DHA discusses importance of oral hygiene through Twitter clinic.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, June 26, 2014: The Dubai Health Authority(DHA)  recently hosted its live twitter forum to raise importance about the importance of oral hygiene.

The live Q and A forum which took place from 10a.m. to noon today and provided the community with an opportunity to raise their queries about the oral health.

Dr Shamma Al Ali, consultant at the DHA dental services department, said: “ Prevention of caries and gum disease through regular oral hygiene habits is essential, however, often we see that many patients visit us when the tooth is severely decayed and cannot be restored unless replaced. This complicates a simple caries case into a more complex procedure, which greatly increases the risk of injections. Therefore, the aim is to raise awareness that people should visit a dentist or a hygienist every six months to detect any caries or oral problems at early stages as well as to clean plaque built up to maintain a proper oral hygiene.

“ The second most common problem after caries is gum disease which is caused due to poor oral hygiene and bacteria build up. According to the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP), diabetics are more likely to develop periodontal disease. This could potentially result from a diabetic's vulnerability to infections, says the organization. Additionally, severe gum disease can make blood sugar levels rise, causing further diabetic complications. Therefore, while oral hygiene is important for all people, for diabetics it is critical.”

In terms of oral hygiene for children, she said, “After the child gets the first tooth,  parents should ensure the child is seen by a pedodontist every six months henceforth. Sometimes, parents feel that children can consume sugary treats because the milk teeth will fall and be replaced with permanent teeth, but this is an absolute misconception.  Excessive consumption of sugary-foods and poor oral hygiene causes early premature loss of teeth in children  due to caries and this also leads to delay the eruption of permanent teeth and when the permanent teeth begin to erupt it may not be aligned. If that is the case, the child will need to go through  orthodontic treatment which could have been avoided through proper hygiene and eating habits.”

She also added that often children will not complain of tooth ache until the tooth  has completely decayed. “ It’s important to ask children to brush their teeth after consuming chocolates or sugary foods but if they are outside the house and that’s not convenience, they should at least rinse their mouth.”
She added that wearing a properly fitted mouth guard while participating in organized sports or playground activities is important to protect your child’s teeth  “Dental emergencies can happen anytime but the chances are higher when kids begin to go to school. Knowing how to deal with dental trauma is important. Loss of tooth is  a common cause of dental trauma. If your child’s permanent tooth gets knocked out, place the tooth in milk or water or back in the socket if possible and go to the dentist immediately. The  permanent tooth should be preserved and taken along to the dentist for possible replacement.”
She said, 52,800 patients( including new and follow-up patients) visited the DHA dental centres in 2013.