7 Popular Dentistry Myths Busted
As dental care advances, old-fashioned beliefs about oral hygiene still remain ingrained in our brains. To help you stay informed and up-to-date, we have busted some of the most widespread dental myths.
1. Dentistry Myth: The more sugar you eat the more your teeth decay.
Truth: The amount of sugar you eat is not the issue, but it’s how long the sugar stays on the teeth. Candies that you suck on or sodas that you sip remain in the mouth for a longer time which increases the teeth’s exposure to bacteria from the sugar.
2. Dentistry Myth: Using toothpicks after meals can widen gaps between my teeth.
Truth: A normal toothpick will not do this. Toothpicks are a handy way to remove food particles between teeth. But you should be careful with toothpicks because their pointy ends may cause damage to the gums and the mouth’s soft tissue.
3. Dentistry Myth: You don’t need to take care of your baby’s teeth because they are going to fall out in a few years anyways.
Truth: If premature teeth are not maintained well, they may fall out before they are supposed to and lead to bite issues or abnormal permanent teeth development. Plus, the earlier your children learn the value of oral hygiene and good dental habits, the better their teeth will be for the rest of their lives.
4. Dentistry Myth: Good dental health can be inherited.
Truth: Genetics play a small part in dental health. Even if you are less prone to cavities, your teeth can decay if you don’t brush your teeth twice a day and floss daily. Some may have a higher likelihood of getting cavities, or periodontal disease. You need to visit your dentist regularly and take preventative measures, such as getting sealants and being aware of the foods you eat to avoid intensive dental work.
5. Dentistry Myth: You must avoid going to the dentist when you are pregnant.
Truth: Dental care is extremely important during pregnancy. Since your body is undergoing so many changes you are more likely to get pregnancy gingivitis, periodontal disease and dry mouth. Your dentist can help you with all of these issues. Make sure you tell your dentist when you are pregnant, so they will avoid X-rays, major sedatives and major procedures.
6. Dentistry Myth: It is better to remove wisdom teeth because they usually cause problems.
Truth: Do not remove wisdom teeth until you have real problems with them. There is no evidence that removing them helps or hurts future health. But really it comes down to what individual dentists think is best for each patient.
7. Dentistry Myth: All dental treatments are painful.
Truth: This might have been the case in the past, but now with so many advancements in dentistry, anesthetics and sedation dentistry has helped numb and erase the pain that used to be associated with dentistry.
Contact us today to have any other of your dental myths debunked.
