WITH AGE.

FACT: None of our teethhave a specific age to be shed. It is just negligence on our part which hastensthis unfortunate condition. Regular visits to the dentist and proper dentalcare as per dentist’s advice can prolong the life of many a tooth.

MYTH: ORAL HEALTH DOESN’T AFFECT OVERALL HEALTH.

FACT: When the gums are infected bacterial by-products can enter the blood stream and travel to major organs causing other problems.Research suggests that this may contribute to a number of undesirable conditions including heart diseases such as rheumatic fever. So, proper dental care is a must for overall health.

MYTH: A CHILD NEVER NEEDS CLEANING OF MILK TEETH.

FACT: It is a myth that we need not clean a child’s teeth. Children are as much prone to dental decay or gum diseases as adults. In fact children tend to have sweet food including sweetened milk and juices which can promote dental caries. So it is advisable to start the habit of cleaning the infant’s teeth soon after they appear in the mouth. In fact it is advised to clean baby’s gum pads everyday by a soft piece of cloth along with gentle massage even before the teeth erupt.Proper dental care of milk teeth is as important as that of permanent one.