Introduction:
There are a few misconceptions about dental measures and dental treatment that mislead most people and prevent them from taking the dental treatment. Dental treatment is usually taken for granted. This article will guide you through the myths about dental procedures and facts.
What Are the Myths and Facts Related to Oral Hygiene Practices and Dental Treatments?
1:Oral Health Has Nothing To Do With Your Body
The oral cavity is the entry point and is the home for bacteria, some of them are beneficial, and some of them are harmful bacterias. Studies have shown the correlation between periodontitis and other systemic diseases like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, infective endocarditis, pneumonia, etc. If you neglect the health of your teeth, then you will be inviting other systemic diseases also along with dental problems. So, your oral health is equally important to keep your life healthy.
2:Harder You Brush, Whiter Will Be Your Teeth
When you brush your teeth harder, then it will cause more trauma to teeth, and that will not make your teeth white. It will be more injurious to the gums and enamel of teeth. So it is advisable to brush your teeth gently twice daily with a soft bristle brush.
3:Chewing Gums Will Clean the Teeth Instead of Brushing
Some chewing gums, to some extent, promote cleaning of teeth and causes better breath. Even though they aid in cleaning teeth but they do not match the level of cleaning after brushing and are not the ideal way for cleaning. So chewing gums are not a replacement for brushing.
4:Brushing In the Morning Is Only Important
Salivary glands produce saliva, which is having a cleansing effect in the oral cavity that causes food debris to wash away. During day time flow of saliva is more when compared to night time. So during the night time, if we do not brush and sleep, then food particles will get stuck on teeth for the full night, and that will lead to teeth decay and caries over the period of time. Brushing in the morning will help to fight against caries and halitosis. One should brush after having a meal and after having sticky food.
5:Only When Your Teeth Are Paining, You Should Visit the Dentist
It is the biggest myth. You should visit the dentist twice a year, even if one is not experiencing pain or any dental problems. As some dental problems do not show any symptoms in the initial days, but infection is there, and that needs to be addressed in the initial days to prevent further progression of the disease. We all know that prevention is better than cure. When it comes to dental problems, prevention is way better than cure for your dental health and for your pocket also. As if you wait for longer, then there might be disease progression, and maybe at a later stage, it will be difficult to save your tooth. Disease in the advanced stage will require more complex treatment and will be more expensive. Altogether, prevention, in the long run, will take care of your dental health and pocket too. So it is better to schedule routine dental checkups, even if you do not notice any dental issues.
6:Ignore As They Are Baby Teeth
You all must be knowing those baby teeth are necessary for your child's chewing purpose, for speaking, and for their good looks. Apart from this, baby teeth act as a space maintainer. They act as a guide for the eruption path for permanent teeth. In cases where there is early loss of baby teeth, then there will be space loss as adjacent teeth will move in that empty space. When a deciduous tooth is missing, there will not be any guiding path for permanent teeth to erupt in an ideal position. So that will lead to malalignment or crooked position of permanent teeth in the future. Moreover, if your child does not brush or floss their baby teeth, then he will not be careful with permanent teeth too, careless attitude for dental hygiene will become part of his routine, and that will lead to difficulty in maintaining good health of permanent dentition. So, the importance of baby teeth should not be underestimated.
7:My Dental Health Is Deteriorating Due to Aging
Age is not at all the reason for the deteriorating health of your teeth all of a sudden. If one has good dental health in their younger age and if you maintain the same, then no doubt you will have healthy dentition at an older age. So oral hygiene maintenance and routine dental checkups are necessary irrespective of age to keep your mouth healthy throughout your entire life.
8:Do Not Worry as the Tooth Is Not Paining Now
If you were having toothache initially and after few days it got subsided, then also you must go and visit your dentist as soon as possible. The reason behind this is caries that now are not showing any signs and symptoms may have a tendency to grow inside the tooth and reach the nerve of the tooth. Further progression takes us to a more complex situation.
