Oral Health Day: Expert insights on maintaining a healthy smile

As the world commemorates Oral Health Day today on March 20th, The Express Tribune broadcasted an insightful podcast focusing on this year's theme, 'A Happy Mouth is a Happy Body', in collaboration with Sensodyne and Paradontax. Hosted by Ayesha Abrar, the podcast featured an in-depth discussion with Dr. Najeeb Saad, a prosthodontist, who shared his expert advice on oral hygiene and dental care.

The conversation opened with the significance of oral health on our overall well-being. Dr. Saad stressed that regular brushing, proper oral care, and dental checkups are crucial in maintaining good oral health. "Oral hygiene is paramount, and people don't realize this; if you take care of your teeth, then the majority of your dental problems will never happen," he said, adding that neglecting oral hygiene can lead to decay of teeth and gums as well as cause bacterial accumulation in the mouth, which can spread to other parts of the body, and in some cases, even damage heart health.

On a question related to the sensitivity of gums and the teeth, Dr. Saad explained that the problem starts with the erosion of the enamel, the outermost layer of the teeth. Enamel erosion leads to sensitivity when nerve endings are exposed. He recommended using toothpastes like Sensodyne, which have adequate amounts of fluoride and potassium nitrate, which can block nerve endings that cause sensitivity.

Asked why scaling of teeth increases sensitivity as reported by a few people, Dr. Saad explained that the procedure is needed when there is already a particularly high level of debris in the teeth and the patient already faces the problem of bleeding gums. However, it can be easily handled with toothpaste like Paradontax, he said.

Dr. Saad advocates that the fluoride level of toothpaste used by children should be low because of their poor manual dexterity and control and frequent ingestion of the toothpaste. For this, products like Sensodyn Pronamel come in really handy, he said. He also advocated for the fissure sealing procedure to prevent cavities and tooth decay in children up to 12 years of age.

Host Ayesha Abrar also took Dr. Saad's views on various bad habits risking oral health, especially smoking and consumption of pan and gutka, to which Dr. Saad advised 'an absolute no' and urged the government to impose a ban on such materials.

Among other takeaways, Dr. Saad advises the use of a soft toothbrush so that gums do not get abrasions. The toothbrush with smaller mouths is preferable, which can reach to the farthest teeth, which are often ignored while brushing.

The impact of fasting on oral health during Ramadan was also discussed. Dr. Saad said that dry mouth and dietary changes can affect oral hygiene. People must avoid sugary, fatty foods to mitigate oral health issues during fasting, he advised.

Expressing views on other bad habits, Dr. Saad denounced the use of teeth for purposes other than eating and chewing. "Teeth are not for opening bottles or cracking walnuts," he said, while also condemning the problem of nail-biting, which in addition to indicating anxiety, also risks dental health.