Indeed, in so many ways, I look, think, feel, believe, behave, laugh, cry, eat, drink, sleep just like my mother. I thank this woman whose womb God saw fit to be the vessel of His gift of my life not only because I literally owe everything to her.

One, I got my vanity from my mother. Iná was always properly dressed, well shod, and no wisp of hair askew. She feels good when she looks good and no circumstance in life can ever justify not looking beautiful. And she matches that deep understanding of beauty with her flair for the good things in life. We were never filthy rich but we were never dirt poor either – and Iná saw to it that I developed the hunger for the taste of the finer things.

I also got the special blend of grit, courage and tenacity from my mother. Her forbearing, never-say-quit attitude in life was what always saw me through the hard times. I read somewhere that when the going gets tough, the tough gets going. That describes Iná perfectly. She is the type who gets stronger with every challenge hurled her way. There’s a fierce Tagalog way of putting it: Habang nasusugatan, lalong tumatapang.

Our family went through some very dire financial straits at the time when I was deep into my dental studies at the Centro Escolar University. Ina called me up one day to break the dreadful news that she had nothing to send to me anymore because everything was gone. The money I naively thought would never dry up just did.

As I chewed on the prospects of not being able to finish my dentistry course, Iná was quite adamant that I must continue with my studies. I suggested that I could help by finding a job but she gave me that look which said more eloquently than mere words could ever say that she was going to move heaven and earth just for me to not stop schooling. She told me, “Hindi ka magtatrabaho. Kapag kumikita ka na ng sarili mong pera, tatamarin ka nang magtapos ng iyong pag-aaral.”

The best solution was to transfer to another school; less expensive but, with dogged diligence on my part, would give me a college diploma. As I write this now, I want to cry. Had I followed my own way and ignored the wisdom of my mother, I wouldn’t be the dentist I am now – and Dental Focus would have simply remained a figment of my over-reaching imagination.

When I say Iná is tenacious, I don’t mean to say she does not cry. Because she does. And the sight of her tears shreds my heart. There was a high school student who once asked me where I find the determination to go on whenever life’s trials become quite insurmountable, I gave a different response but the real  answer lies in a story that stays in my special chest of treasured memories.

In one particularly dark moment in our life as a family, I saw Iná cry. A creditor was deaf to her pleas for mercy and flatly denied her request for a debt restructuring. I saw panic replacing self-pity on my beloved Iná’s face. Then, left with nothing else to say, she bowed her head. When she looked up again, her countenance was drenched with tears. That was the moment I vowed to myself that I would do everything I needed to do to ensure that no tear shall ever stain Iná’s face ever again. I would work day and night, in both rain and sunshine, to restore my dearest mother’s smile.

Indeed, to me, a smile is everything not just because I am a dentist but because, deep inside, I have learned to plumb profound layers of meanings even in the simplest smile.

Iná was a dutiful wife to my Amá. She proved her love not only during the good times but even more so during the bad. And the bad times were quite plenty. Amá was not a saint. But Iná bore it all with the quiet dignity that, for me, has come to define her.

One time, during the now many together moments we have, she intimated to me, “Walang perpektong tao. Pero sa pagpuno sa mga pagkukulang, sa pagpalagpas ng mga mali, sa pag-unawa ng mga kahinaan, sa pagsuportahan sa panahon ng pagsubok, ang mag-asawa ay nagiging perpekto para sa isa’t isa.”

Today is Mother’s Day. Deep within me, my heart is bursting with love and gratitude for my mother. Iná, I love you. Very much. Very, very much. My constant prayer is for God to allow me all the time there is in the world for me to be able to shower you with everything that your heart desires. All your life, you have been giving of yourself to Amá and to us, your children. Now, I shall see to it that you seize every opportunity there is for you to give of yourself to yourself. If it is true that the essence of being a woman is to be a mother, you have magnificently lived up to your essence.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Eight years ago a new brand of toothpaste was launched in Sweden with more than three times as much fluoride as standard toothpaste. Available without prescription, it is aimed primarily at those with high caries risk.