9:If You Have White Teeth, It Means You Have Healthy Teeth
Most people have a strong belief that white teeth mean healthy teeth, but this is not the truth. The color of teeth is different for every individual. If the outer layer of teeth is transparent, then it will reflect the yellowish color of the inner dentine. So it is not a rule that white teeth mean good oral hygiene. Perhaps we dentists will look for zero cavity and healthy gums to determine good oral health rather than color.
10:Braces Are Not for Seniors
Braces work as a magic for people who want a perfect smile. But it is believed that it is the procedure to be done at growing age and is part of treatment for younger ones. But this is not the case, and you can correct your smile any time, irrespective of age.
11:Flossing Causes Spaced Teeth and Bleeding Gums, and It Is Not Necessary
Plaque in between your teeth is responsible for caries. Flossing helps to prevent the accumulation of plaque and also causes dislodgment of accumulated plaque, calculus in between your teeth. When you floss for the initial few days, there might be a chance that your gums may bleed for few days. So do not worry. Bleeding will subside in few days, which might be because of inflammation of the gums. But even after few weeks, you are experiencing bleeding gums while flossing, and then there is a chance that you have an advanced stage gum problem. So it is advisable to visit your dentist for the same, to determine the cause and plan treatment for it. If someone is having a big build-up of tartar around teeth, then it will be difficult to floss. In that case, you should undergo scaling that is cleaning of teeth in the dental office. After that, you can do flossing comfortably and successfully.
12:Bleeding Gums Is Normal
Most people have the attitude that it is fine if gums are bleeding while eating or while brushing. Bleeding gums are a sign of inflammation and infection of gums. Infection and inflammation should be taken care of as soon as possible to prevent further progression of the disease and is absolutely not a normal thing. So go and visit your dentist if you are facing bleeding from gums.
13:More the Sugar You Eat More Will Be the Decay
It is commonly said that do not eat more sugar or sugary foods, and you will get cavities in your teeth. But it is not the quantity of sugar, but it is the timing of sugary things on your teeth and in your mouth. The more the duration of sugar on your teeth, the more will be the time bacteria gets to decompose your teeth from acid produces from sugars. So even if someone has sweet things or your kid has chocolates, then make sure to rinse the mouth deeply, or it is better to do brushing after having sweet sticky food.
14:It Is Fine if We Have Sugar Free Sodas
It is the most common misconception that soda without sugar is not harmful to your teeth. But the fact is soda with or without sugar is harmful to your teeth. The pH of drinking soda is around 2 to 3, which is so acidic that it damages the enamel of teeth irrespective of sugar content. For reference average pH level of water is 7.
15:One Should Avoid Going to Dentist in Pregnancy
It is recommended by the dentist that soon-to-be mothers should go and have routine dental checkups even during pregnancy, perhaps more regularly during pregnancy. Fluctuating hormonal levels during pregnancy causes alteration in oral cavity microbial flora that may lead to gingival inflammation or infection. If someone is having previous cavity issues, but now it is not paining, that also should be addressed beforehand only as it does not mean that if the pain is not there, then the problem has subsided. It might become even more complex. So there should not be any reservations from soon-to-be mothers to go and visit the dentist.
16:Bleaching Is Harmful to Teeth
This is a modern era for dentistry also. Nowadays, techniques for bleaching teeth are safe and non-acidic to make your teeth white. In the earlier days of tooth whitening, patients often think that bleaching is harmful to their teeth. But not to worry and opt for bleaching without any hesitation.
Conclusion
In the past, there have been several myths that have been passed down through generations. While these myths have been proven wrong without any scientific basis, it is crucial to verify their accuracy before incorporating them into our practices. Failure to do so can result in potential harm to our teeth, gums, and overall well-being. Therefore, it is always important to consult with a dentist and seek professional advice before adopting any oral care practices. By doing so, ensuring that the oral hygiene routines are effective and safe.
