[Eddy]

Sunny, I think that happened bc'oz you have been avoiding team bhp meets and the liquids that typically come with them

Sorry dada. Please continue.

[simply_sunny001]

Originally Posted by Eddy

Sunny, I think that happened bc'oz you have been avoiding team bhp meets and the liquids that typically come with them

Sorry dada. Please continue.

good one eddy, you dont miss a chance
i am just out of NCR these days and hopefully see you guys when i visit in October and i terribly miss T-BHP meets.

but now very much worried after this thread and waiting for these docs to come and comment.

lets hope for best.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by bottle

Any thoughts on popular mouth wash products like Listerine causing cancer ?

Bottle asking about mouthwashes? Uh... I find that funny! My apologies, bottle, never mind...

Now about mouthwashes. In general, the over-the-counter (OTC) mouthwashes contain a fair amount of alcohol and mint, to produce the fresh feeling we look for. From the viewpoint of oral cancer, alcohol tends to break down the resistance of the oral tissues against the penetration of the carcinogenic chemicals in tobacco etc. Mint has also been shown to frequently cause a long-standing allergic/immune reaction, leading to conditions like lichenoid tissue reaction.

That said, water-based mouthwashes containing a drug called chlorhexidine are good to prevent the build-up of plaque & tartar. This would be Dr. Tejas's (tejas@perioimpl) area of specialization, and may I request him to comment on the efficacy and safety aspects of chlorhexidine...

Originally Posted by simply_sunny001

i checked my mouth and teeth well and everything seems OK.
but under my tongue there are 2 grey marks and it seems there is some problem.
or shall i go see my the dentist straightaway ?

I would suggest you do that ASAP. It could be something as normal and innocuous as the ducts of your salivary glands, or it could be something that needs attention. BTW, do you have any habits like chewing/smoking tobacco etc.?

Originally Posted by Eddy

Sunny, I think that happened bc'oz you have been avoiding team bhp meets and the liquids that typically come with them

Sorry dada. Please continue.

Oh... team-bhp meets come in liquid form? I hope it's only mouthwash... because infractions would be imminent otherwise!

[bblost]

Couple of question brushing.

How much time should we spend brushing teeth?
What is more important, toothbrush or toothpaste?
I think of toothpaste as I think of motor oil. Saves erosion by lessening the friction of the brush?
How should we choose a brush, soft or medium or hard.?
Which is the better one, gel or paste (toothpastes)?
Is it very important we brush after every mean?
Does cracking walnuts, bones etc cause any issues.

Thanks in advance.

[SS-Traveller]

Well, brushing your teeth, as well as other activities like flossing, using mouthwashes etc. comprise what would together be called oral hygiene maintenance procedures. I think your queries would be best answered by co-bhpian Dr. Tejas again, and he should be along presently with the answers.

I think of toothpaste as I think of motor oil.

BTW, the chief constituents of toothpaste are a special soap and a superfine abrasive. You really don't want the stuff in an engine, unless the car belongs to a sworn enemy of yours!

[simply_sunny001]

thanks doc

i will go to dentist ASAP.

and yes, i do smoke and i am sure it should be the reason.

[Tejas@perioimpl]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

That said, water-based mouthwashes containing a drug called chlorhexidine are good to prevent the build-up of plaque & tartar. This would be Dr. Tejas's (tejas@perioimpl) area of specialization, and may I request him to comment on the efficacy and safety aspects of chlorhexidine...

There are basically two types of mouthwashes. Phenol based and chlorhexidine based.
Phenol ones are Listerine and are basically used as a mouth-freshener and to prevent dental caries. These can be used immediately after toothbrushing.

Chlorhexidine (CHX) ones are a better option since they fight caries (cavities) and gum disease. Eg. Chlorhex, Hexidine, Periogard, etc
the disadvantage of these is that they don't have a very pleasing taste and some people complain of a metallic taste on prolonged usage. Also they tend to stain the teeth very lightly and the teeth require scaling (cleaning) by a dentist every 4-5months. Some people also complain of a burning sensation during first time usage but get used to it.
Also, these mouthwashes have a definite protocol to be followed or else they will not act.
Chlorhexidine based mouthwashes have to be used atleast 1 hour after brushing minimum. Take 10ml undiluted or 20ml undiluted if using Colgate Periogard and swish for thirty seconds and then spit. Do not rinse or drink water for thirty minutes after that. Only then will it act. If these directions are not followed, then it will not work.
If anyone wants to know the technicalities of why this protocol is to be followed, then ask me, otherwise let me keep it plain and simple.

99% of all mouthwashes contain a very little quantity of alcohol as a solvent base. This will not have any effect on you nor will it show on any alcohol detector even if you drink bottles of it. These mouthwashes are not to be used in patients who are on cancer radiotherapy or have an absolute medical contraindication to alcohol.

Originally Posted by bblost

Couple of question brushing.

How much time should we spend brushing teeth?
What is more important, toothbrush or toothpaste?
I think of toothpaste as I think of motor oil. Saves erosion by lessening the friction of the brush?
How should we choose a brush, soft or medium or hard.?
Which is the better one, gel or paste (toothpastes)?
Is it very important we brush after every mean?
Does cracking walnuts, bones etc cause any issues.

