Digital OPG X-Ray in Gurgaon

At Dantkriti Dental Clinic in Gurgaon, every day we see patients those are having aching teeth or teeth that really hurt, and today we are going to discuss the reason for tooth pain and their treatment.

If you are suffering from severe toothache you can try home care remedies for tooth pain before visiting your dentist

The most common reasons you are having a toothache are:

Toothache due to Tooth Cavity:

• A tooth cavity is essentially a hole in your tooth that is caused by acid-producing bacteria that eats away at your tooth and if a cavity gets large enough and approaches the nerve (pulp) which is in the middle of the tooth you can have severe pain
• However, not all cavities are deep enough to cause this pain. A lot of times it goes silent or untreated and then eventually when you get to the point where you’re having pain, it’s so large that it might need a root canal or it might need to be extracted.
• So that’s why it’s so important to go to your dentist to diagnose your conditions you know periodically ideally get your exam done every year, to make sure that these silent cavities aren’t going unnoticed so what do dentists do to treat this type of cavity

Treatment of Toothache caused by a tooth cavity

• If the cavity is small, you can do a small filling with composite resin or that white filling material that’s bonded to your tooth and that can basically get you back to health.
•  If the cavity is more extensive and it takes up a lot of your tooth and it’s basically a lot of your tooth is compromised then sometimes you need an inlay, onlay, or a crown to cover up the tooth after you remove the entire cavity
• If the cavity is so large and it’s to the nerve and it causes that type of pain that spontaneous sharp shooting pain that wakes you up at night, then you might have to get a procedure called a root canal treatment we basically get rid of the infected nerve and then put a biocompatible material into the tooth, and then your tooth will feel a lot better
• If in case tooth damage is beyond repair or other restorative procedures are not possible, so to get the tooth extracted is the only option.

Now dentistry has evolved so much in the past decade that if you are missing a tooth there are several tooth replacement options. Some people can get like a partial denture or the best thing that you can do is to place a tooth implant in the empty tooth space.

At Dantkriti Dentofacial Aesthetics & Implant Center, our Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon places these Dental Implants, and then you get an implant-supported crown that goes on top of that implant and that’s the best replacement option for you

Toothache Due to Gum Diseases

• The second reason that you might be having a toothache is from very sore gums. You can get sore gums in a variety of ways.
• Sometimes you can be eating hard food items and a food item can get dislodged under the gum and that can be really painful it can feel like the tooth has a cavity or the tooth needs to be pulled out. when all you need to do is remove that little piece of the food under the gum.
• Also, if your teeth have little tiny gaps between them, food is very easily trapped in those spaces. This can be very annoying for patients those who really want to keep their teeth clean. They feel like every time they’re eating, they have to floss out food that’s getting stuck in between their teeth. One of the best things to have is teeth that have contact with one another because if your teeth are not touching one another then food can get trapped in there also it’s easier for you to get a cavity
• Actually, very small spaces between teeth are harmful and cause more food lodgement, if a space is large enough the food can pass through that space relatively easily and it’s not as annoying and also you’re not as likely to get a cavity. That’s why we want teeth that have contact with one another
• Sometimes if there’s an old restoration on a tooth like an old crown and that tooth has shifted then we like to take off that old crown and put a new crown that has a larger diameter so that you can have tight contact which will prevent any food from getting trapped in there.
• Also, you can have sore gums if you have severe periodontal disease or gum disease where your gums are swollen and puffy and when you’re brushing or flossing your teeth and your gums are bleeding.

Treatment of Sore Gums and Toothache

• So, what do the dentists do if you’re having sore gums or if you have food dislodged under your gums?
• Well typically if a patient comes to us and they’re saying oh you know I feel like I ate something yesterday and it’s really hurting under my gums I’ll take a look and we have some special instruments that can clean under the gums.
• If there is generalized soreness and sensitivity in teeth. Teeth cleaning and root planning give tremendous relief
•  If your gums are swollen and it really hurts to touch, then we might have to give you a little local anesthesia. We go very slowly and when we do it and then we go under the gums and we clean the surface of the tooth to make sure there’s no debris stuck on the tooth or any debris under the gums. If there is something under there and we remove it you’d be surprised how much relief you will have immediately.
• So, you have to get a really good cleaning to rule out whether this is the reason for your dental pain or your tooth pain because sore gums or swollen gums can be really painful as well.

