THE JOURNEY IS MY DESTINATION

I completed 32 years of practice on 10th June 2022 and I am excited as never before as I planning to introduce many new modalities in my practice .It’s now time to look back also and reflect on the journey so far.

Right from day one of my practice I have endeavored to introduce the latest treatment modalities that dentistry had to offer in my practice.

It took a lot of time & effort. I had to buy equipment and for that I had to take professional loans from banks.

Many times in my career I had to take professional loans & most of them were prepaid.

Having the requisite equipment was not enough. Many patients were cynical about newer treatment modalities. It took quite some time for patient acceptance especially since the newer treatment modalities seemed expensive.

Over a period of time patients realized that newer treatment modalities involved huge outgoings in terms of consumables, time, staff training, lab charges etc. Thereafter, the treatment modalities to save teeth & implant teeth were accepted by the population.

The latest treatment modalities soon become the standard of the care.

Previously a dentist meant a doctor who just extracts teeth.

Slowly over a period of time it was realized by the population that a dentist was a doctor who saved teeth & implanted teeth.

The journey has been slow, difficult & full of ups & downs. Proper lab support & consumables  are not always available & their prices rise  every fortnight. The staff need to be trained to use the latest equipment. Getting sincere & hardworking staff is a challenge to any business.  At times there are equipment breakdowns. Getting personnel to repair malfunctioning equipment is difficult.  A few pieces of equipment had to be discarded since they could not be repaired.

Some patients also questioned my priorities. They wanted me to invest in clinic ambience. But I think investing in equipment which results in faster & more comfortable dental treatments is a better idea. So my priority is to get latest dental treatment equipments.

But I continue with my battle & journey. My patients  deserve the best and the latest at reasonable professional charges.

The journey is never ending.

But the journey is my destination.

0

What are dental sealants ?

Sealants are kind of a layer applied on the biting surfaces of back teeth to prevent them from decaying.

They are applied just like a nail polish is applied on the nails.

They are especially required now –a-days since the dietary habits are changing. There is  a tremendous increase in the consumption of chocolates etc & this has led to a massive increase in the incidence of cavities in children.

Most of the cavities in children start in the pits and fissures of the biting surface of the back teeth. Therefore, if we seal up the tooth surface before the cavitations starts we can protect the tooth against cavities. When the permanent teeth erupt, a sealant is applied on their biting surfaces. These are known as pit and fissure sealants. They protects the tooth against cavities.

Therefore, sealants must be applied on biting surfaces as soon as the teeth erupt.

It is better to seal, before the decay process starts. In fact, we have a recall system which reminds parents about their appointment for application of sealants and fluorides.

Better to seal up the tooth surface rather than to fill after cavities start.

Fluoride application  & sealants are one of the most successful preventive dentistry techniques.

Pls also see the amateur video on sealants here.

Video Blog

Regards,

Dr. Veerendra Darakh

0

REGULAR CLEANING OF TEETH BY A DENTAL SURGEON IS A MUST

On these blogs I will elaborate my views on a variety of dental care topics

Please do visit www.drdarakh.com regularly .The website will be extensively updated soon and so do keep on visiting the site regularly.

Many more features will be added soon on the site.

Study after study by various institutes across the world have shown that regular cleaning of teeth by a dental surgeon ( scaling of teeth) is a must.

 Therefore, every individual must get his teeth cleaned by a dentist regularly.

This is because even with the best oral hygiene practices of the patient some amount of plaque still remains on the tooth surfaces. This plaque hardens into tartar and causes gum swellings ( gingivitis) .

 Furthermore research now tells us that bad gums contribute to many medical problems like diabetes, cardiac problems etc.

Those patients who have medical problems like diabetes, etc must especially remember and get their teeth cleaned at regular intervals. Pregnant women must also get their teeth cleaned once or twice during pregananncy.

I have always emphasized upon the regular cleaning of teeth, by a dental surgeon right from my initial days of practice since 1990.

Ours is the only practice that has developed a computerized recall and reminder system for the same.

After all, clean teeth means a bright smile and a bright smile means a bright day.

Dr. Veerendra Darakh

0