Urban India too lazy to brush at night
50 per cent children suffer from cavities as they eat many chocolates and they do not brush before going to sleep.
Hyderabad: About 70 per cent of the population in urban India does not care to brush at night owing to sheer laziness or ignorance. This is what the dentists claimed at the 67th Indian Dental Conference in Hitex.
Dr Ashok Dhoble, general secretary of Indian Dental Association, said, “At least 50 per cent children suffer from cavities as they eat many chocolates. And, they do not brush before going to sleep. They grow up without developing the habit of night-brushing resulting in further damage of their teeth. We find a lot of cases where the damage is permanent but it could have been prevented.”
Once a cavity is formed, filling is required. In serious cases root canal treatment becomes necessary.
As a precaution, doctors advise to reduce intake of chocolates to once in a week. Prof. Raman Bedi, who is promoting an alliance for cavity free future, said, “Prevention of cavities only requires a simple exercise and discipline of brushing your teeth at night. It should be a constant and continuous effort by the parents to inculcate the habit in the child. Brushing at night is very important as it removes food grains stuck in between the teeth. To instill the habit, the parents too should make it a regular practice.”
Studies have revealed that at least regular brushing at night can reduce 40 per cent damage. But dentists claim that it is not just their responsibility to create awareness. A concentrated effort by the society in the form of counselling by school teachers, non-government organisations and also public health workers will help reach out to more people and educate them to practise night-brushing.