Toothache due to the Fractured tooth

We see a lot of cracked teeth. Cracks on teeth may develop due to

1. External trauma,
2. Heavy biting forces,
3. Root canal-treated teeth, especially without capping
4. Under an older filling.

1. External Trauma:

• A tooth can become dead and can cause infection in bone after sustaining trauma.
• This kind of tooth pain can occur suddenly and may even be present after many years of the injury.
• Mostly in these kinds of cases, we see discolored teeth with an infection at the root apex with an intact tooth.

The treatment for dead teeth after trauma

• Root Canal Treatment and removal of underlying pathology followed by Tooth restoration

2. Heavy biting forces & Habits:

• Because of heavy biting forces or certain habits like supari or gutkha chewing, the tooth enamel wears off and develops minor cracks.
• Once these cracks propagate and expose the underlying dentine and pulp.
• With continuous grinding, the tooth becomes dead and can cause severe sensitivity and pain.

The treatment for sensitivity and pain due to teeth grinding

• Tooth filling, and root canal treatment followed by restoration with a tooth cap.
• Sometimes if the tooth is completely fractured and can’t be saved, Tooth extraction followed by tooth replacement is the solution.

3. Fractured Root Canal Treated Tooth:

• A Root canal-treated tooth becomes brittle and is prone to fracture easily. Due to loss of moisture from the tooth dentine and loss of tooth structure. That’s why we recommend getting a crown or the proper restoration of the tooth after an RCT

Treatment of Root canal-treated tooth fracture

• Restoration of the fractured part, if possible, otherwise, tooth removal followed by replacement is the solution.

4. Fractured tooth under large fillings:

• Let’s say you have an amalgam or silver filling that encompasses a lot of your tooth that maybe you had when you were younger and then you see crack lines propagating from where the silver filling reaches your natural tooth.
• Sometimes people don’t have any pain in them and then all of a sudden, they eat something hard and the tooth breaks to a point where you have to take it out.

Treatment of toothache due to fracture tooth

• Well, if the crack is small, we remove the entirety of the crack and do a small filling to restore the tooth.
•  If the crack is very large, we have to remove all of the cracks as much as we can, and sometimes we have to remove any restoration associated with that crack and we do a crown.
• If the crack involves the tooth nerve, we have to do a Root Canal treatment followed by a tooth crown
• If the crack goes all the way down under the gums, we have to extract the tooth and replace it with a tooth prosthesis like a dental implant or dental bridge

Tooth pain is associated with Wisdom teeth

• A lot of people get their wisdom teeth taken out when they’re 16 or 17 or so.
•  When your wisdom teeth come out a lot of times the wisdom teeth are hidden under the bone or they are coming sideways where they’re impacting, we call it an impacted wisdom tooth where they’re impacting the tooth next to it and this can cause a lot of problems in the future

Treatment of Wisdom tooth pain

• Typically, when a patient comes to us with wisdom tooth pain, they’re mentioning that they’re having some soreness in their jaw towards the back.
• Usually, we take a periapical X-ray we can see that the wisdom tooth is maybe rotated or maybe it’s just causing some discomfort or pain, and then our oral surgeon Dr, Himanshu Gupta with special tools and specialized skills able to take it out wisdom tooth quickly and painlessly.

Toothache due to Altered Tooth Bite

• The fifth reason that you might be having pain is that your bite is off
• So, let’s say you just had a new restoration done whether it be a new crown or a new filling and these new restorations can still give you mild pain and discomfort afterward.
• The problem is that when you bite down, you’re biting high on the filling or the crown and you’re placing all that force from your bite onto that one part of the tooth instead of it being evenly distributed across your teeth.

