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For teeth, fashion is not a healthy affair

Dental experts have said that youngsters are increasingly opting for temporary teeth braces as fashion statements which is becoming a cause for poor dental hygiene and consequently, tooth decay.

They say the trend that is being emulated by teenagers and youth in their late 20s has led to rise in a less common form of tooth decay - adult rampant caries. Wire braces are held in place with rubber for fashion, holding six upper and lower teeth, and are changed often to either match the dress or even mobile phones.

“We have usually heard of nursing bottle caries, early childhood caries, but adult rampant caries is becoming increasingly common especially among the youth in rural areas,” said Dr Gaurav Jain, dental surgeon, Alfahras Polyclinic located on the UAE and Oman border.

“Youngsters are unable to maintain dental hygiene due to these braces and this is leading to rampant caries or carious lesions on more than seven to eight teeth at a time,” said the dentist who claims that nearly 50 per cent of his patients are suffering from the condition. Generally adult caries is associated with multiple lesions on posterior teeth or molars and premolars, but sometimes front teeth are also involved, he said. “Occasionally, the condition is so terrible that patients are left with only root pieces in posterior region of oral cavity.”

He also said that extraction was now a common practice among dentists instead of performing procedures such as root canal that could save the teeth.

“We should shift our focus and deploy more human resources in rural areas where oral hygiene is mostly neglected due to low public awareness,” said Dr Aisha Sultan, Head of Dubai Dental Services and Northern Emirates Services, Ministry of Health, who has been associated with the ministry for the past 30 years. According to the ministry’s statistics for 2003, children in Fujairah had the highest number of periodontal disease while those in Ajman had the lowest incidence. She also said that orthodontists were carrying out such practices to earn quick money. “Encouraging youngsters to use braces when they don’t require it is unethical,” she said.

According to Dr Jain, oral hygiene should be taught to children from a very young age.

“Children should be encouraged to brush thoroughly and especially at night,” he said.

Eating fruits and vegetables in the raw form can have a flushing action on teeth. Foodstuff containing sugar and between-meals snacks should be avoided while carbonated drinks should be restricted.

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE