How to get that perfect smile
New Delhi: Regular oral care is an important aspect of overall well-being. From greater self-confidence to a soaring career, healthy teeth can truly transform the positivity of your mind-set and also create that perfect impression.
Delhi based dentist Ekta Chadha speaks about tips on keeping the pearly whites strong and healthy.
* Target the right area: Toothbrushing is an important part of daily dental care routine. Keeping the area where your teeth meet your gums clean can prevent gum disease, while keeping your tooth surfaces clean can help keep cavities at bay. Also, changing your toothbrush every 3-4 months is highly recommended if the bristles are frayed.
* Choosing the right toothpaste: When it comes to choosing the right toothpaste for you, it's important to think about your unique oral health needs. For example, if you have sensitive teeth, using a specialized desensitizing toothpaste, instead of basic toothpaste will help provide greater relief and is safe to use as well.
* Flossing is as important as tooth brushing: Cleaning between your teeth may help prevent cavities and remove plaque. Flossing cleans the areas which are difficult for a toothbrush to reach. It removes the food debris and plaque accumulated between the teeth.
* Sugar is the culprit of tooth decay: At every age, a healthy diet is essential for keeping the teeth in a healthy state. However, sugary foods have been known as real culprits of tooth decay. When bacteria in the mouth break down simple sugars, they produce high acids that can erode tooth enamel, opening the door to decay. Hence, it is advisable to cut down on foods and drinks that are high in acid such as sodas.
Ajay Kakar, a dentist, too has some tips to share:
* You're brushing too hard: Aggressive toothbrushing is a well-intentioned mistake! You may feel that brushing harder will remove more leftover food and the bacteria, but gentle brushing is all that is needed. When you brush too hard, it can wear down the teeth enamel and damage the gums.
* Choosing a wrong toothbrush: An important feature of a toothbrush is the bristles that remove the bacteria and loosen plaque from your teeth and gums. Sometimes, you may think that the harder the bristles are, the more they'll clean. But that's not true. Compared to hard bristles, soft bristles can clean teeth more effectively.
* Not brushing long enough: The average time a person brushes his teeth is about 33 seconds. This is only one-sixth the amount of time necessary for teeth to achieve plaque-free status. When in doubt, follow the 2s: 2 minutes, 2 times a day rule.
* Forgetting to clean other parts of the mouth: Another common mistake, while your toothbrush is at work, you may brush your front teeth more than the rest and leave out certain parts of your mouth. She suggests that brushing should be an equal opportunity activity, targeting the inside, outside and chewing surfaces of your teeth, as well as your gums, and your tongue.
* Using an old toothbrush: Do you find yourself using the same old toothbrush while the seasons change around you? Are your brush bristles getting frayed? If yes, bust this bad habit and resolve to use a new brush every three to four months.
* Brushing after meals : Wait at least half an hour before brushing to let your saliva naturally neutralize the acids.
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'Even Ajmal Kasab was given a fair trial': SC remarks in Yasin Malik case
New Delhi, Nov 21: Even Ajmal Kasab was given a fair trial in our country, the Supreme Court on Thursday remarked and indicated it may set up a courtroom inside Tihar Jail for the trial of J&K separatist leader Yasin Malik in a kidnapping case.
A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih was hearing a CBI plea against the September 20, 2022 order of a Jammu trial court that directed Malik, serving life term in Tihar jail, to be produced before it physically to cross-examine the prosecution witnesses in the kidnapping case of Rubaiya Sayeed, daughter of politician Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
The bench, however, remarked, "How will cross-examination be done online? There is hardly any connectivity in Jammu... In our country, a fair trial was given even to Ajmal Kasab and legal assistance was given to him in the high court."
Kasab, the lone Pakistani gunman caught alive after the Mumbai terror attack, was hanged till death at the Yerawada Central Prison .
The bench told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the CBI, to take instructions on the total number of witnesses in the case.
Mehta pointed out security concerns and said Malik couldn't be taken to Jammu for the trial.
The law officer accused Malik of "playing tricks" for having asked to appear personally and not engaging a lawyer. Mehta said Malik was not an ordinary criminal and showed a purported photograph of Malik sharing the dais with terrorist Hafiz Saeed.
The top court said it could order trial to take place inside the jail premises and ask the judge to come to the national capital for the proceedings.
The bench, however, noted all the accused persons in the matter had to be heard before it passes an order.
Mehta said Malik appearing in the Supreme Court physically raised security concerns previously.
The bench said Malik could be allowed to appear virtually in the apex court proceedings and posted the matter on November 28.
The CBI in the meantime was directed to amend its petition and implead all accused persons as respondents.
In 2023, Mehta wrote to then Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla flagging a "serious security lapse" after Malik was brought to the Supreme Court to appear in a case.
Malik, serving life sentence in a terror-funding case, was brought to the high-security apex court premises in a prison van escorted by armed security personnel without the court's permission.
Expressing surprise at his presence, Mehta informed the apex court there was a procedure for high-risk convicts to be allowed into the courtroom to argue their case personally.
The CBI said Malik, the top leader of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), was a threat to national security and cannot be allowed to be taken outside the Tihar jail premises.
The apex court on April 24, 2023, issued notices on the CBI's appeal following which the incarcerated JKLF chief wrote a letter to the registrar of the Supreme Court on May 26, 2023 seeking permission to appear in person to plead his case.
An assistant registrar took up his request on July 18, 2023 and said the apex court would pass necessary orders -- a decision the Tihar Jail authorities reportedly misconstrued to allow Malik to appear and argue his case.
Mehta referred to the CBI's contention in its appeal against the trial court order to bring Malik to Jammu for the in-person examination of the witnesses in the kidnapping case, and said under Section 268 of the CrPC a state government may direct certain people to not be shifted from the confines of a prison.
On September 20, 2022, a special TADA court in Jammu directed Malik to be physically produced before it on the next hearing for him to cross-examine prosecution witnesses in the kidnapping case.
The CBI challenged the trial court order before the Supreme Court as appeals in TADA cases are only heard by the top court.
Rubaiya was abducted near Lal Ded Hospital in Srinagar on December 8, 1989 and freed five days later after the then BJP-backed V P Singh government at the Centre released five terrorists in exchange.
Mufti, who now lives in Tamil Nadu, is a prosecution witness of the CBI, which took over the case in early 1990s.
Malik is lodged in Tihar jail after he was sentenced by a special NIA court in May, 2023 in a terror-funding case.