Treatment of tooth pain due to altered bite:

• As a dentist, we like to adjust the bite after we’re done completing our treatment. But sometimes our patients are still numbed up so we’re basing our bite adjustment on a numbed-up patient and it isn’t really the most accurate thing to do.
• Once the effect of the anesthesia wears off it may feel like the restoration or crown is a little bit high while biting. Make sure to call your dentist because that can really cause discomfort and also can be traumatizing to that tooth and cause tooth-related pain.
• One of the easiest fixes to do is to adjust the bite so that when you bite down everything feels stable on both sides of the mouth
•  So, the way we adjust the bite at the dental office is to take blue articulation paper and put it on your teeth you bite down and grind left and right & front and back, and then we see marks on the teeth and then we adjust those marks if they are too prominent.

So those are the five main reasons why you’re having tooth pain or you’re having a toothache but I want to mention some other special considerations

Other Causes Of tooth Pain

There are conditions where you can be experiencing tooth pain but the source of the pain is not the tooth itself

Tooth Pain In Trigeminal neuralgia

• Trigeminal Neuralgia is a neurological condition basically affects the trigeminal nerve that sends the impulses to the brain where patients suffer from flashy or electrifying shocks in their faces.
• Most of the time patients would come into our practices and say I have a toothache and please get that tooth removed
• But upon examination, we would find that the teeth are really healthy but the patient is unable to bear the pain.

So these are cases that need to be suspected of trigeminal neuralgia.

The triggering factors could be as simple as

• Going out in cold air
• Just washing your face
• Shaving or touching affected areas

So many of these factors can trigger a neurologic condition, the pain would be for a short time but the severity of the pain is quite extensive which disturbs the quality of life this condition can be very well managed by medications in most advanced cases may need surgery but with today’s early intervention I think it’s very important for everybody to get a screening done get an evaluation done if anybody is having any of these symptoms and which can be treated way early and better.

The Treatment for Trigeminal Neuralgia can be

Medications

Alcohol/ Glycerol Injection

Neurectomy

Tooth Pain Due To Maxillary Sinusitis:

• Sometimes if the patient is having acute sinusitis, especially maxillary sinusitis, then the pain of the sinus may refer to the upper back teeth. The pain is usually diffuse and feels heavy on biting.
• If the patient is complaining of dull upper teeth pain and there is no finding in teeth or gums, look for other symptoms, such as a running nose, blocked nose, heaviness in the cheek or head, and tears from the eyes.

So, if you are suffering from a toothache due any reason visit us at Dantkriti Dental Clinic in Gurgaon. We have 24/7 dental emergency care and a team of expert dentists in Gurgaon to relieve your tooth pain painlessly.

Follow Dantkriti on Google Maps

1. Dantkriti Dental Clinic on Golf Course Road Gurgaon

2. Dantkriti Dental Clinic in Ardee City Gurgaon

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toothache

Mucormycosis is a rare but serious fungal disease and if left untreated may turn fatal.

Its spores are usually found in dust, soil and enter the inside body through

• Inhalation of spores through the nose and paranasal sinuses
• Direct Inoculation through cut wounds, Gum disease especially bleeding gums
• Mucormycosis is not contagious that is it doesn’t spread from person to person

In COVID-19 patients there  is a significant increase in the incidence of secondary infections, both fungal and bacteria which is  probably due to

• Immune dysregulation due to coronavirus
• Widespread use of steroids and monoclonal antibodies
• The use of broad-spectrum antibiotics as part of the COVID-19  regime may lead to the exacerbation of preexisting fungal diseases.

Causes of Mucormycosis

The chief cause for mucormycosis in COVID patients are

Steroids

Overuse of steroids when not needed or used in very high dosage.

Uncontrolled Diabetes

Just diabetes is a small risk factor but high blood sugar and uncontrolled diabetes is a high-risk factor.

The patients who are diabetic and are on steroid therapy should monitor sugar levels stringently as steroids also increase blood sugar levels.

If the patient is on oral hypoglycemics should not hesitate to switch to insulin therapy on the doctor’s advice.