First scientific evaluation

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg’s Sahlgrenska Academy have now performed the first scientific evaluation of the effect of this so called “high-fluoride toothpaste.” The study has resulted in a new method that quadruples the level of protection from fluoride.

Four times better protection

In the study, 16 volunteers tested a variety of brushing techniques, using either high-fluoride or standard toothpaste, and brushing either two or three times a day.

“The study revealed that those who used a high-fluoride toothpaste three times a day had four times better fluoride protection in the mouth than those who used standard toothpaste twice a day,” says researcher Anna Nordström from the Institute of Odontology at the Sahlgrenska Academy.

Rub your teeths after lunch

Also tested was a new method developed in collaboration with professor Dowen Birkhed, which involves rubbing toothpaste onto your teeth with a finger.

“This ‘massage’ method proved to be at least as effective as a third brushing in increasing the amount of fluoride in the mouth,” Anna Nordström explains. “Rubbing the front of your teeth with toothpaste can be an easy way of giving your teeth a third “shot” of fluoride during the day, after lunch for example. But this should not replace brushing with a fluoride toothpaste morning and evening — it’s an extra.”

Daily use is essential

Brushing with fluoride toothpaste has played — and continues to play — a major role in combating tooth decay, and there is strong scientific evidence that daily use of fluoride toothpaste has a pronounced preventive effect.

The study Effect of a third application of toothpaste (1450 and 5000 ppm F), including a “massage” method, on fluoride retention and pH drop in plaque was published in Acta Odontologica Scandinavia.

THE RESEARCHER´S TOP TIPS • Use toothpaste at least twice a day, after breakfast and before going to bed. • If necessary, brush a third time or rub on some toothpaste instead. • If you have problems with cavities, choose a toothpaste with a higher fluoride content. • Avoid rinsing out the toothpaste with water.

ScienceDaily (Mar. 25, 2012) — Do you really want to avoid cavities in your teeth? Try massaging them with a high-fluoride toothpaste after lunch. “Rubbing toothpaste onto your teeth increases the fluoride protection by 400%,” says Anna Nordström, dentist, PhD and researcher at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Eight years ago a new brand of toothpaste was launched in Sweden with more than three times as much fluoride as standard toothpaste. Available without prescription, it is aimed primarily at those with high caries risk.

First scientific evaluation

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg’s Sahlgrenska Academy have now performed the first scientific evaluation of the effect of this so called “high-fluoride toothpaste.” The study has resulted in a new method that quadruples the level of protection from fluoride.

Four times better protection

In the study, 16 volunteers tested a variety of brushing techniques, using either high-fluoride or standard toothpaste, and brushing either two or three times a day.

“The study revealed that those who used a high-fluoride toothpaste three times a day had four times better fluoride protection in the mouth than those who used standard toothpaste twice a day,” says researcher Anna Nordström from the Institute of Odontology at the Sahlgrenska Academy.

Rub your teeths after lunch

Also tested was a new method developed in collaboration with professor Dowen Birkhed, which involves rubbing toothpaste onto your teeth with a finger.

“This ‘massage’ method proved to be at least as effective as a third brushing in increasing the amount of fluoride in the mouth,” Anna Nordström explains. “Rubbing the front of your teeth with toothpaste can be an easy way of giving your teeth a third “shot” of fluoride during the day, after lunch for example. But this should not replace brushing with a fluoride toothpaste morning and evening — it’s an extra.”

Daily use is essential

Brushing with fluoride toothpaste has played — and continues to play — a major role in combating tooth decay, and there is strong scientific evidence that daily use of fluoride toothpaste has a pronounced preventive effect.

The study Effect of a third application of toothpaste (1450 and 5000 ppm F), including a “massage” method, on fluoride retention and pH drop in plaque was published in Acta Odontologica Scandinavia.

