It is recommended that you should have regular dental check ups at six month intervals from the time that your first tooth makes it appearance. This advice is often ignored with only a small percentage of people making the bi-annual trip, whether as adults or taking their children. Most of us wait until we actually have a problem such as toothache or sore gums before we decide that we absolutely must seek help. By this time the problem has usually escalated to the point that any treatment, whether minor or major will probably be painful to a degree, hence further reinforcing the idea that dental visits are something to be dreaded.

Research and surveys show how important it is to look after your mouth and all the different aspects of oral hygiene, ranging from the correct way of brushing your teeth and flossing, to the relevance of certain foods and drinks in your diet. Apart from cosmetic reasons a poorly maintained oral hygiene routine can affect your general health also since bacteria in the mouth will be transferred to your stomach and this in turn can lead to a variety of diseases. It has also been proven that having nice teeth and fresh breath does wonders for self-confidence and this makes a person feel happier and more attractive.

Good oral hygiene starts in childhood and I still remember that when our first child got her first tooth, I brought the cutest little thing for teeth brushing. It was a tiny little brush that you put on your finger and brushed the child’s tooth with, before they are old enough to hold a toothbrush for themselves. You must remember that children will still need help with brushing their teeth properly even when they are in school. You need to teach them the correct way to brush and floss and ensure that they understand how important it is to make these habits an important part of their daily routine.

Dentists who graduate on a dental scholarship or school for dentistry are always at an advantage since just the cache attached to them will ensure higher chances of a successful practice. There are some wonderful dentists out there and to be honest they are usually very nice people, in fact I know a few who are dedicated to their craft and always try their best, and although it is not their fault that I have memories of searing pain and blood loss, associated with a childhood visit to have a routine filling, I cannot get over the fear that each visit will be painful and that the pain will be long lasting.

My dentist is well qualified, having graduated from a top school of dental medicine and hygiene, in fact one of the topdental schoolsin the country, and I have confidence in his skills. However this does not make it any easier to get up the courage to book an appointment for a check up.

_ Teeth are among the most distinctive (and long-lasting) features of mammal species. Paleontologists use teeth to identify fossil species and determine their relationships. The shape of the animal’s teeth is related to its diet. For example, plant matter is hard to digest, so herbivores have many molars for chewing and grinding. Carnivores, on the other hand, need canines to kill and slay prey and to tear meat.Dental school education is getting much expressive feedback now days.

 

There are a number of first professional degrees in dentistry offered in various countries around the world. These include the following: Doctor of Dental Surgery, Doctor of Dental Medicine DMD,Bachelor of Dentistry BDent,Bachelor of Dental Surgery BDS or BChD or BDentS,Bachelor of Dental Science BDSc or BDentSc, Bachelor of Dental Medicine BDM,Licentiate of Dental SurgeryLDS, Graduate Diploma in Dentistry Grad Dip Dent, Master of Dentistry MDent,Master of Stomatology MStomat,Master of Dental Surgery MDS,Doctor of Dentistry DD, Cirujano Dentista CD, Candidate of Odontology,Doctor of Medical Dentistry. Different types of dental scholarships also offer to the students of dentistry. Like Merit-based, Need-based, Student-specific, Career-specific and College-specific. Dentistry is the division of medicine that is complex in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment and action of all their diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered necessary for complete overall health. Doctors who practice dentistry are known as dentists. The dentist's supporting team, which includes dental assistants, dental hygienists, dental technicians, and dental therapists aids in providing oral health services.

 

Studies showed that dentists graduated from different countries, or even from different school of dental in one country, may have different clinical decisions for the same clinical condition. For example, graduates of school for dentistry from Israeli may recommend more often for the removal of asymptomatic impacted third molar wisdom teeth than dentists graduated from Latin American or Eastern European. The specialties, The American Dental Association recognize nine dental specialties: Public health dentistry, Endodontics, Oral and maxillofacial pathology, Oral and maxillofacial radiology, Oral and maxillofacial surgery, Orthodontics, Pediatric dentistry, Periodontics, Prosthodontics, and General dentistry. There are other dental niches such as Oral medicine, Dental aesthetics, Dental implantation, and Orofacial pain and temporomandibular disorders, some of them are recognized as dental specialties in other countries. They also offer dentalscholarshipsinmedical college. There is no specialty recognized by the ADA for dental implants. Implant surgery may be performed as an outpatient under general anesthesia, oral conscious sedation, nitrous oxide sedation, intravenous sedation or under local anesthesia by trained, skilled and certified clinicians including general dentists, endodontists, oral surgeons, periodontists, and prosthodontists. A dental implant is a "root" device, usually made of titanium, used in dentistry to support restorations that resemble a tooth or group of teeth to replace missing or lost teeth. Dental implants can be used to support a number of dental prostheses, including crowns, implant-supported bridges or dentures.

_ I was talking to an old friend yesterday and we started to talk about memorable scenes from old films. My friend is a dentist and has visited School of Dentalaround the country, giving lectures and talks on the importance of oral hygiene. He actually graduated from an old established school of dental medicine and graduated on one of the two full dental scholarships which were offered at that time. He now teaches at a local School for Dentistry as well as at a Medical College. He was telling me about the scene which he remembers the most as it is related to his line of work.