Injudicious use of antibiotics

Unnecessary use of antibiotics should be avoided, as once the bacteria are killed fungal particle come in

Poor Oral Dental Hygiene

Poor dental hygiene also plays a major role in mucormycosis disease progression

Unhygienic use of oxygen therapy:

The use of oxygen concentrators, tubes, or mask that are not clean or the water used to humidify oxygen or the vessel used is not clean  and can cause fungal particles to grow in.

Comorbid conditions:

Patient those are already on immunosuppressive medications, transplant patients or patients having cancer or undergoing chemotherapy are at higher risk of getting mucormycosis

Signs and Symptoms of Mucormycosis

Mucormycosis could be a killer disease one can lose vision, a portion of the jaw, or even life.

It is mandatory to diagnose it at the earliest to prevent serious outcomes

General Symptoms

The main symptoms of Mucormycosis are

• Headache
• Facial pain, Pain in Cheekbones
• Numbness of face
• Swelling on face or mouth
• Nasal Congestion
• Nasal Discharge ( blackish/ bloody)
• Pain around Eyes
• Redness of eye
• Watering of eye
• Loosening of teeth
• Toothache
• Blackening of gums, Palate, or bridge of the nose
• Chest pain, worsening of breathing problems

So those are warning signs that you must consult an Oral &Maxillofacial Surgeon, ENT Specialist Eye Specialist, Dentist or Pulmonologist

Neurological Symptoms

Once it goes inside brain through nose or sinuses neurological symptoms occurs

• Brain inflammation
• Headache
• Fits
• Forgetfulness
• Optic nerve involvement
• Double Vision
• Blindness
• Brain Abscess

With these symptoms visit a Neurosurgeon at the earliest.

How To Prevent Mucormycosis

• Use a mask if you are visiting a dusty construction site
• Wear shoes, gloves, and protective wear while handling soil, manure, or moss
• Maintain personal hygiene and oral hygiene.

What Should Covid Patient Do to Prevent Black Fungus

• Control Diabetes
• Monitor Blood Glucose level post covid discharge
• Use steroid therapy judiciously, Take steroid medication under the guidance of your doctor only
• Use clean sterile water for humidification in oxygen concentrators and cylinders
• Change oxygen mask and tubing periodically
• Use antibiotics only on doctors prescription do not overuse antibiotics
• Do not ignore the warning signs
• Do not consider all cases of the blocked nose as bacterial sinusitis particularly in covid patients or the patients on immunomodulators and steroids

Investigations Required to Diagnose Mucormycosis

• KOH staining, microscopy, Culture. MALDITOF for detecting fungal etiology.
• CT Scan
• MRI

Treatment of Mucormycosis Infection

• Control Diabetes
• Reduce steroids with the aim to discontinue rapidly
• Surgical Debridement of involved bone
• Amphotericin B infusion
• Antifungal therapy for at least 4weeks to 6 weeks

Sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3286196/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mucormycosis

What is Professional Teeth Cleaning and Why Is It so Important

Your mouth is the mirror of your body as it reflects the general health of a person. With the changing of times people are becoming more aware of taking care of their oral and dental health.

Today to ensure your teeth remain in perfect condition, we have enormous high-quality dental products are available in the market such as a variety of toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash.

But If you are thinking that just cleaning your teeth yourself can ensure perfect oral health then you are not altogether correct. One should know about the significance of dental scaling/teeth cleaning which would offer you many benefits.

For many reasons, sometimes people aren’t able to maintain their recommended frequency of dental checkups. Oftentimes, when the extended time has gone in between cleanings, a more advanced cleaning may be recommended by your doctor.

Benefits of Professional Teeth Cleaning

Protection of  Teeth & Gums

When you undergo dental scaling on a regular basis, It would make sure that your gums remain strong, as your dentist would ensure that no harmful bacteria, plaque, and tartar stick to your teeth or gums. The dentist would also make sure that you are diagnosed with every gum disease to detect any before it gets too late.