Thanks in advance.

Divide your mouth into 4 quadrants - upper left and right and lower left and right. Spend thirty seconds brushing each quadrant. 10 seconds for the tongue side of the teeth, 10 seconds for the cheek side and 10 seconds for the biting surface.
So total 2 minutes.

Both toothbrush and paste are important. they work in tandem. You need the brake disc and pad to stop the car. Either will not do.
Toothpastes do not act as lubricants. They contain a mild abrasive and soap to clean the teeth and reach areas that the brush cannot. They also have flavoring agents and certain medications which are antibacterial.

Always use a soft brush. Ideal would be a soft baby brush. It's not the force with which you brush that's important, it's the manner in which you do it.
A hard brush will wear your teeth and cause sensitivity.

Either gel or paste is fine. If you have a very high sensitivity to cold stuff, avoid gels as they are more abrasive than paste. Yes, no typo here, gels are more abrasive.

Ideally yes, brush after every meal or atleast rinse thoroughly.

Leave cracking nuts to a nut cracking plier. Your teeth are not meant for that.
Excessive forces will lead to notches on your teeth and may lead to fracturing them. Once a tooth is fractured, very often a rooth canal and crown also will not be able to save it and it would need to be extracted. A study has shown that people eating betel nut (supari) daily for 10 years or more have a 90% chance of fracturing their teeth compared to others. This is due to constant build-up of stresses in the teeth.

[bblost]

Thank you Doctor.

Reproduced here is an email I sent to an online group in Nov 2007

This was after my first dental checkup in 12 years

Subject: Your last dental checkup

If you reach here before you can remember, IT IS OVERDUE!

Recently, I had to accompany my wife to the dentist's. My teeth don't hurt, my gums are not swollen and I can chew a bone to dust. Feeling rather good about myself, I opened my mouth to a dentist. She came; she saw and thankfully did not laugh.

Eight cavities were found hidden behind tiny specks of black in my teeth.

Two of the cavities were just a whisker away from requiring root canal treatment. If only I had gone to the dentist earlier, so much pain and anguish could have been avoided.

Some facts about tooth decay:
Decay sets in slow, but can accelerate real fast.
Take your time and brush your teeth well, at least once a day.
Once in a while, ask someone to look at your teeth as soon as you have brushed them.
Avoid eating either very hot or very cold food.
Pain is nature's way of telling you something is wrong, take care.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by bblost

Pain is nature's way of telling you something is wrong, take care.

Sometimes there's something grossly wrong, and nature doesn't give a feedback with pain. Here's a photograph from my records, of a 51YO male, who reported to another dentist with a mobile tooth in the upper jaw, and NO PAIN! He was referred back to me because the dentist thought the black colouration looked "odd".



Any guesses as to what this is?

[prince_pervez]

The dreaded 'C' word is it?

[prince_pervez]

Hey Doc! I have 3 freaking mouth ulcers. What are the causes for mouth ulcers ?
I know a few, are these the ones?
1) sleep deficiency
2) water deficiency in the body
3) Not regular to the toilets.

Are these even true? If not what are the correct ones ?
What are the ways to avoid them and to treat them fast, real fast.
I read somewhere, using listerine treats them faster. Is this correct?

[Tejas@perioimpl]

Originally Posted by prince_pervez

Hey Doc! I have 3 freaking mouth ulcers. What are the causes for mouth ulcers ?
I know a few, are these the ones?
1) sleep deficiency
2) water deficiency in the body
3) Not regular to the toilets.

Are these even true? If not what are the correct ones ?
What are the ways to avoid them and to treat them fast, real fast.
I read somewhere, using listerine treats them faster. Is this correct?

too many causes. see links below:
Canker sores (aphthous ulcers): What are they? What causes these mouth ulcers? Risk factors.

Aphthous Mouth Ulcers

i'll post in detail later.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by prince_pervez

Hey Doc! I have 3 freaking mouth ulcers. What are the causes for mouth ulcers ?
I know a few, are these the ones?
1) sleep deficiency
2) water deficiency in the body
3) Not regular to the toilets.

Are these even true? If not what are the correct ones ?
What are the ways to avoid them and to treat them fast, real fast.
I read somewhere, using listerine treats them faster. Is this correct?

Originally Posted by Tejas@perioimpl

too many causes. see links below:
Canker sores (aphthous ulcers): What are they? What causes these mouth ulcers? Risk factors.

Aphthous Mouth Ulcers

i'll post in detail later.

If, as Tejas says, those really are aphthous ulcers, they'll heal on their own in 7 - 10 days. WHere are they located? Do they look like this - i.e. a whitish central part and a red halo around it?



And have you had these ulcers earlier too, and they subsequently healed up in a few days? Then they are most likely to be recurrent aphthous ulcers (RAU). Otherwise they could also have been caused by some form of trauma, or even an allergic/lichenoid reaction.

You only need to worry about ulcers being bad if they don't heal up in a maximum of 2 weeks.

[vivekiny2k]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Any guesses as to what this is?

necrosis of the gum?

[clevermax]

Can frequently occurring mouth ulcers be a risk factor?