THE RESEARCHER´S TOP TIPS • Use toothpaste at least twice a day, after breakfast and before going to bed. • If necessary, brush a third time or rub on some toothpaste instead. • If you have problems with cavities, choose a toothpaste with a higher fluoride content. • Avoid rinsing out the toothpaste with water.

I am a pre-school teacher. A teacher’s job is never done. Even if the school-year is over, I am using whatever spare time I have in coming up with better and more creative ways to impart knowledge to my preschoolers when classes open again. May I ask if you have some interesting ideas on how to teach children the value of dental care? – Melissa R.

Thank you very much for your letter. Indeed, there are countless ways to make kids interested in caring for their teeth. The trick is how to make the teaching process not only enjoyable but dramatic enough to have life-long impact.

For example, after teaching them to brush their teeth at least twice a day to keep them healthy, it will certainly be helpful if you wrap up the lesson by having them recite the following rhyme: ”I have a little toothbrush, I hold it very tight. I brush my teeth each morning, and then again at night.”

Hand motions or finger plays add more drama. You may even improvise a sing-song tune to really maximize impact.

You may also want to use disclosing tablets to talk about plaque. Disclosing tablets are made of vegetable dye and they make plaque-ridden areas turn red. They can be found at most drug or grocery stores by the pharmacy. Have the children brush their teeth as they normally do. When they are finished, have them chew on a disclosing tablet. Now, show them their teeth in a mirror and explain that the areas that have turned red still have plaque on them and need to be brushed better to be really clean.

Now, after teaching a lesson about plaque and explaining that it makes teeth appear yellow, begin the teeth brushing activity. Give each child yellow construction paper with the shape of a large tooth. Then, with white paint and a paintbrush, have them “brush” their paper tooth. Explain that they can clean the plaque or “yellow” off of their teeth with fluoride toothpaste and a toothbrush twice a day.

Or you may do this. For each of your preschool students, boil an egg in water with a tea bag until hardboiled. The eggs would be stained brown. While the eggs dry and cool, teach children about stains on teeth and how they can be cleaned with fluoride toothpaste, toothbrushes and the proper technique. Give each child a toothbrush with a little toothpaste and one stained egg. Demonstrate how the stain can be removed with a good tooth brushing. The kids will be amazed and it will encourage good oral hygiene.

Also, aside from teaching the proper way to brush one’s teeth, stress the fact that for tooth brushing to really be effective, the recommended amount of time is two to three minutes.

Of course, another very essential lesson is to familiarize the kids to the dentist and the dental clinic. If your school is near, perhaps, we can schedule a trip to any of our Dental Focus clinics?

Sometimes, it makes me sad that many people are so concerned with whiter, lighter complexion and go to great lengths in investing in whitening agents that sometimes even harm their skin, but they are not as concerned with the color of their teeth.

Good thing that, more and more today, there is increasing interest in whiter and brighter teeth, which definitely looks better and more youthful. Of course, we need to understand that a better looking smile translates to more self-confidence because a sparkling smile effortlessly makes a good impression.

There are various ways to achieve whiter teeth. First, there is bleaching, which is not only fast and easy, it is also safe and doesn’t cost that much. But then, not everybody can choose tooth bleaching. This is recommended only to those whose teeth are good in terms of shape and alignment – and, definitely, no fillings that are visible when you smile.

It is possible that you are a good candidate for tooth bleaching because teeth that are generally yellow in color bleach better and faster than those that are generally gray. Of course, almost all teeth can be improved by tooth bleaching.

Now, if you have crowns or fillings that show when you smile, what your dentist would do is bleach your teeth first and, after whitening the natural teeth, replace the fillings or crowns that do not match.

I do not intend to make this as simple as I may have made it sound because there are other things to consider. Like, with bleaching teeth, you cannot pick the exact color you will get. Also, you cannot really make the colors of all your teeth match each other. There are some core complicated cases that do not really get the desired expectations from tooth bleaching. Also, with teeth bleaching, the teeth can darken again over a few years. This may be caused by smoking or drinking coffee, tea and red wines. Of course, bleaching touch ups can be done as often as you want without damaging the teeth.

