A close friend of mine got braces installed in her late thirties. Then onwards, I have seen her struggle with her braces almost every day for the last six months. She has visited her orthodontist so many times in these months and paid through her nose for each, has borne lot of pain, has done dental acrobatics to fish out food particles from her mouth and is continuing with it because she wants a just perfect smile. From her, I learnt that braces need to be worn for as long as a year or a year and a half. Who says you need bravery only for cosmetic surgery? Her experience prompted me to do a feature on dental braces, because like most of us, I too believed that dental braces are only for

Oral hygiene is an important indicator of your overall health. Yet, it’s also one of the most neglected aspects of our health. Researches say that the status of your oral health is an important predictor to your cardiovascular health. Let’s take a quiz to find where you stand? 1. How much time do you spend brushing your teeth everyday? A. 0-30 seconds B. 30-60 seconds C. 60-120 seconds 2. How often do you change your toothbrush? A. Only when it gets lost B. When I feel uncomfortable brushing my teeth with it C. Every two months I change my toothbrush. 3. Do you floss? A. What’s that? B. I do it, but occasionally when a food particle gets trapped in my gums. C. Everyday while