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I am a 30-year-old female, getting married in May. I’m conscious because my front two teeth are crooked. I do not want braces. Is there any other quick solution?

If you don’t want braces, smile designing is the best option for the correction of crooked teeth. It involves cosmetic procedures like laminates, veneers, composite restoration, etc. If the teeth are very crooked then doing an intentional root canal treatment for the teeth followed by shaping the teeth and crowning them is also one of the treatment options. Before deciding the best treatment option in your case, a thorough clinical examination with photographs is taken and an analysis of your smile is done. Software is used to design your smile.

My daughter is six years old but has not yet got permanent teeth. Her milk teeth are not moving. What should we do?

Permanent teeth erupt after the age of six. In some cases, there is a delayed eruption, which is normal. Suggest you visit your dentist and ask him to take an OPG (X-ray) and he will be able to give you a thorough picture. After seeing the X-ray he would be able to give you an idea about the presence, developmental stage and approximate age of eruption of permanent teeth.

My 80-year-old father is healthy and quite fit and has been wearing dentures since 10 years. He wants to get implants done and wants fixed teeth. What is the procedure?

Implants are the best option for missing teeth. If his bone permits and he doesn’t have any systemic disease he should go in for implants. The procedure is: a thorough evaluation of the patient is done. We record the complete medical history; take X-rays of the area where implant surgery needs to be done. Take a CBCT scan if required. Make a treatment plan, discuss the budget etc. We take written consent and proceed with the surgery. It is a completely planned procedure so the chances of any mistakes or errors are negligible. After administering local anaesthesia, full arch surgery with six implants usually takes 90 to 120 minutes. Similarly, in your father’s case, a thorough evaluation needs to be done. If he is wearing complete dentures and has no natural teeth, we can do an all-on-4 or all-on-6 prosthesis where 12 teeth (crowns) are fixed on the support of either 4 or 6 implants. The same will have to be done in the opposite arch/jaw. This saves money and is a very good option for elderly patients. However, many options are available with implant rehabilitation. A dentist can give you options and a budget only after a thorough evaluation. Cost varies and depends on the brand of dental implant you choose, the type of prosthesis you choose, the skill of the surgeon, the type of clinic where surgery is being done etc. I suggest you go in for European or American implants and get the rehabilitation done by an experienced dentist.

My tooth has been hurting for two days. I am scared to go to the dentist. What medicines should I take at home?

If there is a pain in your tooth, most likely the tooth will have to undergo root canal treatment or will have to be extracted. Suggest you visit a dentist and get an X-ray done. Your dentist will be able to guide you better after reading the X-rays.

I am a 20-year-old female. My front teeth are out. I need a perfect smile but I don’t want braces. What is the option?

There are two options. The first one is the aligners or invisible trays. These cause micro-movements in the teeth and gradually align them over some time. You will have to wear such aligners / invisible trays for a specific duration and follow the proper protocols. The second option is a smile design. This can be done using laminates, veneers, crowns etc. An appropriate treatment plan can be suggested only after you visit a dentist and a thorough evaluation is done.

My daughter is four years old. She has one decayed tooth which we got treated. How do I prevent other teeth from decaying?

Get regular teeth cleaning and polishing done. Make sure your daughter brushes her teeth regularly and with the proper brushing technique. Get fluoride applications done every six months. This will help prevent further decay. Visit a pedodontist (pediatric dentist) and get regular checkups done.

I brush my teeth regularly and rinse my mouth after every meal. Still, I have bad breath. What’s the solution?

Get a thorough scaling and polishing done. Bad breath also occurs if there is plaque and calculus stuck between your teeth. Also, get a gastrointestinal (GI) evaluation done. Bad breath also occurs because of a bad GI tract. Rinse your mouth using a good mouthwash. Visit a dentist if the problem persists.

Which is the best toothpaste to use?

There is no such thing as the best toothpaste. These days there are different kinds of toothpaste for different issues, like sensitive toothpaste, fluoride toothpaste, whitening toothpaste etc. You can buy one depending on your need. I do not promote any particular brand.