Another option is having porcelain veneers. The dentist shaves just a millimeter off your teeth and places a thin shell or veneer of porcelain on your tooth. As a result, you can get the shade you want and the colors will be uniform and will not darken over time.

Also, we have what are called porcelain crowns. The process necessarily involves more reduction of tooth structure than veneers. This is recommended  when there is severe decay or extensive fillings or damage to the teeth that need treatment.

With porcelain crowns, you can asctually choose the hue of your teeth, and this is uniform and long lasting. The dentist can create subtle color effects and variations in surface finish that make the teeth look as white as you want and still look natural.

It is also possible to combine porcelain veneers and crowns depending on what is needed, and you cannot tell which is which. Of course, I’d like to advise you to drop by any of our Dental Focus branches and let us see into the condition of your teeth.

Whoa! Forgive me if I suddenly sound very serious and intense. You see, this is the first time for me and my family to commemorate the Lenten interlude without our dear Ama.

For Ama and all of us, Lent is a big deal, coming as we do from Marinduque where, every year, we inevitably get ourselves swept by the tidal wave of activities and festivities and rituals that go with our traditional Moriones Festival. For many of us, the season means an influx of tourists and visitors, which naturally opens the floodgates of business opportunities not just for the enterprising but for everyone. And, of course, there is that aspect of having the chance to really deepen one’s connection with our Maker.

I admit, I grew up to be not very religious – I’m not so much into the rite and ritual of our Catholic faith – but I’d like to believe that, at my core, I have my own personal kind of spirituality, which serves me in good stead especially when the going gets tough and I’m not tough enough to get going. Somehow, I am able to volt into that source of limitless power that comes from the Supreme Being up there and I do feel the surge of energy and strength being siphoned into my mind, body and spirit.

Whatever success in life I may be having now, I totally attribute to my faith and trust in God. That’s a total truth! And even though I still struggle with going to mass as a family habit, I do pray a lot. My prayers, however, are usually not the formulaic type (I can’t help but doze off every time I attempt to recite the rosary); they are more like intimate conversations with the Lord. I am the type who lifts up everything I do to the heavens. Like, it can be as whimsical as, “Lord, is it okay with you if I eat chocolates again?” Or it can be as fervent as, “Lord, please, please provide for the Christmas bonus I so want to give to the staff.” And it can be as deeply personal as, “Lord, bless Alvin and me; bless our marriage; bless our children.”

My prayers can also be very random, sometimes. Like, “Lord, give us a parking space please.” Or, while walking through the mall on my way to Dental Focus (three of which are in South Mall, SM Bacoor and Festival Mall), I’d find myself muttering in my mind, “Lord, those shoes are very nice and will go well with my new bag.”

As I write this, I am trying to recall exactly when I got this habit of talking to God. It must be during my student days. I remember, I prayed earnestly whenever I crammed for an exam; or every before a quiz for which I knew I hadn’t studied enough to be confident.

I also remember storming heaven with my prayers when I realized with stunning incredulity that Ama and Ina could no longer support my studies in dental school. It was very humbling when, for my senior year, I had no choice but to transfer from Centro Escolar University to De Ocampo Memorial Colleges because of dire financial traits. You see, dentistry students transfer from CEU to DOMC basically because they couldn’t afford to hurdle either the much higher bar of academic excellence or the stiffer tuition and matriculation fees. The problem was, you couldn’t stop people from thinking you must be narrow between the ears so you had to transfer.

I thank God for giving me the strength so I did not have to resort to biting the bullet (or kapit sa patalim in local parlance) just to finish school. Long before there was such a thing as a call center agent, I and my sister Catherine were already taking messages from clients for Pocket Bell and Easy Call respectively, as working students.

Of course, my boyfriend then and husband now is a blessing direct from the hand of God. He went to Taiwan to work as a factory worker just so he could help me finish my dentistry, which is an expensive course. To think that we weren’t even married yet… But this is another story worth telling at another time.

