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Get a balanced diet [Each time you eat food that contains sugar or starch, the teeth are attacked by acids for 20 minutes or more. Consume lots of fibrous food, as it has a cleansing and gum massaging action.]
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To prevent gum diseases and for better maintenance of teeth, use antibacterial mouth rinses. If there is space between the teeth due to recession of gums, use interdental brushes available with special tips to clean difficult- to- reach areas between the teeth.
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Go for professional cleaning every 6 months to prevent gum diseases.
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Carry out regular self-examinations of the mouth. Consult a doctor immediately if there are bleeding gums or lesions.
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To prevent crooked teeth prevent abnormal habits in the childhood like breathing through the mouth, sucking the thumb and lip biting.
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To avoid oral cancer, which is very common in India, avoid bad oral habits like smoking and chewing gutka.
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For beauty conscious patients, make use of cosmetic dentistry for alterations, modifications in size, shape and contouring of teeth to suit individual requirements and appearance in relation to facial features lips and the smile line.
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Fractured tooth can be recontoured using composite resin material. Broken jaw can be mended by wiring and /or open reduction. Tooth that has been dislodged during an accident can be reaffixed/implanted in the socket provided they are collected, transported and presented appropriately. Such teeth can be transported either in milk or normal saline and if nothing is available in plain saliva. These should be available at the earliest.
