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Baby bottle tooth decay
Under normal circumstances a baby gets its first teeth when it is about 6 months old and these teeth are susceptible to decay. This condition is known as Baby Bottle Tooth Decay or alternately as Early Childhood Tooth Decay.

Bad breath
Halitosis or bad breath is used synonymously and many people are put into a lot of embarrassment because of this unpleasant condition. Many people are not even aware that they have bad breath.

Bleaching/ whitening
The term bleaching refers to the process of whitening the teeth beyond its original color. This can happen only if products such as carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide are used.
The term whitening refers to the restoration of the tooth color by dislodging the debris and dirt in the micro cracks of the tooth. Products such as toothpaste that are used for cleaning the tooth come under this category.

Bruxism
Bruxism is the medical condition wherein the affected person grinds, gnashes or clenches his teeth. Both the adults and children are affected by this.The word bruxism originates from the Greek word - ß???µ?? (brugmós)which means gnashing of teeth.

Burning Mouth Syndrome
BMS (acronym for Burning Mouth Syndrome) is a burning sensation in your tongue, palate, lips, gums, throat, inside cheeks etc.; this condition is chronic and painful. It is estimated that women are affected more (700%) than men by this. Many women after menopause are affected by this. Mostly people affected by this are middle-aged although cases do exist wherein youngsters have been affected.

C - D

Caries/ Cavities
Tooth decay in short is nothing but destruction of the tooth enamel. Foods containing carbohydrates/ sugars / starches such as milk, pop, raisins, cakes or candy if left on the teeth result in tooth decay. Bacteria living in the mouth react with these foods thereby producing acids. Acids erode the enamel on your tooth thereby causing tooth decay over a period of time.

Child Dental Health
The first teeth of a child erupt when the child is aged between 3-16 months; normally it occurs at the age of 6 months in most of the children. The first teeth that come out are the two bottom front teeth and this will be followed by four upper teeth.

Crowns
The dental crown is a cap placed over a tooth and it is shaped like a tooth. The purpose of the crown is to restore the shape and size and strength of the tooth or to improve its appearance.

Dental Sealants
Dental sealants are plastic coatings that protect the chewing surfaces of your teeth from bacteria that cause tooth decay. These are normally applied to the grooves of your back teeth – premolars and molars – wherein decay occurs frequently.

Dental Veneers
A dental veneer can be defined as a thin layer of restorative material placed over the front surface of a tooth; the objective of this is either to protect the damaged tooth or improvement of the tooth aesthetics. This is similar to placing a false fingernail over your existing fingernails.

Dry Mouth
Dry Mouth is a common condition caused by a decrease in the quantity of saliva in a person’s mouth; this condition is medically known as Xerostomia. The term Xerostomia is the combination of Greek words “xero” meaning dry and “stoma” meaning mouth. This is also called as sometimes pasties, cottonmouth, or dough mouth colloquially.

E - F

Early Childhood Tooth Decay
Under normal circumstances a baby gets its first teeth when it is about 6 months old and these teeth are susceptible to decay. This condition is known as Baby Bottle Tooth Decay or alternately as Early Childhood Tooth Decay.

G - H

Gingivitis
Gingivitis is a common disease that causes inflammation of the gums thereby making the gum swollen and tender. To start with, it is in mild form and you will hardly notice that you have this disease. Persons having gingivitis will find that their gums start bleeding when they brush their teeth. You must take sufficient care about gingivitis otherwise it might aggravate into a major gum disease.

Halitosis
Halitosis or bad breath is used synonymously and many people are put into a lot of embarrassment because of this unpleasant condition. Many people are not even aware that they have bad breath; in case you have bad breath, you must see the dentist immediately. If this is due to oral condition he/ she may be in a position to eliminate it.

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K - L
M - N

Myths
There is a myth among many people that removal of the upper teeth affects vision. This is a misconception. Vision is not affected in a