Title: Exploring Advances in Dental Health

Abstract:

There has been a significant amount of research into the relationship of dental or oral health with overall health of a person. It wouldn’t be an exaggerated statement but factually proven that a good dental health translates to a better overall health. For example, people with a poorer dental hygiene are more prone to have negative medical effects on other organs of the body. Bacteria in gum disease can cause heart diseases, gum infections in pregnant women may lead to premature births, higher susceptibility to gum infections in diabetics, painful mouth ulcers in STDs are just a few examples to prove the significant relation of dental health to an overall well-being. Although the importance of dental health is well appreciated in the general population today, the fears of visiting a dental facility or getting your teeth/gums treated are very common. Nearly 40% of the population, in general, are estimated to be suffering from dental fears or phobia. These numbers are alarming because, as mentioned above, any negligence in oral hygiene maintenance can have profounding negative effects on various other medical conditions. Hence, it is of prime importance that this issue of fear, anxiety is dealth with. As an educationalist or a practitioner, the best way to overcome the element of dental phobia in the society is to explore and develop not only the dental treatment modalities into fearless and painfree experiences, but also the routine oral hygiene maintenance to be made more conveniently comfortable for the users. Digitalisation in dentistry including utilisation of augmented and virtual reality, use of smart toothbrushes or teledentistry, Computer-assisted design and computer-assisted manufacture (CADCAM) technology are just to name a few revolutionary modalities which are extremely interesting when speaking of exploring advancements in dental health. The benefits of such developments in dental health can be considered as a game changer not only for the patients with phobia, but also to the practitioners to deliver better dental care with better results.

Biography:

Akif Saleem (BDS, BSc, C-Implantology, Diploma in Business of Healthcare) is related with Dental Healthcare and Healthcare Management. He has been practicing dentistry as a Dental Surgeon for over 10 years. Dr. Akif has primarily dealt with diagnostics, treatment planning and procedural interventions throughout his career. He has extensive experience in restorative, periodontal, surgical, prosthetic and endodontic procedures. He has been actively involved in patient education and awareness programs regarding oral hygiene maintenance. He was an active member of the Doctors Taskforce and Management committee responsible for steering the strategic direction of the institution(s). He has been involved with, including expansion of services provided, enhancement of procedures and linking them with the group’s strategic objectives.