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Don't lose that winsome smile
CHOCOLATES AND candies evoke a winsome smile from faces, young and old. Imagine a glimmering smile, thanks to a gold filling, courtesy the neighbourhood dentist. Oral and dental care, usually, take a backseat among people's requirement for a medical health check-up.
This is appalling when one considers the social hazards that a country such as ours has — chewing of paan masala, tobacco, gutka, and consumption of aerated drinks to some extent, which according to dentists, leads to erosion of the enamel.
In Bangalore itself, which has a population of over 60 lakh, nearly 60 per cent of the people suffer from dental ailments. The City has over 2,000 dentists to address the dental/oral requirements of the people, "but lack of awareness about severe problems caused by dental diseases has led to low penetration of dentists," according to S.S.Vinay Kumar of Shroff's Dental Clinic.
He should know, given the fact that the good doctor has been conducting dental camps on a regular basis for the past three years. With an increasing perception of the gravity of dental ailments, corporates and educational institutions have gotten into the act. Companies such as Ericsson, Kshema Technologies, United Health Insurance, NIIT, and Bosch have made it a part of their HR policy to hold annual dental check-up camps.
And if one notices the names of these firms, a majority of them are part of the creamy IT layer. Not surprising, since the stress levels and the change in lifestyle has led to "new habits to alleviate stress through chewing of pan masala, which leads to stiffness in the muscle fibre," and sometimes a pre-cancerous lesion or leukoplakia wherein whitish/reddish spots appear on the inner sides of the mouth, because of frequent usage of paan masala.
Other ailments include dental caris (dental cavities in layman's parlance), periodontitis or swelling of the gums and oral cancer. All these diseases can be averted through corrective dental habits such as proper brushing techniques, avoiding aerated drinks, gutka, tobacco, pan masala, and so on. An annual dental check-up, where the consultation charge will be Rs. 50 to Rs. 150, depending on the dentist, can change the general perception that a visit to the dentist leaves a hole in one's pocket. So, take that bold step towards a healthy smile. You never know, the ad agencies might beat a path to your doorstep.
By Preeti Mishra
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Life
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
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