Referred to as molars or molar teeth, these are the flat teeth located at the back of the mouth. They can vary in size and shape but are the largest teeth in the mouth. Molars are rounded and used for grinding food into easily swallowed pieces. The smaller and sharper front teeth are used for biting and tearing food. Molars are designed to sustain great amounts of force from chewing, grinding and clenching, and each molar is anchored to the jaw bone with two to four roots.
The average adult has twelve molars, with six in the upper jaw (identified by your dentist as "maxillary" for their location in the upper jaw) and six in the lower jaw (identified as "mandibular" by the dentist for their location in the lower jaw). Each side of the upper and lower jaw has three molars.
Types of Molars
There are three types of molars. These come in after a child loses their baby teeth:
First molars, also called the six-year molars because they are the first of the three to erupt around age six.
Second molars, also called the twelve-year molars because they erupt around age 12.
Third molars, or wisdom teeth, which appear between the ages of 17 and 25.
Anatomically, molars are designed to sustain great amounts of force from chewing, grinding and clenching, by having a large crown and two to four roots firmly implanted in the jaw bone.
Why Do We Have Wisdom Teeth?
The third molars, or wisdom teeth, are vestiges from our evolutionary past when the human mouth was larger and more accommodating to additional teeth. These additional teeth were useful in chewing especially course foods, such as roots, nuts, leaves and tough meats. This type of diet was tough on the teeth—especially without the helpful maintenance tools we enjoy today like toothbrushes, paste, and floss—so our ancestor's teeth were subject to significant wear and loss due to tooth decay.
Even with the current popularity of "Paleo diets," modern humans do not consume foods that require these extra teeth. Our foods are generally far softer, and with cooking and utensils, the day of the useful wisdom tooth has passed. Evolution, however, has not caught up with us yet, and so we still get those extra teeth late in our youth.
The Problem of Wisdom Teeth
Though it hasn't dumped our wisdom teeth yet, evolution has, unfortunately, made some adjustments to the size of our jawbones throughout our history. The jaws of modern humans are smaller than our ancestors. This presents a range of problems when those vestigial wisdom teeth try to squeeze in.
When wisdom teeth form, they can become blocked by our other teeth, and they're referred to as being "impacted." If a wisdom tooth partially erupts, this can create a hard-to-reach haven for bacteria that can lead to serious infections of the gums and surrounding tissue. Wisdom teeth may also never erupt. This carries with it problems as well, including potential development of cysts or tumors that can do considerable damage to the jawbone and teeth if left unaddressed.
These problems are the reason many people need to have their wisdom teeth removed. It is recommended that this surgery is performed during young adulthood when any complications are least likely and minimal.
For some people, numbering approximately 15 percent of the population, there may be no immediate need to have the wisdom teeth removed because they come in without issues. Even in these cases, it may be recommended that the wisdom teeth be removed to avoid problems that might develop later in life when surgery has more potential for complications and longer healing times.
Plaque is a soft, sticky film that builds up on your teeth and contains millions of bacteria. The bacteria in plaque cause tooth decay and gum disease if they are not removed regularly through brushing and flossing.
When you eat, the bacteria in plaque use the sugars in your food to produce acids that eat away at the tooth enamel. Repeated attacks cause the enamel to break down, eventually resulting in a cavity (or hole) in the tooth surface.
Plaque that is not removed daily by brushing and flossing between teeth can eventually harden into tartar. Brushing and flossing become more difficult as tartar collects at the gum line. As the tartar, plaque and bacteria continue to increase, the gum tissue can become red, swollen and possibly bleed when you brush your teeth. This is called gingivitis, an early stage of gum (periodontal) disease.
Gingivitis is reversible with good oral hygiene and professional treatment; however, if left untreated, gingivitis can advance into periodontitis. Periodontitis, a more severe form of gum disease, occurs when bacterial infection causes your gums and the bone supporting the teeth to break down. Your gums may begin to recede, pulling back from the teeth. In the worst cases, the bone supporting the teeth is destroyed and can lead to tooth loss.
Fighting back against plaque
Plaque is colorless and difficult to see. Heavy plaque deposits can be easier to see and may look like a thick white deposit or food stuck to the teeth. If you're not sure if you see plaque on your teeth, you can use a disclosing tablet (found at your local pharmacy) or you can rinse with a few drops of food coloring in two ounces of water. The disclosing tablets or solution will temporarily stain the plaque so you can see it more easily. You can then brush and floss until the stain is gone.
Since plaque is constantly growing in your mouth, the best way to remove it and to prevent tartar build-up is to brush and floss your teeth every day.
Brush your teeth twice a day, using a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste to remove plaque from tooth surfaces and protect your teeth from decay.
Clean between teeth daily (preferably before bedtime) with floss or an interdental cleaner to remove plaque from the places where your toothbrush can’t reach. Flossing is essential to preventing gum disease.
Since plaque is a sticky substance, you must brush and floss to help remove it. Mouth rinses alone will not provide enough plaque removal to keep your teeth and gums healthy.
Eat a balanced diet and limit between-meal snacks, which can provide more sugar for the bacteria in plaque to convert into decay-causing acids.
Visit your dentist at least once a year for professional cleanings and oral exams
तोंड हे पचनसंस्थेचे प्रवेशद्वार आहे. त्यातून संसर्ग होण्याची भीती असते. त्यामुळे, मौखिक आरोग्याची कसोशीने काळजी घ्यायला हवी. प्रत्यक्षात मात्र तसे होत नाही...
