Dental Myths and Facts

Truths behind a pretty smile

Fri Jul 8, 2022

Dental Myths and Facts

When it comes to taking care of our teeth and beautiful smile, there are plenty of misconceptions which come along. But while good oral health can be achieved in just spending 6 minutes in a day, but some wrong practices can also cause irreversible damage to the teeth. Here's what you need to know about some dental myths and facts.

The Harder you Brush, The Cleaner you'll get your Teeth

Brushing harder or with too abrasive of a toothbrush can causes, the more trauma to the tooth enamel and gum tissue endures. It can eventually lead to other problems such as gum recession. Brush gently for two minutes, twice daily with a soft-bristled brush is what is recommended.

Chewing Sugar-Free Gum is Just as good as Brushing

Chewing gum is not a substitute for brushing our teeth. Some chewing gums can promote cleaner teeth and better breath, and some dentists even recommend the sugar-free varieties to chew on instead of candy like gums with xylitol. However, while some chewing gums serve as aids to oral health, they still do not reach the level of being able to replace brushing our teeth or flossing.

When it comes to Cavities, Sugar is the main Culprit

It is common knowledge that sugar is terrible for our teeth, but is it true? Ingesting a lot of sugar does not technically cause tooth decay, how long the sugar remains in our mouth is the real cause. Sugar introduced into our mouth causes bacteria to produce acids that slowly eat away at our tooth enamel, making our teeth more susceptible to cavities.

Minerals found in our saliva, in addition to brushing and flossing our teeth (which is very important), can help repair the enamel worn down by the harmful bacteria and to an extent helps in strengthening our teeth.

Pregnant Women should avoid the Dentist

Some expecting mothers might have heard that they should not visit the dentist, but this could not be further from the truth. 

In fact, it is recommended by dentists that women should keep their regular check-ups during their pregnancy because hormone levels rise while a mother is expecting, and these hormone levels can cause gums to swell or bleed. It is safe to visit and get routine checkup or emergency treatment done while they are pregnant.

Enamel Loss causes Sensitivity

Tooth sensitivity has many causes. Enamel loss can lead to sensitivity, but so can tooth grinding (bruxism), abrasive toothpaste and more. If you are experiencing tooth sensitivity, discuss these symptoms with your dentist as you might have cervical abrasion, dental erosion, cavities, receded gums etc.

Oral Health does not connect to your Body

Our mouth is home to a lot of bacteria, some of them are harmless and some of them are beneficial. However, our oral health can determine the well-being of the rest of our body since our mouth can be an entry point for harmful bacteria. 

By neglecting the health of our teeth, we are making our body vulnerable to a host of different types of diseases like endocarditis, pneumonia, and cardiovascular disease. By keeping a good oral care routine and seeing our dentist regularly, we can significantly reduce the risk of other diseases entering our body.

Baby teeth do not matter

The importance of baby/milk teeth cannot be understated. Milk teeth are very important to our child to chew and speak at an early age, baby teeth also serve the purpose of creating space for adult teeth to come in and helps in their self-esteem. 

Removing a baby tooth prematurely will leave a space to open for other teeth to shift around, which can cause problems like overlapping and crookedness. Overly shifted teeth can make it hard to maintain a good oral hygiene.

Bleaching is bad for teeth

In the early days of tooth whitening, this used to be patient’s notion as bleaching used to cause dental sensitivity. Since the acidic nature of bleaching would dissolve the protective layer of enamel, your teeth can be left vulnerable to all types of cavities and tooth decay.

However, this is not the case anymore. Dentists are now using safe and non-acidic bleaching methods to help whiten our teeth making modern teeth whitening safe and effective.

White teeth are healthy teeth

This can be true but not in all cases, many of the things that cause our teeth to get darker or become yellow are unhealthy, like smoking. But there are also plenty of things that can darken the colour of our teeth that are not necessarily unhealthy, such as medication, stains from foods and drinks, or just the natural process of aging.

If nothing is bothering you, no need to visit the dentist.

Prevention is better that cure. The longer problems go undetected or untreated, the harder they are to treat when you do start to notice them. Semi-annual dental exams for adults and kids are the best way to maintain optimal oral health — so even if you don’t notice anything amiss, it’s best to still schedule routine dental checkups.

Garima Malhotra

MDS, BDS, Certified Parenting Coach

Dental Myths and Facts