Maintenance of a Healthy Smile

Dental Scaling would help you to keep smiling for a long period of time. It would remove all the causes of tooth decay from your teeth. This process would also make sure that your teeth do not have any bacteria that can eat up your teeth and leave you with a tooth gap smile that does not look attractive to anybody.

Prevention from Bad Breath Problems

If you are a victim of bad breath then regular dental scaling is a must for you. It would ensure that all the bacterias are removed from your mouth which would help you get rid of bad breath problems without taking any additional steps in this regard.

Relief from Gum Bleeding

If you are suffering from the problems of bleeding gums or painful, boggy gum disease teeth cleaning is the first step to root out your bleeding gum issue.

Teeth Cleaning Reduces the Risk of Heart Diseases

Now it has been clearly proven that there is a direct correlation between heart diseases and oral infection. Gum infections, periodontitis, pocketing around teeth and deep dental decay increases the probability of heart attack. Low-grade inflammation such as dental infection increases CRP ( C Reactive Proteins ) in the human body which in turn directly increases the risk of heart attack and other heart diseases.

What to Expect During Dental Scaling and Polishing at Dantkriti Dental Clinic Gurgaon

Although it’s a very common procedure nowadays still many people dread professional dental hygiene procedures. It is easy to understand their anxiety to visit a dentist.

At Dantkriti Dental Clinic in Gurgaon, we understand the apprehension of our patients and try to make them aware of the steps and benefits of the procedure

Here are the Teeth Cleaning Steps we follow at Dantkriti Dental Practice in Gurgaon

A Complete Physical and Oral Examination

Before the actual procedure begins we do ask our patients for their main concern, any medications they are taking or any previous procedure they have gone through. It is mandatory to know if the patient is taking any Blood Thinner medications or has got any pacemaker or any other concerns

During the oral examination we lookout for areas of deposits, gum bleeding, teeth decay, etc.

Dental Scaling Procedure

We use Ultrasonic Scaler and specialized scaler tips we reach out to every surface and gap around teeth to remove even hidden tarter or plaque from teeth and gum. We use only a feather touch or a very light gentle touch to remove the deposits and stains from your teeth without harming natural tooth structure.  Along with mechanical removal, continuous water irrigation is done to form a cavitation effect and makes debris removal more effective. the water is continuously sucked out by a suction machine to keep you comfortable and helps us to finish the procedure without resistance.

For deeper deposits, we apply topical anesthetic gels selectively which only numbs the portion of your gums that too for a few minutes and you do not feel any pain or discomfort even while removing deposits from deeper gum areas.

Common Myths for Dental Scaling / Teeth Cleaning in India

Teeth Cleaning causes Enamel to shed off and weakens the teeth

It is the most common myth that teeth cleaning weakens the teeth but this is absolutely incorrect. Scaling only removes the superficial deposited tarter debris and stains, it doesn’t harm your tooth enamel when done in the recommended way. Minimal pressure is advised (Feather Touch) while scaling procedure.

Sometimes if the teeth are already loosened by the advanced disease it may feel the mobility has increased after scaling and get better in few days. In these cases also it is recommended to get your teeth cleaned and go for reconstructive procedures.

Teeth become Sensitive after Scaling

In cases of progressed gum diseases where bone loss exposes the root surfaces, minor sensitivity is normal after deep teeth scaling as the deposits from the exposed root surfaces are washed off. Teeth sensitivity usually decreases and goes to normal and even better within few days.

After teeth cleaning the minor gum loss regrows to its normal level and covers the tooth root. In case of advanced diseases, further treatment of teeth sensitivity is required

Dental Scaling Increases Gaps Between Teeth

Teeth cleaning does not increase the teeth gaps in fact it removes the dirty harmful deposits which are accumulated in between teeth. The gaps which are formed should be kept clean by daily flossing or using an interdental brush. For closing teeth gaps permanently patients can consult our cosmetic dentist for further treatment of teeth gap closure.