दात, हिरड्या व तोंड या तीनही अवयवांचे आरोग्य हे मौखिक आरोग्यामध्ये येते. आरोग्याच्या दृष्टीने त्यांची नियमित तपासणी करणे आवश्यक असले तरीही प्रत्यक्षात मात्र जोपर्यंत असह्य दाढदुखी, दात हलणे वा दातांच्या अन्य तक्रारी सुरू होत नाहीत तोपर्यंत मौखिक आरोग्याकडे गांभीर्याने पाहिले जात नाही.
दात आणि तोंड यांच्या अनेक छोट्या-मोठ्या आजारांची लागण आपल्यातल्या अनेकांना झालेली असते. खराब झालेले दात, किडलेले दात, दाताचा संसर्ग, किटण, सुजलेल्या हिरड्या, हिरड्यांची झिजून उघडी झालेली मुळे असे अनेक प्रकार त्यात असतात. लहान मुलांच्या दातांच्या आरोग्याचे प्रश्न वेगळे असतात आणि मोठ्या व्यक्तींमधील दंतआरोग्याचे प्रश्न वेगळे असतात. त्यांच्यावर उपचार करण्याच्या पद्धतीतही फरक असतो. आपल्या आहारावर दातांचे आरोग्य अवलंबून असते, आहारात कोणत्या पदार्थांचा समावेश आहे, त्यातले अन्नघटक कोणते आहेत हे महत्त्वाचे असते. त्यांचा परिणाम दातांच्या आरोग्यावर होत असतो.
मौखिक आरोग्य चांगले नसल्यास दाताचे, हिरड्यांचे विकार होतात. दात स्वच्छ न ठेवल्यास त्या ठिकाणी आम्ल तयार होते व दात किडतात. या कारणामुळे ९५ टक्के लोकांचे दात किडलेले असतात. काहीवेळा त्यामुळे दाताला छिद्रे पडतात. ही छिद्रे भरली नाहीत तर दात लवकर पडतो आणि तो दुखायला लागतो. तेथील रक्तवाहिन्या तुटतात. तेथून रक्त व पू येतो. अशावेळी हिरड्यांचा आधार असलेले हाड घासले जाते.
दातांचे आरोग्य जपण्यासाठी काय करावे?
- दातांची हिरड्यांची नियमित तपासणी
- दातांसाठी फार कडक ब्रश वापरू नये
- किडलेल्या दातांची स्वच्छता वेळच्यावेळी करावी
- दातांमधील कीड स्वच्छ करणे
- खूप हलणारा दात काढून टाकावा
- दातांनी बाटलीचे झाकण किंवा कोणतीही कडक वस्तू तोडू नये
- दोऱ्याने किंवा हाताने अडकलेले अन्न काढू नये त्यामुळे हिरड्या दुखावतात.
- दात कोरू नयेत, असे केल्याने दातांना व हिरड्यांना इजा पोहोचते.
- दूधाचे दात पडून गेल्यावर नवीन येणाऱ्या दातांची काटेकोर काळजी घ्यावी.
आयुर्वेद सांगतोय अशी घ्या दातांच्या काळजी
दातांची काळजी कशी घ्यावी याविषयी आयुर्वेदात मार्गदर्शन करण्यात आलंय. दातांचं आरोग्य राखल्यास, संपूर्ण शरीराचं आरोग्य राखण्यास मदत होते. दररोज दात घासणं हे शरीरस्वास्थ्यासाठी गरजेचं आहे. यामुळे अनेक रोगांना लांब ठेवण्यास मदत होते. झोपल्यावर लाळेमधून स्रवणारे घटक तसंच, श्वासोच्छवासाने हवेमधले घटकही दातांच्या सभोवताली साठतात. निरोगी आरोग्यासाठी हे घटक काढून टाकणं निकडीचं आहे.
दातांचा आणि पचनाचा घनिष्ठ संबंध आहे. नीटपणे चावलेल्या अन्नाचं पचन सुलभपणे होतं. अन्न नीट चावता येण्यासाठी दातांची मुळं घट्ट असणं गरजेचं आहे. त्यासाठी दातांना मजबूत करणाऱ्या पदार्थांचा वापर करुन दात घासणं फायद्याचं ठरतं. दात घासल्यावर तोंडात निर्माण होणाऱ्या लाळेमुळे पचनाची क्रिया सुरळीत पार पडते. त्यामुळे सकाळी उठल्यावर दातांची योग्य पद्धतीनं स्वच्छता करणं आवश्यक आहे.
दातांच्या आरोग्यावर आहार, दिनचर्या आणि व्यसनं यांचा परिणाम होतो. दातांची योग्य निगा न राखल्यास अनेक समस्या निर्माण होतात. त्यामुळे दातांचं आरोग्य बिघडू नये याची काळजी घेणं गरजेचं आहे.
दात खराब का होतात?
- एकाच वेळी थंड आणि गरम पदार्थांचं सेवन केल्यानं दात ढिले होतात.
- तंबाखू, पान, सिगरेट या व्यसनांमुळे दातांवर किटण साचतं.
- दात कोरण्याच्या सवयीमुळे हिरड्यांमध्ये जखम होते.
- जोरात घासल्यानं हिरड्या सोलवटतात
दात घासण्यासाठी या पदार्थांचा वापर करा
- त्रिफळा चूर्णात दोन थेंब तिळाचं तेल घातलेलं मिश्रण
- तिळाची पूड, ज्येष्ठमधाची पूड आणि तिळाचं तेल एकत्र करून बनवलेली पेस्ट
- बकुळ, बाभूळ, करंज, वड, लिंब, आणि त्रिफळा यांचं समभाग घेऊन बनवलेलं चूर्ण
- बकुळ सालीपासून बनवलेलं चूर्ण
- निंबसालीची पावडर
- रुई, वड, खदीर, करंज यांच्या काड्या ब्रश करण्यासाठी चावा