On the final episode of the Time with the Dentist show, Pepsodent Ghana’s Dental TV show hosted by Dr Gwendolyn Amarquaye-Bayitse, the dentist identified and addressed some common dental issues and most importantly how to avoid them.

It is often very comforting to see people smiling happily because if they have beautiful teeth, it makes their smiles conspicuous. However, some people avoid smiling not because they don’t want to smile but rather, they have teeth or oral problems.

In this piece, Dr Gwendolyn helps us with three common teeth problems and how best we to address or possibly avoid them. Among such problems would be bad breath, tooth decay and tooth sensitivity.

According to her, the most common oral problem is Halitosis, also known as bad breath and it is caused by issues within the mouth or other parts of the body for which the latter can be handled by a medical officer.

But usually, bad breath occurs mainly due to oral cavity - gum diseases, eating spicy foods, not brushing the tongue, cavities in the teeth all cause bad breath. There are medications and medical conditions which reduce the flow of saliva in the mouth which leads to dry mouth resulting in bad breath. Brushing regularly and twice daily with fluoridated toothpaste like Pepsodent and using mouthwash can help but you need to visit your dentist to rule out a serious problem with bad breath.

The second dental problem is that of tooth decay. “Tooth decay is one of the most prevalent diseases globally. We all have bacteria in our mouth, and this is very normal, there are few specific bacteria that are the major culprits when it comes to tooth decay.

"When we eat sugary foodstuffs and we do not keep good oral hygiene, these bacteria feeds on the sugary foods and produce acid which attacks the tooth surface and destroys it causing the tooth to decay.

"This leads to severe toothache leading to sleepless nights. The best way to avoid this is to eat healthy foods, avoid sugary snacks, brush twice daily with a fluoridated toothpaste like Pepsodent and visit your dentist regularly” says Dr Gwendolyn Amarquaye-Bayitse.

She goes further to note that tooth sensitivity is another serious dental problem found in many Ghanaians and billions of people.

Do you often feel a sharp pain which usually doesn’t last long after taking in a cool drink? Our gums may recede or pull back from its right position as a result of gum disease or wrong brushing technique. When this happens the surface of the teeth gets exposed which should not happen.

This aspect of the tooth is very sensitive to fluids and even whiles brushing. Another culprit is the hard bristle toothbrushes. These will wear off the outmost layer of the tooth exposing the second layer which is very sensitive ad that is why you must always use Pepsodent toothbrushes with soft bristles. Pepsodent sensitive expert is also very helpful when it comes to teeth sensitivity.

Dental problems are never fun, but the good news is that most of them can be easily prevented. Brushing twice daily, day and night with fluoridated toothpaste like Pepsodent, eating properly, and regular dental check-ups are essential steps in preventing dental problems. Brush right, Brush Often, Brush with family!

Time with The Dentist is a dental TV show by Pepsodent in partnership with the Ghana Dental Association. The has been educating Ghanaians on basic oral hygiene routines, how to care for the teeth, myths and facts associated with maintaining good oral hygiene among others.

It shows weekly on TV3, Adom TV, UTV, MX24 and GHOne TV.