Dental scaling is a painful procedure

Today in this era of modern dentistry none of the dental procedures are painful. Generally, we do not require any kind of anesthesia for superficial and mild subgingival deposits. For deeper deposits, we recommend topical anesthetic gels and sprays to make your teeth cleaning procedure as comfortable as possible.

Are Teeth Cleaning and Teeth Whitening are same

There is a huge difference between teeth cleaning and teeth whitening procedure

Teeth cleaning a therapeutic procedure that is necessary be done to keep your gums and teeth healthy. It removes the external bad deposits and stains. After Dental scaling and polishing the teeth appear whiter due removal of external stains but it does not change the color or shade of the original teeth.

On the contrary, teeth whitening is absolutely a cosmetic dental procedure where the shade of the teeth is changed by bleaching agents such as hydrogen peroxides or carbamide peroxides.

Know more about Teeth Whitening

Cost Of Teeth Cleaning / Dental Scaling & Polishing in Gurgaon India

The cost for Teeth cleaning depends upon several factors such as:

• Quantity and Types of Stains and Deposits
• Number of Visits required
• The extent of Gum loss or Gum Disease
• Age of the Patient
• Any Systemic Disease Patient is Suffering from
• Additional Procedures if required

The Teeth Cleaning Cost in Gurgaon India can range from Rs 800 INR to Rs 2500 INR depending upon the above-mentioned factors

Now if you are sure that Teeth Cleaning / Dental scaling is beneficial for your overall health then you must make sure that you get it done regularly as advised by your dentist.

To Schedule, an appointment for Teeth Cleaning in Gurgaon contact 9773505706, 8920301714

Sources:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=244563517152164

COVID 19 or Coronavirus is a pandemic and currently, the whole world is suffering from this disease. Till now we don’t have any approved and effective medication or vaccine for it.

The whole world is trying to find a cure for the same. Many drugs such as Hydroxychloroquine, Ivermectine, ACQH, Mycobacterium W ( anti-leprosy drug), and Umifenovir are still under clinical trials for COVID 19 treatment.

In India, Glenmark pharmaceutical company launched an antiviral drug Favipiravir pulled under brand name Fabiflu for the treatment of patients with mild to moderate COVID 19 symptoms. Fabiflu is oral favipiravir the first drug to get approved for the treatment of COVID 19.

The company has received the approval from DGCI on 20 July 2020 and will manufacture and market it soon.

Important Features And Information About Fabiflu or Favipiravir

• Favipiravir is used to treat influenza in Japan under the brand name of Abigan or Avigan and was approved in 2014
• Favipiravir is an antiviral agent that selectively and potently inhibits the RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) of RNA viruses. Favipiravir is effective against a wide range of influenza viruses types and subtypes including several resistant strains to existing anti-influenza drugs.
• The antiviral activity of Favipiravir has also been shown against other RNA viruses such as    Vanyaviruses, Arenaviruses, and Filoviruses these unique antiviral profiles will make Favipiravir potentially promising drug for specifically untreatable viral infections such as Coronavirus.
• The clinical trials of Fabiflu have shown improvement of about 88 % in mild to moderate coronavirus patients. In severe cases such as where ventilator support has required the efficacy of the drug is still under question.
• Fabiflu is the first drug to be approved by DGCI for the treatment of COVID 19 infection
• The Favipiravir will be available soon across the country with strict medical supervision and proper prescription.
• Over the counter sale of medicine will not be allowed. Also, the doctors will be needing a patient’s consent before prescribing the drug.
• The Fabiflu will be sold in a pack of 34 tablets with a strength of 200 mg each with a cost of Rs 3500 INR and the cost of 14-day treatment is estimated to around 14000 INR. Each tablet of Fabiflu will cost around Rs 103 INR
• The Favipiravir tablets can be administered to patients age 18 to 75 years.
• Favipiravir has been earlier used in clinical trials in Russia, Japan, and China to treat coronavirus patients and has shown promising results.
• However, the drug favipiravir is not recommended in patients with liver and kidney diseases and pregnant and lactating women
• Favipiravir can be used safely in patients with comorbid conditions such as diabetes and heart disease with mild to moderate COVID 19 symptoms. It results in the rapid reduction in viral loads within 4 days and provides faster symptomatic and radiological improvement.
• Apart from Favipiravir the injectable antiviral drug Remdesivir or COVIFOR has also been part of India’s COVID 19 treatment strategy and is also been approved by DGCI.

