Priya arangan adiyar,
Many important areas of dental care were discussed, which are listed here :
How to massage the gums?
What kind of brush to use?
It was pointed out by the doctor that the amount of paste used should not exceed the size of a normal peanut. She preferred herbal toothpastes over others.
A child asked if hand can be used to brush teeth. The reply was an emphatic NO.
Brush to be changed every month. This will be a shock to most of us who treat brushes as pieces of live relics.
The ritual of brushing teeth (sans toothpaste) after eating anything sticky is a must to avoid inroads of organisms.
Following it up with water gargling goes without saying.
Gargling with water is to be done after eating anything.
The functioning of the tooth and the gums was beautifully explained. How a tooth falls prey to notorious organisms leading to decay and the means to restore it back to its good self were explained. The look on the children’s face was such that they were game to wage a war with the organisms with whatever equipment they held in their hands.
The dentist was extremely pleased with the response of the children. She was in for a surprise when a child asked to explain how a root canal treatment is done. Each child had his own doubts of tooth and its care. And the dentist was inundated with rapid questions. And a few children decided to exhibit their learning to the doctor.