The Importance of Oral Health and Teeth Whiteness in Human Life
Dental caries and periodontal diseases are important public health problems in many countries of the world. Therefore, the protection of oral and dental health is an issue that should be considered as a priority starting from childhood.
The importance of oral and dental health is very important because the mouth is the beginning of the digestive system. Since the teeth carry out the process of disintegration of the food and sending it to the stomach; missing, unhealthy, diseased or rotten teeth disrupts the digestive state.
People with oral health and dental diseases often cause food to go down to the stomach quickly without chewing, which may lead to digestive system and stomach disorders that may occur in the future. Deterioration of dental health can also affect other organs in the body.
Teeth can become a constant focus of infection, which negatively affects almost all systems, and can cause infections that can cause significant health problems in human body parts like the heart, kidneys, joints etc. For this reason, dental health is very important for individuals. It is of great importance that the oral flora be rebuilt after dental treatments and that the patient receives the necessary vitamins and antioxidant compounds.
Otherwise, the recovery period will be prolonged as a result of the treatment, and the potential for recurrence of the disease will increase. Tooth loss in the deterioration of the health of the teeth can cause direct problems when speaking and pronouncing words.
In addition, it causes difficulties in chewing and swallowing and even bacteria formation on our teeth. It causes problems for our gums and all organs in our mouth.
There should not be a deficiency of vitamins C, A and D, which are necessary for gingival, dental health and strength. Milk, dairy products, and fresh fruit are especially helpful. However, sometimes the desired level of vitamin cannot be taken into the body through nutrition. In this case, it is inevitable to resort to supplements.
Vitamins and minerals are structures that are necessary for our body to develop, grow and function properly and cannot be produced by the body. It is useful to consider vitamins and minerals together, especially since they may need each other. Vitamins are extremely important for our body and each vitamin has many functions.
Vitamin C is important for gum health. Deficiency may cause swelling and bleeding in the gums. In vitamin B1 deficiency, burning in the tongue, taste disorder, and sensitivity in the oral mucosa are seen. In vitamin B2 deficiency, the tongue surface is rough and a map-like image occurs.
In addition, with the increase in aesthetic expectations of people today, whitening treatment has gained importance. Coloration of teeth can cause aesthetic problems, and as a result, psychological and social problems.
In psychological studies, it has been revealed that individuals with white tooth color are more self-confident and are more appreciated by the society. To eliminate this problem, teeth whitening is frequently performed by dentists to prevent tooth discoloration.
Tooth discoloration is divided into 2 categories as internal and external discoloration. External discoloration occurs due to plaque and tartar formed as a result of insufficient oral hygiene, consumption of tea/coffee/dye-containing beverages and foods, bacteria in the mouth, and cigarettes.
Internal discolorations are generally seen in devital teeth and canal treated teeth, in some genetic diseases, in consumption of fluoridated water and as a result of some drug use. Whitening treatment effectively removes discoloration on the teeth.
Agents in various concentrations are used with different techniques in teeth whitening treatments. With the developing modern life, as in every field, the expectations of individuals about aesthetics and beauty have increased.
The teeth whitening process is quite different from the polishing process after the tartar cleaning. In the teeth whitening process, the own color tone of the tooth can be lightened by 2-3 tons. The teeth whitening process is called ‘office bleaching’ applied in the dentist office environment.
However, most teeth whitening procedures are very costly and have the potential to damage tooth enamel when applied. Patients can apply the teeth whitening process at home, such as toothbrushes, with the teeth whitening pens developed in recent years.
We are developing R&D projects on tooth whiteness and oral health in our startup company, Anatolia Botanics, which is located within Yıldız Teknopark, Turkey’s largest technopark.
We are working on reinforcing formulations that will be used after dental treatment, that enable the patient to regain their health as soon as possible and accelerate the healing process. In addition, in another project, we are working on special formulations that are effective in teeth whitening and do not contain harmful chemicals.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ömer Tahir Günkara
Yıldız Technical University
Department of Chemistry – Faculty Member
Anatolia Botanics – Founding Partner