Click here for latest updates on COVID 19 in Dentistry

Sources:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28769016/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Favipiravir

Oral cancer or Cancer of mouth and jaws ranks amongst the top three most common cancers in India.

Unfortunately, the Indian population doesn’t know much about it as education regarding the subject is scarce even though awareness about oral health, in general, is gradually rising.

While cancer is certainly a scary word, there is no need to be scared. All we need is good awareness and regular visits to our trusted Oral Surgeon to rule out the risk and to manage the condition at the earliest if the need be.

Oral Cancer Causes

Tobacco chewing, Cigarette smoking, Alcohol consumption

While these three evils certainly are commonly known as agents that put us at risk of oral cancer, we as a society have failed to remove them completely out of the system. Tobacco is still widely used and easily available in the Indian market and surprisingly a lot of educated people fall for the trap. While the habit may seem tough to quit at first, it just needs a strong will power and a little love for your own life to overcome the habit.

Areca nut (supari)

Commonly found in paan and related products is a culprit that very few are aware of. As dental practitioners, we come across numerous cases of areca nut consumption who have developed potentially dangerous conditions in their mouths known as Oral Submucous Fibrosis which leads to an inability in opening mouth. While the conditions are curable in early stages, effort must be made to stop the intake altogether.

Genetic Conditions

Some people may have very good dietary and social habits and still can be susceptible to oral cancer due to their genetic makeup. Some inherited genetic makeup carries a high risk of mouth cancer. Such as Fanconi anemia and  Dyskeratosis Congenita are syndromes that may cause mouth cancer at an early age.

While genetics cannot be changed, there are numerous sophisticated diagnostic techniques available nowadays to identify and nip the problem in its bud.

Persistent Trauma

Cheek bite due to sharp edges of teeth, long-standing infections, ignored cavities, gum disease, painful wisdom teeth, etc can many times lead to risky conditions.

Any infection in the oral cavity is certainly not healthy as that is the gateway for our food to go into our system.

Nutritional Deficiencies

Nutritional Deficiency such as Vitamin A Deficiency & Vitamin B12Deficiency has been noticed to weaken our oral tissues. While evidence of any direct link with cancer is still being investigated, it’s always advisable to have a healthy lifestyle and take care of the nutrient intake in our diet. A bunch of green leafy vegetables, some fruits, and a good intake of healthy fluids daily can go a long way in supplementing our bodies naturally.

Viral Infection

HPV or Human Papilloma Virus is known to cause warts and also known to be directly associated with high-risk factors for mouth cancer.

Oral Cancer Signs and Symptoms

• Ulcers in the mouth which do not heal
• Red and White spots in mouth
• Limitation in mouth opening
• Persistent bleeding from the mouth
• Lump or Swelling in mouth or neck
• Pain in mouth
• Change in voice
• Earaches
• Tingling or altered sensations on lips

Oral Cancer Prevention Tips

In case you identify any red spots, white spots, ulcers, swelling, pigmentation, or any abnormal changes in your mouth, there is no reason to panic. The simplest way to follow is to visit your Oral Surgeon and get a thorough check-up done.

There are so many conditions that can cause these symptoms. Dentists and Oral surgeons come across so many patients scared that they may be suffering from oral cancer if they notice an ulcer inside their mouth.

While it’s sensible to be worried and visit the dentist at the earliest, more often than not, these are common treatable conditions.

The simplest factor to take care of is your routine oral & dental health.

To conclude, we as a society must pledge to dislodge oral cancer from its third rank in our country. Let’s educate ourselves, our families, our friends, and our society and eliminate this evil altogether. A few simple steps will definitely make us emerge as the winner in the battle against oral cancer.