A Dentist with Agenda

 

31st of May is celebrated as “World No Tobacco Day”. There was a health awareness session in our company that day and they had invited a dentist to speak about how tobacco has bad effect on our teeth and related issues. The dentist was from some Southern states, and she gave a good session on the actual topic, which I ignored since tobacco is not relevant for me. But then the Q&A session happened, and it shocked me.

The general questions related to teeth and dentistry were answered well by her. But after a while I started observing a clear pattern in her answers and suggestions. From her answers it seemed she and an anti-Ayurveda or anti-tradition “agenda”.

There was a question from someone about whether “tooth powders” are also fine. She asked to never use a tooth powder because it is “abrasive” and it can harm our teeth. Really? I don’t know what can harm our teeth more – rubbing our teeth with “plastic” (toothbrush is nothing but plastic) two times a day for 80 whole years; or occasionally giving our gums and teeth a “massage” with tooth powder. I do not use tooth powder regularly, but whenever I have used occasionally, I don’t hate it like she asked us to do. And I don’t think it is abrasive at all.

Later, someone asked what type of toothpaste to use, and she said, “never use anything which has “cloves” in it, because cloves can harm your teeth.” Really? I asked an AI based chatbot and it replied below about cloves and dental health”

Cloves are indeed beneficial for dental health, and their use is backed by both traditional practices and modern research. Here's how they help:

🌿 Key Benefits of Cloves for Teeth and Gums

1.        Pain Relief

Cloves contain eugenol, a natural compound with strong analgesic (pain-relieving) properties. Applying clove oil to a toothache can provide quick relief.

2.        Antibacterial Action

Eugenol also has antimicrobial effects, helping to kill bacteria that cause tooth decay, gum disease, and bad breath.

3.        Reduces Inflammation

Clove oil can soothe inflamed gums and is often used to treat conditions like gingivitis and periodontitis.

4.        Freshens Breath

Its antibacterial properties help eliminate odor-causing bacteria, leaving your mouth feeling fresh.

5.        Natural Alternative

Clove oil is a chemical-free option for oral care, often used in DIY remedies like mouthwashes, toothpaste, and gels.

🧪 How to Use Cloves for Oral Health

•          Direct Application: Dab a small amount of clove oil on a cotton ball and apply it to the affected area.

•          Mouthwash: Mix a few drops of clove oil in warm water and rinse.

•          Toothpaste Additive: Add a drop of clove oil to your toothpaste.

•          Clove Tea: Drinking clove-infused tea can also support oral hygiene.

She also advised not to use Ayurvedic toothpastes but use toothpastes like Colgate which means exposing our mouth to chemicals (toothpaste = chemicals), two times a day, for our whole lifespan. I do not use an Ayurvedic toothpaste myself, but I like to twitch toothpastes and sometimes I do use Ayurvedic ones too. I did not like the way she strictly rubbished a whole category of toothpastes.

It clearly felt as if she had an “anti-traditional” agenda; or if she was “sold-out” to commercial pharmaceutical companies. And one problem is that this remained my sole “takeaway” from that session which was supposed to be educational in nature.

- Rahul