The Singing Dentist AKA Dr Milad Shadrooh
The Singing Dentist AKA Dr Milad Shadrooh is a social media sensation as well as a successful dental professional. Here are his words of wisdom on all things oral health.
Why is good oral hygiene important for overall health?
We all know to do things to keep our heart, lungs and organs healthy, but we often neglect the mouth! I consider the mouth as another organ which must be looked after. It is a complex structure containing, hard and soft tissues, muscles, bone, blood vessels, nerves… yet, people pay more money to make their hair look nice!
Not looking after your mouth can have impacts on our health. There are many links now with oral health and other systemic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, even dementia! Not being able to smile or lacking confidence in your dental appearance can be debilitating for many people and I have seen first-hand the effects of having a healthy mouth.
What are your best tips for at home oral care?
- Brush twice a day with a quality toothbrush and a fluoride toothpaste. Last thing at night is key, removing the plaque and food debris that has build up. You must also clean inbetween the teeth, either use floss or interdental brushes, you must do something daily!
- Reduce your sugar consumption. Tooth decay is preventable, reducing how often you eat and drink sugary things, improves the chances of not decaying your teeth!
What are the risks of DIY whitening?
It’s important to understand that to do teeth whitening properly means to see a dental professional. Tooth whitening can only safely and legally be offered by registered dental professionals regardless of the products used. DIY teeth whitening has 3 major issues.
One, you may not be ready for teeth whitening! Having a proper assessment of the teeth to see if they are healthy and free from tooth decay or gum disease is key! You may have existing fillings or even some discolouration of the teeth that need to be assessed.
Two, using products that just don’t work. Over the counter whitening solutions in the UK only contain 0.1% hydrogen peroxide, which is too low a concentration to have any noticeable whitening effect. It may be able to reduce some surface staining, but it will never make your teeth whiter than the natural colour.
Lastly, which is the most serious, is using products that aren’t safe and can cause long-lasting damage to your teeth and gums. Seeing non-dental practitioners or buying stuff from the internet means you could end up having something placed in your mouth that is not fit for purpose and the consequences can be very serious.
So, in conclusion, please see your dentist and talk through all of your options before considering teeth whitening.