Yes, God does answers prayers. And it is in His nature to bless and prosper us. Wasn’t it Jesus Himself who promised, “Ask and you will receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened for you.”  Now, isn’t that one of the coolest statements ever?

This Holy Week, yes, no one can stop you from taking time out to drive away the summer heat or grab a break from your hectic schedule and just take it easy. But do take the time also to talk to God.

Kidding aside, as I was contemplating on what birthdays mean, and why ageing (or maturing) is usually the source of a certain sadness among us, women, my thoughts found their way to God.

That did not really come naturally. For quite a time, I stewed over how so hard the times are, how some people can be such a source of stress and tension in an otherwise tranquil world, how problems can sometimes snipe at you from nowhere to destroy the equanimity and composure you so worked hard to maintain.

But then, I realize, I have absolutely nothing to complain about and everything to be grateful for. Surely, there are still a lot of desires in my heart – but God has truly been good all the time for me.

This realization has sent me to my knees to say the prayer I now share with you, guys…

Dearest Father, as I mark another milestone on my birthday today, I come before You in endless praise and worship of Your awesome love for me. Indeed, You are a magnificent God! You are a marvelous God! You are an amazing God! You do not tire of giving and forgiving, of loving and caring, of comforting and providing for all my needs, of building and molding me to be not what I wish to be but what You, in Your wisdom, have planned me to be.

I thank you, Father, for everything that You are to me and for everything that I am because of You. I thank You for my family – my mother and my siblings, my husband and children, all receivers and bearers of Your love.

I thank You for Dental Focus, with which You have bountifully blest me, and used me to also be a vessel of Your blessings to others.

I also thank You, Father, for all the gifts  – gifts I do not deserve because of my frailties but which You have poured upon me purely because You love me. May these gifts make me love You more and serve You more. May they not be obstacles to my loving You and serving You but powerful inspiration that will propel me to strive closer and closer to You and to Your Son Jesus.

Lord, take away my selfishness and replace it with Your love. Take away my weakness and replace it with Your power. Take away my pride and conceit and replace them with the humility and forbearance that should define me as Your daughter. Take away my hurts and pains and replace them with the wellness that flows from the springs of Your affections. Take away, Lord, everything in me that is not of You and replace it with the desire to do Your Will.

Father, You have a record of my tears; You have a list of my afflictions. In my loneliness, cheer me. In my emptiness, fill me. In my nothingness, provide for me. In my weariness, refresh me. In my sinfulness, forgive me. In my sorrow, comfort me. In my doubts, assure me. In my apathy, energize me. In my destruction, restore me. In everything, love me.

And, Lord, grant me the courage to continue serving You in my own small way despite all the challenges and difficulties. Grant me the wisdom to seek Your Will and find Your Way amidst the confusions and distractions of this world. And grant me, Lord, the supreme privilege of helping make the world much better than when I first found it.

Amen.

I am also very grateful for the fulsome accolade bestowed upon me in the souvenir program published for the occasion:

Perusing Dr. Ninia Rodil-de Luna’s story of achievement and success reminds of the biblical parable of the talents. Indeed, here is the Lord’s servant giving back not just double that of what has been given to her but even a hundredfold of the gifts and talents that God has bestowed upon her.

The eldest of Lucky and Yolly Rodil’s three children, Ninia demonstrated an appetite for excellence early on in life. She was an exemplary student – graduating from Sta. Cruz South Central School (Batch ’85) with Best in Religion and Best Dancer awards to her name; and earning her secondary education from the Sta. Cruz Institute (Batch ’89) at the top 15 percent of her class.

She pursued the fulfillment of her childhood dream of becoming a dentist at the Centro Escolar University and became a dean’s lister; and proceeded to obtain her Dental Medicine degree from the De Ocampo Memorial College where she needed to transfer because of financial hardships that then beseted her family. She graduated in 1997; and passed the Dentistry Board Examinations the following year with flying colors. She continued to attain her post-graduate degree in Orthodontics with a Best in Wire Bending award in 2001.

