Keeping good care of your teeth is very important. However, there are various myths floating around regarding oral health. Good oral health is essential for dental and overall health. This article is here to highlight some of the possible wrong ways you might have been thinking about oral health. Debunking these will ensure that you learn the proper way to keep your teeth in good condition. Here they are.
Brushing harder makes teeth cleaner
It is a wrong way to believe that brushing your teeth too hard makes them cleaner. This will only erode the enamel that protects the inside of teeth from decay and cavities. Dental experts recommend brushing using a soft-bristled or electronic toothbrush combined with appropriate gentle brushing. You can always contact a professional Airdrie dentist for advice on the most appropriate way to brush your teeth.
Whiter teeth are healthier
This might be true to some extent but can only be proved after a professional dental check-up. Everyone has different teeth exposed to various circumstances. People have variable enamel thickness and shade to explain the different perfectly natural teeth color apart from white. Maintaining proper oral hygiene with routine visits to the dentist for checkups eliminates worry about teeth color. When unhappy about the color of your teeth, visit your Airdrie dentist for the best solution to enhance your smile.
No dental visit when smile looks and feels healthy
It is very important to schedule a dental check-up and cleaning about twice annually to ensure that your teeth are healthy. During the check-up, Airdrie dentists might detect changes in oral health including gum disease and cavity in early stages. The short visits to a dentist annually will save on treatment time and costs in the future. Treating issues early prevents them from escalating and costing more time and money to fix.
Bad breath is gum disease
Bad breath is caused by various issues including gum disease. Visiting your dentist is the best thing to do when experiencing bad breath. Perhaps the dentist discovers nothing wrong with your oral health. Then, you should visit your physician. Apart from gum disease, your bad breath might be resulting from other health-related issues including:
- Diabetes
- Digestive problems
- Respiratory tract infections
- Chronic sinus infections
- Liver or kidney problems
Flossing creates spaces between teeth
It is wrong to believe that flossing creates spaces between teeth. Actually, flossing limits teeth decay. Flossing removes food debris nestled between teeth and gums to keep them healthy and eliminate harmful bacteria. Early flossing might come with gum bleeding but after a few weeks, the bleeding will decrease. Continued bleeding might be a sign of gum disease. Ensure to visit a dentist for appropriate diagnosis and an appropriate treatment plan.
Unhealthy teeth are part of the natural aging
Aging doesn’t promote deteriorating teeth. Good oral hygiene during childhood and adulthood will ensure that you always have healthy teeth even in your senior years. Being young doesn’t mean that your teeth are obviously healthy. People in their 20s and 30s can have severe cases of tooth decay requiring bridges and dentures as quick fixes. Good oral hygiene is very important for anyone regardless of age including regular brushing and flossing to maintain good oral health.
Baby teeth don’t need dentist attention
Children are obviously going to lose their baby teeth. However, these offer appropriate spaces for permanent teeth to develop underneath the gums. Kids can develop cavities and these might cause tooth loss earlier than natural when not addressed. The dentist will just have to create an artificial space maintainer for permanent teeth to grow in however, good care with professional assistance for your child’s baby teeth is better for natural space maintainers for permanent teeth.
Diet sodas are sugar-free and okay
Despite lacking cavity-causing sugar, diet sodas are highly acidic. The mouth contains acid-loving bacteria that might trigger cavities. Diet soda has a pH level of 2 to 3 while water has a neutral pH level at 7. This acid in diet soda might erode enamel leading to tooth sensitivity. Sipping this soda slowly comes with very disastrous effects in the mouth. Whenever you sip, mouth bacteria works with the acid to attack teeth enamel. The cycle goes on for every sip.
Oral heal is independent of the rest of the body
There are various correlations between the body and mouth making oral healthy well connected to your overall health. Severe tooth decay or periodontal disease in the mouth allows bacteria to enter your bloodstream resulting in various health issues including:
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Cancer
- Dementia
- Respiratory infections
- Pregnancy complications
- Erectile dysfunction
Bottom line
Minding about oral and overall health is very important for your overall wellbeing. Achieving this requires taking good care of your teeth. This requires practicing good dental habits and regular visits to the dentist for a checkup.
