Four common dental problems and how to prevent them

The short answer: cavities, gum disease, bad breath and stained teeth are the four problems we see most often, and they share a few causes. The same small set of habits prevents most of them: fluoride toothpaste twice a day, cleaning between your teeth once a day, keeping sugar to mealtimes, and a check-up and cleaning every six to twelve months.

1. Cavities

Bacteria in plaque turn sugar into acid, and the acid softens enamel. What matters most is how often this happens, not how much sugar you eat at once. Sipping sweet tea through the morning gives the bacteria many more turns than one dessert after lunch.

Prevention: brush with fluoride toothpaste, then spit and do not rinse, so the fluoride stays on the teeth. Keep sweet food and drinks to mealtimes. Children benefit from sealants on their back teeth. A cavity found early is a small repair: tooth-coloured fillings start at ₹1,500 per tooth.

2. Gum disease

It starts as gingivitis: gums that look red and bleed when you brush or floss. At this stage it reverses fully with a professional cleaning and better cleaning between the teeth, usually within a few weeks.

Prevention: floss or use interdental brushes once a day, and have tartar removed at regular cleanings, because a toothbrush cannot remove hardened tartar. Our guide to gum disease explains the stages in more detail.

3. Bad breath

Most lasting bad breath starts in the mouth itself: a coating on the back of the tongue, plaque between the teeth, or inflamed gums. Mints hide it for a few minutes. Cleaning the source fixes it.

Prevention: clean your tongue each morning with a scraper or your brush, clean between your teeth, and drink water through the day. If it continues, a check-up usually finds the cause quickly. Read more in why breath can still smell after brushing.

4. Stained or yellow teeth

Tea, coffee, tobacco and some foods leave surface stains. Teeth also get slightly darker with age as the enamel thins.

Treatment: surface stains often lift with a scale and polish. For colour that goes deeper, whitening works well: a take-home kit costs ₹3,000 to ₹5,000 and in-clinic whitening ₹8,000 to ₹12,000. See the teeth whitening page for how each works.

A daily routine that covers all four

• Brush for two minutes, twice a day, with a soft brush and fluoride toothpaste.
• Clean between your teeth once a day with floss or interdental brushes.
• Keep sweet food and drinks to mealtimes, and drink water in between.
• Replace your toothbrush every three months, or sooner if the bristles splay.
• Have a check-up and professional cleaning every six to twelve months.

Booking a visit

The first visit is a ₹500 consultation. It includes an iTero 3D scan, so you see your own teeth on screen, an explanation of what we find, and a written plan with the exact price. Call Kondapur on +91 7416 644 400 or Vizag on +91 9849 132 388, or book through the Kondapur or Vizag page.