He said that he had seen the film “Marathon Man” when he was still quite young and that he would never forget the scene in which Dustin Hoffman is tortured by with a dental drill. He says that he has watched the movie again since but the still cannot remember much about it apart from that one scene. He also says that he has always remembered the way that clove oil has the power to soothe dental pain and has since used it himself.

This got us on to the subject of teeth in other films and the classic “Jaws” both the original film with the shark and the James Bond movie with the metal mouthed villain. Now I have never seen the attraction of “Jaws” but will admit that it is a hundred times better than the subsequent sequels and spin-offs that it generated, especially the one where the shark follows the family to a different city and they say that “this time it is personal”! As you can guess, I gave up half way and didn’t even try to see any of the others.

There are so many great movies around and so many scenes that are memorable for one reason or another. Some have special memories attached to them, like whom you were with when you watched it, and others bring back the feelings that you felt in your childhood. Some scenes can transport you instantly to the place you were when you first watched that movie and some can still make you laugh or cry even thirty years down the road.

There are those scenes which have become famous for some reason, either because of notoriety or infamy or because it is so funny and good that it has been accepted as a classic. Then there are those scenes from movies which we are not allowed to forget due to the media churning them out with regularity or the ones that have been parodied and so we manage to always think both of the parody and the original scene. I find the best ones for me are those that bring back happy memories and have some kind of a positive link to my past, either to my childhood, to my schooldays, to my college and university days or the early days of courtship.

_ While I have never been one for fanciful thoughts and wasting time on analysing things as elusive as dreams, I found myself doing just that last month. Ever since I was a child, I remember having very vivid dreams and would often up convinced that they were not dreams but had actually happened to me in real life.To this day I can remember certain dreams and still in clear detail. I can recall features and conversations and also how I had felt at the time. This is fine for the pleasant dreams but somehow does not hold the same appeal when I recall some of the unpleasant dreams and even nightmares that I also used to have.

In all these years I have never attached much importance to these dreams but then six months ago I started to have the same dream a couple of times in the week and eventually I decided that I need to talk to someone as the dreams became more frequent. The dream itself was quite mild and innocuous but the feelings that were left in my mind disturbed me. I kept on dreaming that no matter what the situation or setting, as I was talking, all my teeth fell out! This caused me no pain in the dream but on waking I could feel that I was firstly relieved that I had all my teeth, and secondly I remembered the feeling of panic and anxiety I experienced in the dream.

Thinking that my dream may be rooted in some type of dental problem, I mentioned it to my dentist on my next visit for a regular check-up. He is an intelligent man as well as being an excellent dentist who was not only offered two full dental scholarships to two of the bestschool for dentistry, but also gives talks at dental schools around the country. He is in the process of opening his own school of dental hygiene and his son has just entered his medical college admissions form, with every chance of being accepted at any medical college he chooses. After giving me the all clear on my teeth he discussed the dream with me and came up with an interesting theory.

He told me that dreaming of losing all your teeth was quite a common theme with a lot of people and that the main explanation for this was that it represented a fear of losing control. He said that the feeling of helplessness was caused by the inability to affect some part of your life and that this dream was especially prevalent during times of stress or emotional upheaval. This could be personal such as divorce or relationship problems with a family member, or work related tension which was building up and needed to be released. To my relief, he said the dreams should fade away once the root cause has been found and you have gained control of your emotions and the situation once again.

_ Something which I noticed a while back was the way that a lot of the foods which we all know are bad for us; all begin with the letter “c”. Think about it and you will see what I mean-pun unintended. We have things like cake, coke, cream, chips, cheese, crisps, coffeeand of course chocolate. Maybe if I had the time, I could invent a new diet to join all the weird and unhealthy ones already around, and call it “the C- diet!” If someone reading this decides to go ahead and actually come up with something along these lines, I would be amused and interested in knowing about it.

Being the daughter of a dentist, I have full sympathy for the character of Willy Wonkain the remake of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Johnny Depp’s father is a dentist and obsessed with ensuring that his son has perfect teeth and gums and monitors all his eating and brushing habits, to the extent that when his son finally eats chocolate he becomes obsessed with it. This is the basis behind a lot of dietary advice, that you should not starve or deny yourself small treats.

As someone who has taught in medical college and himself graduated from one of the best schools of dental where he studied in school for dentistry one of two prized dental scholarships, my father is certainly qualified to lecture on oral hygiene and healthy eating habits. Basically, healthy eating habits need to be taught to children when they are still very young and then hopefully these habits will become the norm for them as adults. The first important thing is to set a good example by eating healthily yourself and having a good oral hygiene routine.   

Children will copy the adults and look to them for guidance, so do not keep a lot of unhealthy foods in the house. Also do not go shopping on an empty stomach as you will be more likely to splurge out on junk food and quick processed treats from the bakery section. Make sure that you and your family realise the importance of drinking plenty of water throughout the day as this will stop dehydration as well as keeping you alert, keeping your skin clear and your body functioning properly.

Never skip breakfast and make it your heaviest meal of the day. For snacks, reach for fruit and nuts as opposed to chocolate and biscuits. Avoid too much caffeine and fizzy drinks which are full of sugar and chemicals. Limit the amount of sugar in your diet, in all its forms, and try to avoid too much red meat. Have plenty of fish, vegetables and dairy products like milk, yoghurt and cottage cheese.

Looking after your diet will hopefully lead to a healthy body, mind and teeth. You also need to establish a good oral hygiene routine with brushing morning and night and flossing regularly. Don’t forget the six-monthly routine of dental check ups.