The pandemic appears to be the worst it has ever been, with the country trying to grapple with several difficulties with regards to the infrastructure.
According to the Worldometer tracker, on May 23, India became the world's third country to cross three lakh deaths due to the outbreak of the coronavirus. The two other countries which have crossed the toll are the United States and Brazil.
At a time like this, it becomes extremely important to understand the effects of COVID-19, and the precautions one must take to prevent the infection. The team of Mumbai Live got in touch with Harminder Singh Multani, CEO of MyDentalPlan, to talk about oral hygiene, the effects of COVID-19, and what we can do to lessen the impact COVID-19 is having on the human body.
Started in February 2015, MyDentalPlan today has a network of more than 3,500 verified dentists in 1,000 plus audited clinics to offer the best dental care.
Speaking about the coronavirus, and the importance of oral hygiene during the pandemic, Multani stated, “We do not think of oral hygiene the way people in the West do. Why are we talking about wearing a face mask today? That precaution itself puts the focus on the mouth, which is clearly the point of ingestion for any microbes. Unless and until we ensure a very good oral hygiene, we cannot ensure a very good overall health,”
Moreover, we asked some frequently asked questions with regards to simple measures, such as careful tooth brushing and interdental brushing in order to understand the correlation between oral hygiene and COVID-19 better.
This is absolutely true. One should change their toothbrush often regardless of COVID-19. There are several microbes that end up on the toothbrush, especially so if you are sick. So, the chances for someone to catch the infection is higher if they keep using the old toothbrush. Therefore, it is highly advised for a person who has recovered from the coronavirus, or any flu for the matter, to change their toothbrush.
Basically, smoking increases the inflammation in gums. The moment that happens the mouth starts harbouring bacteria. One of the easiest ways of course is to cut down on smoking as much as possible, besides that, brushing twice a day, with softer bristles. Flossing every day can also help with maintaining gum health. We also recommend home remedies such as mixing mustard oil and salt and applying it on gums too.
Yeah, dentists do work very closely with the patient. We are trying to provide virtual consultation at the moment. However, it is not always possible as there will be cases where someone would need an intervention from the dentist. What we advise is to get yourself tested before a cleaning. Beyond that, we at MyDentalPlan are trying to ensure that hygiene levels are taken care of at the clinics and spaces are sanitized.
MyDentalPlan strives to be a household name in the dental space and is formulating plans to expand its footprint to 5,000 clinics by 2021. During the same period, the company has chalked out plans to increase its presence to 250 cities.
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