Ninia is first to admit that there have been seasons when Lady Luck chose to frown upon her and her family; but this only succeeded in proving the grit and mettle of this courageous lass, whose indomitable spirit surged to heights of passion and determination, to go on and rightfully claim her destiny as a self-starting, hard-working and high-flying achiever who stopped at absolutely nothing to attain the ultimate fulfillment not just of her dreams but also of God’s plan for her life.

Indeed, there was no stopping this girl who rose to each challenge hurled her way by life to become an authentic gem whose brilliance is now a source of pride and joy not just of her alma mater, the Sta. Cruz Institute, but of the entire province of Marinduque, from which she is always truly proud to have sprung.  

An illustrious member of the Philippine Dental Association, the Cavite Dental Society and the Muntinlupa Dental Group, Ninia has earned the exceptional distinction of being the Dentist to the Stars. Indeed, the four branches of her Dental Focus Center for Cosmetic & Orthodontic Dentistry have become a mecca for celebrities not just in show business but also in other stellar fields.

Married to astute businessman Alvin de Luna, Ninia’s self-propelling motor unceasingly churns. The glint in her eye suggest more zeniths to reach, more depths to fathom, more horizons to conquer for the greater glory of her family, of her alma mater, of her province, and ultimately of her Divine Maker.

Ninia serves as shining inspiration to many Marinduquenos who look to her as the prime example of how to emerge victorious over the greatest of difficulties by sheer force of will and faith in the God who makes even the impossible within reach.

The Lenten season is upon us; and if you are one of those looking for something truly spectacular with which to spend the long Holy Week break coming up, why not grab your backpack and a few of your friends and hie off to Marinduque?

Yes, going to Marinduque for the Holy Week rituals should be on everyone’s Top-10-Experiences-to-Try-Before-You-Die list. I say this, of course, because I am a true-blue Marinduqueño (a fact that I am very proud of) and also because, for me, nothing compares to the spectacle of the Moriones Festival. It is both a cultural and spiritual journey that has to be experienced to at least once in one’s lifetime.

Now, to load up on some pertinent information. Morion to the mask made of papier mache patterned after the medieval Roman armor covering the face. And Moriones are the people, both locals and visitors masked and costumed as penitents marching around the town from Holy Monday to Easter Sunday ostensibly to look for Longinus. Longinus, of course, was the Roman soldier who pierced the side of the crucified Christ to find out if he was still alive. From the wound spurted out blood and water. According to legend, Longinus was bling in one eye; and when the blood and water that squirted from the side of Christ spilled into his eye, his blindness was cured. This miracle converted Longinus to Christianity and earned the ire of his fellow centurions who then beheaded him.

Actually, the original name of the religious ritual was moryonan but media coined the term Moriones in the 1960’s. The first participants who observed the religious tradition were farmers and fishermen as a vow of penance or thanksgiving. The reenactment, which is at the core of the festival, reaches its climax when Longinus is caught and beheaded.

From Wikipedia, we find some other very interesting tidbits about Longinus: An early tradition, found in the 4th-century pseudepigraphal ”Letter of Herod to Pilate,” claims that Longinus suffered for having pierced Jesus, and that he was condemned to a cave where every night a lion came and mauled him until dawn, after which his body healed back to normal, in a pattern that would repeat till the end of time.  

The body of Longinus, twice recovered and lost, was asserted to have been found once more at Mantua in 1304, together with the Holy Sponge stained with Christ’s blood, wherewith it was told – extending Longinus’ role – that Longinus had assisted in cleansing Christ’s body when it was taken down from the cross.

 Now, isn’t that cool? According to local historians, the festival originated in Mogpog in 1807 when the town’s parish priest, Fr. Dionisio Santiago, organized it for the first time. Today, the Moriones Festival is observed not just in Mogpog but also in all the municipalities of Marinduque, which include Boac, Gasan, Sta. Cruz and Buenavista. The festival is characterized by colorful Roman costumes, painted masks and helmets, and brightly-colored tunics.

