Fast Facts On Dentistry
- 25% of adults DO NOT brush twice a day. This increases their risk of developing tooth decay by 33%.
- 90% of a bad breath smell originates in the mouth.
- Roughly 25% of American adults have no teeth.
False dental Facts And misinformation
There’s a lot of dental misinformation out there, if you trust the wrong info it could lead to cavities, infections, missing teeth, and other negative outcomes. With your teeth, it might be difficult to know if you’re doing the right thing or the wrong thing since it always takes a long time for the changes to materialize in your teeth, but once they do dental problems, are often irreversible.
Myth 1: Sugar Causes Cavities
We’re betting you didn’t expect this to be our first myth. Sugar alone does not cause cavities in your teeth, decay is promoted when the bacteria eat the carbohydrates in your food. The act of the bacteria eating the sugar causes acid to be released which then causes tooth decay. Since carbs are fairly essential foods for humans, it will be virtually impossible for most people to avoid them, (carbs in general, not just added sugar). The best way to prevent this problem is by not letting it become one in the first place. Make sure to mitigate your intake of high carb foods, while brushing flossing, and using mouthwash multiple times a day.
myth 2: Bleeding gums are normal
There’s a big difference between, “normal” and “common”, just because something occurs often, it does not mean that it’s a good thing. Bleeding gums are a common dental issue that occurs to people but it is an indicator that your dental health could be shown more care. Gingivitis is something that can be prevented by having a better and more consistent oral care routine. If your gums are bleeding during brushing you should see your dentist for tips on how to avoid gingivitis.
myth 3: Brushing harder is not better
Since we just covered two things that require more, or better brushing, let’s define what bad brushing is. Applying too much force to your gums can be damaging even if they are healthy. If you think you might be brushing too hard for your gums, try to do it more gently. Brushing should not be a painful or uncomfortable activity, this means applying light to medium pressure on your gums while brushing.
If you want to really take your brushing to the next level, you can measure your pressure:
If you want to really take your brushing to the next level, you can measure your pressure:
- Grab a kitchen scale that can weigh down to ’20s of grams.
- Apply 150 – 200 grams of pressure.
- Use this same amount of pressure on your teeth.
Of course, if you don’t want to be this precise you can just brush your teeth as normal and try varying degrees of pressure.
Myth 4: Flossing Teeth Isn’t Necessary
Lots of people are under the impression that brushing your teeth does a good enough job without flossing. We’re here to tell you this is decidedly untrue. Flossing will remove up to 80% of your plaque! Some foods like chicken and candy are notoriously hard to remove from your teeth. For these reasons, more than flossing needs to be done for a clean and healthy.
Myth 5: Regular dental checkups aren’t necessary
People like to assume that they don’t need regular checkups if they have a good dental routine and they have healthy teeth. Even if your dental health was 100% and your teeth were cavity-free, we would still recommend checkups at least 1-2 times a year. In their early stages, certain dental problems have no telltale signs. You may have plaque building up that you are unaware of, a dentist can get rid of this plaque before it becomes tartar. They can also spot things like teeth growing improperly, if a dentist can fix a tooth before it becomes a bigger problem, it will almost always be less expensive, and less of a hassle.
Myth 6: Gum is a substitute for brushing
Since chewing gum rubs on your teeth like a toothbrush, some people are under the impression that you can get away with using gum instead of brushing. This may be an ok tactic if you’re eating a midday meal and a toothbrush isn’t available. Sugar-free gum can do some cleaning and may help lessen the chances of gingivitis from happening. However, chewing gum is not a outright replacement for brushing your teeth. If you brush your teeth, you can still chew gum and vice versa, but chewing gum on it’s own is not a good enough excuse to stop brushing.
So What’s The Bottom Line?
You can go to lots of different places online to get your dentistry information. There are also lots of places giving out wrong, or fraudulent information. Sometimes this act is done with the intent to cause harm. Other times it might be done out of ignorance. If you do read something online that you are thinking of implementing into your routine, please consult with your dentist first.
