Tooth an important but neglected part of the
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Transcript of Tooth an important but neglected part of the
Together with cheeks, tongue and palate,
the teeth form the first and important
part of the digestive system.
They help to breakdown food substances
into small particles which are easily
swallowed and then acted upon by
digestive enzymes to the form which can
be absorbed by the body for energy,
growth and repair.
Loss of teeth through extractions can
seriously affect our general health.
Further more; teeth help us in speech
(articulation) and facial appearance.
Imagine a person missing the anterior
teeth required to address a public! If you
have not experienced it, do not play for
it.
Important to note, artificial teeth cost
more than treating the natural teeth, at
the same time they can not exactly
replace the missing natural teeth.
However, always something is better
than nothing, if your have lost your teeth,
artificial teeth is the remaining best
option for you.
Interestingly, almost all disease
conditions affecting the teeth are
preventable and curable, but yet still
dental problems remain one of the most
common diseases affecting mankind.
The physical and economical impact on
the individual as well as the nation can
not be over emphasized.
However, this area of health has not
received the attention it deserves both
from individuals and organizations.
The result is that the age old trend
whereby the public visit the dentist when
they are in pain or apparent dental
problems and ending up in extractions
continues unabated.
All studies so far indicate that, dental caries (tooth
decay) and periodontal (gum) diseases are the most
prevalent conditions affecting the teeth and thus the
leading cause of teeth loss.
Dental caries slowly destroys the teeth through acid
produced from surgery food we eat, if untreated, the
disease progresses to the extent where the only
remaining option is tooth removal (extraction).
On the other hand, periodontal conditions slowly
destroys the gums, bones and other tissues supporting
the teeth, if left untreated, the affected teeth become
loose and later fall on their own or are extracted.
As said in the introduction, these diseases are
preventable and curable. And prevention is not
even associated with injections or tablets as
vaccines, but rather a mere change of habit.
just improving oral hygiene habits and visiting
a dentist regularly are enough to prevent these
diseases and associated teeth loss.
Moreover, even if the diseases have occurred
in early stages and some cases of advanced
stages, the diseases are curable.
Who would like to look like
the above?
Surprisingly
enough, despite
these facts, the
rate of teeth loss
through extraction
is alarming. One
has to wonder
why?
A tooth is the only part of the body which
when pain, the patient will just request for its
removal (extraction).
I have never seen a patient requesting removal
of the eye or any other part of the body simply
because it pains.
No matter how other parts of the body are
destroyed, the patients will always ask for the
treatment to maintain them, but for the tooth,
even if it can be conserved, just remove!
Sadly to say, even most medical
insurance agents do not cover for scaling
and root planning, the procedure which
prevent both tooth decay and gum
diseases from occurring.
It is the same scaling and root planning
which is the first line of treatment almost
for all forms of gum diseases.
Their lay argument is that, removing tarter
(calculus) is an esthetic procedure (beauty),
a misleading and deadly concept.
Worse, some other insurers do not even
cover root canal treatment, the treatment
which cures advanced form of tooth decay.
Worst, even the majority of insurance
companies, give less financial allocations to
dental services
Another lay argument is that, the sure way of treating the painful tooth is its removal (extraction)! Why not the sure way of treating the incurable heart diseases is the removal of the heart? Unjust indeed to the tooth, stop it.
As a treatment, tooth extraction is supposed to be done only when other methods of saving it are impossible or when such tooth can become a reason for other and more serious complications.
While these are being done, more
government hospitals and clinics apart
from lacking well qualified personnel
they also lack equipments, instruments
and material for dental treatment
Brushing and flossing twice a day when
coupled with visiting a dentist at least
twice a year is enough to save your teeth.
Is this costly? Every body has the
answer.
While consultation fee is enough to have
your teeth checked routinely by dentist,
tooth brush is among the cheapest
commodity in the market.
Early uncavitated decay can be treated by just medication, while simple fillings can save teeth with small to medium size cavities (holes).
Good news is that even majority of teeth with big and deep cavities can also be served by doing root canal treatment.
Always ask your dentist if he/she can do a root canal treatment on your badly decayed teeth instead of removal.
This tooth no matter how
bad it has been destroyed
by decay it be saved by
doing a root canal
treatment
Even those can be treated
and a crown put on them
Health teeth = proper teeth brushing and regular dental visits (consultation fee + cost of toothbrush and paste),
Diseased teeth cured and retained = filling or root canal treatment or scaling and root planning (consultation fee + treatment charges),
Diseased teeth extracted = extraction and or artificial teeth (consultation fee+ extraction charges + cost of artificial teeth + cost of soft diet + teeth loss related problems).