2.  Together with cheeks, tongue and palate, the
teeth form the first and important part of the
digestive system.
 They help to breakdown food substances into
small particles which are easily swallowed and
then acted upon by digestive enzymes to the
form which can be absorbed by the body for
energy, growth and repair.

3.  Loss of teeth through extractions can
seriously affect our general health.
 Further more; teeth help us in speech
(articulation) and facial appearance.
 Imagine a person missing the anterior
teeth required to address a public! If you
have not experienced it, do not play for
it.

4.  Important to note, artificial teeth cost
more than treating the natural teeth, at
the same time they can not exactly
replace the missing natural teeth.
 However, always something is better
than nothing, if your have lost your
teeth, artificial teeth is the remaining best
option for you.

5.  Interestingly,
almost all disease
conditions affecting the teeth are
preventable and curable, but yet still
dental problems remain one of the most
common diseases affecting mankind.
 The physical and economical impact on
the individual as well as the nation can
not be over emphasized.

6.  However, this area of health has not
received the attention it deserves both
from individuals and organizations.
 Theresult is that the age old trend
whereby the public visit the dentist when
they are in pain or apparent dental
problems and ending up in extractions
continues unabated.

7.  Allstudies so far indicate that, dental caries (tooth
decay) and periodontal (gum) diseases are the most
prevalent conditions affecting the teeth and thus the
leading cause of teeth loss.
 Dentalcaries slowly destroys the teeth through acid
produced from surgery food we eat, if untreated, the
disease progresses to the extent where the only
remaining option is tooth removal (extraction).
 On the other hand, periodontal conditions slowly
destroys the gums, bones and other tissues supporting
the teeth, if left untreated, the affected teeth become
loose and later fall on their own or are extracted.

8.  As said in the introduction, these diseases are
preventable and curable. And prevention is not
even associated with injections or tablets as
vaccines, but rather a mere change of habit.
 just improving oral hygiene habits and visiting
a dentist regularly are enough to prevent these
diseases and associated teeth loss.
 Moreover, even if the diseases have occurred
in early stages and some cases of advanced
stages, the diseases are curable.

9.  Surprisingly
enough, despite
these facts, the
rate of teeth loss
through extraction
is alarming. One
has to wonder
why? Who would like to look like
the above?

10.  A tooth is the only part of the body which
when pain, the patient will just request for its
removal (extraction).
 I have never seen a patient requesting removal
of the eye or any other part of the body simply
because it pains.
 No matter how other parts of the body are
destroyed, the patients will always ask for the
treatment to maintain them, but for the
tooth, even if it can be conserved, just remove!

11.  Sadly to say, even most medical
insurance agents do not cover for scaling
and root planning, the procedure which
prevent both tooth decay and gum
diseases from occurring.
 Itis the same scaling and root planning
which is the first line of treatment almost
for all forms of gum diseases.

12. The treatment of choice
The same applies to this
to these disease is scaling
disease
and polishing

13.  Their lay argument is that, removing tarter
(calculus) is an esthetic procedure
(beauty), a misleading and deadly concept.
 Worse, some other insurers do not even
cover root canal treatment, the treatment
which cures advanced form of tooth decay.
 Worst, even the majority of insurance
companies, give less financial allocations to
dental services

14.  Another lay argument is that, the sure
way of treating the painful tooth is its
removal (extraction)! Why not the sure
way of treating the incurable heart
diseases is the removal of the
heart? Unjust indeed to the tooth, stop it.
 Asa treatment, tooth extraction is
supposed to be done only when other
methods of saving it are impossible or
when such tooth can become a reason for
other and more serious complications.

15.  While these are being done, more
government hospitals and clinics apart
from lacking well qualified personnel
they also lack equipments, instruments
and material for dental treatment

16.  Brushing and flossing twice a day when
coupled with visiting a dentist at least
twice a year is enough to save your teeth.
Is this costly? Every body has the
answer.
 While consultation fee is enough to have
your teeth checked routinely by
dentist, tooth brush is among the
cheapest commodity in the market.

17.  Earlyuncavitated decay can be treated by
just medication, while simple fillings can
save teeth with small to medium size
cavities (holes).
 Good news is that even majority of teeth
with big and deep cavities can also be
served by doing root canal treatment.
 Always ask your dentist if he/she can do
a root canal treatment on your badly
decayed teeth instead of removal.

18. Initial decay (white spot)just
improve brushing Can be filled

19. This tooth no matter how
bad it has been destroyed
by decay it be saved by Even those can be treated
doing a root canal and a crown put on them
treatment

20.  Healthteeth = proper teeth brushing and
regular dental visits (consultation fee + cost of
toothbrush and paste),
 Diseased teeth cured and retained = filling or
root canal treatment or scaling and root
planning (consultation fee + treatment
charges),
 Diseased teeth extracted = extraction and or
artificial teeth (consultation fee+ extraction
charges + cost of artificial teeth + cost of soft
diet + teeth loss related problems).

21. Thank you for listening