If you want to try out being a Roman centurion yourself, perhaps, you should link up with some locals to experience this uniquely unforgettable high. But then again, there are other also exciting things to see during the Moriones Festival. Aside from watching the festival and the highlights of it, you can join the pabasa, which is a sing-song Christ’s passion in verse. You can also watch and pray the Way of the Cross or the Via Crucis, which is a major highlight of the festivities. There are also plenty of those who go around town flagellating themselves, carrying their cross, and getting themselves hoisted to it in an effort to reenact the crucifixion.

Whatever your reasons may be – as a spiritual cleansing, as a cultural fix, as a barkada gimmick – visiting Marinduque this Holy Week is guaranteed to be a rewarding experience.

And, hey! The beaches, hot springs, caves and heritage houses are not bad either…

 Genetic din po ba ang magandang ngipin? Napansin ko po kasi, may mga friends ako na ang gaganda ng ngipin – pantay-pantay at talagang sparkling white. At hini naman sila particularly maingat sa pag-aalaga ng teeth nila. May boyfriend nga ako dati, ang ganda ng ngipin pero hindi naman nagtu-toothbrush regularly. – Regine C. of Calamba City

Yes, totoo yun, yung ngipin natin ay mana-mana. But nothing can replace good oral care habits. Kahit naman pinamanahan ka ng magulang mo ng good, strong teeth, kung hindi ka maalaga, darating at darating ang araw na magkaka-cavity pa rin. Malaking sayang!

By the way, may mga taong may special oral needs. Halimbawa, yung mga may maintenance nedicines, may possibility na nagsa-suffer sa dry mouth dahil nakatutuyo ng saliva ang iniinom nilang medicines. May mga pregnant women din na susceptible to gum infections o yung tinatawag na pregnancy gingivitis. Yung mga may asthmatic condition naman, they usually breathe through their mouth when they sleep. This can result in dry mouth at nag-i-increase ng formation ng plaque. Mayroon ding nagsa-suffer sa tinatawag na bruxism na nagpapahina kung hindi man tuluyang sumisira hindi lang sa ngipin kungdi pati sa bone structure na kinakapitan ng ngipin. Ang mga diabetics din – at maging ang mga people living with HIV/AIDS – ay may unique needs pagdating sa oral care. At ilan lang ito sa mga unique oral care needs ng iba’t ibang tao.

Isa pang magandang reminder para mapangalagaan ang ngipin, makabubuting limitahan ang snacking, lalo nan g mga miryendang high in simple sugars. Importante rin to eat a balanced diet.

Tuwing kakain tayo, may mga piraso ng pagkaing sumisksik sa pagitan at paligid ng ngipin. Ang mga ito ang nagpapalakas sa bacteria na nasa plaque o tartar. Ang bacteria na ito ang nagpo-produce ng acid. Kapag exposed ang ngipin natin sa acid na ito for 20 minutes or more everyday, sinisira nito ang enamel ng ngipin which leads, of course, to cavities.

Ngayon, kung hindi maiwasan ang pag-snack, makabubuting magsepilyo pagkatapos o kaya’y ngumuya ng sugarless gum.

Yung mga smokers, simple lang ang advice ko, quit. Isang proven scientific fact na ang paninigarilyo ay nakapagpapataas sa risk ng oral cancer, gingivitis, periodontitis at tooth decay. Ito ay maliban pa sa bad breath at stains sa ngipin.

Incidentally, magandang habit din yung ine-examine natin yung ating mouth regularly. We should watch out for swollen gums, chipped teeth, discolored teeth, sores or lesions sa gums, sa loob ng cheeks at sa dila. Importante ito lalo na sa mga smokers. Itanong ninyo sa inyong dentist kung saan yung mga areas na madalas nagkakaroon ng problema.