New Delhi: A renowned Indian- American Dentist and Oral- Maxillofacial Surgery expert Dr Prashanth K Haribabu, invited for 3 day mega event on Dental Implants in Delhi beginning November 8 has said oral health is the index of general health of the body and can indicate development of diseases like diabetes quite early on, giving an opportunity to stop its progression. According to him, Oral health both effects and reflects the general wellness and health of the body.
Going by what he said, inside of mouth sounded like a veritable diagnostic lab! Dr Haribabu also stressed the fact that new age dental implants are boon as they never let you devoid of tools to chew your food which is the most critical aspect of eating that impacts gut health which in turn is the be all and end all of general health. Dr Haribabu described 3 day Global American Academy of Implant Dentistry (GAAID) and World Congress for Oral Implantology Conference (WCOI) as an event all set to bring about a paradigm shift in the way dentistry is practiced in India.
Dr Haribabu, Director, Specialty Care Unit, Oral and Maxillo Surgery, Missouri School of Dentistry and Oral Health, A.T. Still University in USA in an exclusive interview to Medicare News called upon people of India to prioritize oral health as it is the gateway to general health and wellness of the body. Dr Haribabu said, ‘Keeping consistent watch on oral health is a must as it compliments gut health. There is a hot line between good bacteria of mouth and good bacteria of gut. They, kind of, chat between themselves. This entente between mouth and gut goes a long way in maintaining out general health. He warned against smoking, too much of acidic drinks, sipping too much of soda which impact oral health badly.
Himself a chocolate aficionado, Dr Haribabu sounded a little ‘caught in the act’ kind of response when asked about impact of chocolate on teeth. As chocolate is staple of children all over the world, he probably did not want to sound a spoilsport, hence his response was subdued but he advised chocolate aficionados to take very good care of teeth and oral health.
On dental implants which according him have come of such age that dentistry cannot be thought of without them, Dr Haribabu, a native of Chennai, said, ‘ Implants are not only aesthetic and for good looks, its functional aspect is also as much important. Thanks to implants, you have best of both the worlds. As chewing food is the most necessary act for health, implants come handy and serve a great and crucial purpose when we lose our natural tooth. Implanted teeth today are as good as natural teeth, even better as it eliminates the event of infection. To say the least, Dental implants are gold standard of oral treatment.’