Dental Health

Dental health is one of the most neglected parts of Indian preventive care. Over half of adults have untreated tooth decay, and gum disease is even more common. Two simple habits — twice-daily brushing with fluoride toothpaste + daily cleaning between the teeth — prevent most of it, and the main India-specific harm comes from chewing tobacco and gutkha.

Daily essentials

• Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste — morning and before bed. The night brush matters more (saliva flow drops at night).
• Clean between the teeth daily — dental floss or an interdental brush for most adults. Toothpicks alone miss the important surfaces.
• Spit, don't rinse, after brushing — leaves a protective layer of fluoride.
• Replace brush every 3 months or when bristles fray.
• Soft or medium brush — hard brushing damages gums and enamel.

Diet matters

• Sugar frequency matters more than amount — constant sipping of sweet tea, juice, or soft drinks is worse than one dessert.
• Finish sweet foods within a sitting; rinse with water afterwards.
• Sticky sweets (chocolate, toffees, mithai, raisins) cling to teeth — brush after.
• Limit aerated drinks, fruit juice, flavoured "sports" drinks.
• Drink fluoridated/treated water. In very high-fluoride areas (parts of Rajasthan, Andhra, Telangana, Karnataka, Gujarat, Punjab), too much fluoride can cause dental fluorosis — use treated or low-fluoride water.

Tobacco — the biggest single harm

• Gutkha, pan masala, khaini, mawa, zarda, bidi, and cigarettes are the leading causes of oral cancer, leukoplakia, submucous fibrosis, and severe gum disease. India has the world's highest oral cancer burden, largely driven by these products.
• Quitting halves the risk within a few years. See Smokeless Tobacco and Quitting Smoking.
• Submucous fibrosis — stiffening of cheek and jaw — needs treatment early; delay makes it irreversible.

Regular check-ups

• Dental check every 6–12 months — early cavities and gum disease are painless, so problems are missed without exams.
• X-rays as the dentist advises — cheap way to find hidden decay between teeth and under old fillings.
• Children — first visit by the first birthday or within 6 months of first tooth; fluoride varnish and fissure sealants are evidence-based preventive options at affordable costs.
• Diabetes — gum disease is worse and harder to control; dentist every 6 months.

When to see a dentist urgently

• Severe tooth pain, facial swelling, fever — dental abscess.
• Knocked-out permanent tooth — pick up by crown (not root), rinse gently, put back in socket if possible or transport in milk, see a dentist within 30 minutes.
• Unhealed mouth ulcer for > 3 weeks, red or white patch, lump, loose tooth in a smoker/tobacco chewer — screen for oral cancer.
• Bleeding that won't stop from a tooth socket after extraction.