Myths About Dentistry- Busted

“My tooth doesn’t hurt, so I don’t need to see a dentist.”
“Baby teeth are not important.”
“Flossing creates spaces between teeth.”
“Braces are only meant for the young children. “
You all must have heard these phrases before!!!

A numerous myths have been woven around dentistry/ oral healthcare which is unfortunately the most neglected and misunderstood amongst all. The good news is that all myths about dentistry will put to an end once you read on:

“You only need to go to the dentist if your teeth hurt.”

Most people believe that, If you don’t see (or feel) anything wrong with your teeth, you don’t need to go to the dentist.

There is famous saying that “prevention is better than cure.” Diagnosing and curing a tooth problem at an earlier stage is much easier and cost-effective than if it is to be addressed later.

Even when you are not experiencing any dental pain, the dentists in India recommend a visit to the dental clinic twice a year for regular cleanings and examination. Some dental problems are asymptomatic but can still cause infection which needs treatment. If treatment is delayed it may need a more extensive and expensive treatment than if the problem were caught before it worsened. Also, the tooth becomes compromised and there is a lesser chance of being getting saved.

Prevention saves you both time and money in the long-run.

Teeth cleaning /scaling & polishing is not a good idea as it results in loss of enamel, increased sensitivity and weakens the teeth.

Scaling and Polishing is recommended by all dentists in Delhi and particularly is good to do after a period of 6 months. It is important to follow this regime. Dentists help you clean your teeth, deposits or plaque which is lodged in places where brush cannot reach. Not only will you be relieved of bad breath but will feel fresh with cleaner and healthier teeth which are so vital for overall good health. Scaling is a safe and routine procedure and does not damage the tooth surface in any way.

“Flossing between the teeth can create spaces in your teeth.”

Flossing does not create spaces between your teeth rather it helps prevent decay between your teeth. When you floss, you are removing food debris around your teeth and gums, which helps keeps them healthy and prevent the decay.

“It’s only a baby tooth.” Cavities in baby teeth don’t matter.

Baby teeth are very important. They provide the necessary space for permanent teeth to line up underneath the gums and grow in properly. If cavities in the baby teeth are not addressed in the right way, it can cause tooth loss much earlier than is natural time resulting in a space. In such a case, a dentist can make an artificial space maintainer until the permanent tooth grows, but baby teeth are the best natural space maintainers. It is important to make sure that your child’s teeth are as healthy.

“Oral health is not connected to the rest of the body.”

Your oral health is connected to your overall health and there are many correlations between your mouth and body. A mouth with severe tooth decay and periodontal disease is more likely to cause bacteria to enter into the bloodstream and result in other health issues. Studies have found a link between periodontal disease and heart disease, diabetes, lung pneumonia, cancer, and more.

“My teeth are unhealthy because I’m aging.”

Aging is not an automatic factor in deteriorating oral health, whether you are 80 or 8, your oral health is important. People who take care of their teeth during their childhood and adult years have healthy teeth in their later years. Similarly, just because you are young doesn’t mean your teeth will be healthy. Patients in their 20s and 30s can have such severe dental decay that they have to rely on artificial teeth. Oral hygiene is important no matter your age.

“Wisdom tooth removal can affect the vision.”

The greatest of all myths is Wisdom teeth removal causes vision disturbances. No removing upper teeth or any teeth for that matter affects a person’s eyesight. The nerves which supply eyes and teeth are different hence there is no interconnection. Wisdom teeth do not always have to be removed. They are only extracted when they are impacted or causing other issues like a decay or pain.

“It doesn’t matter what time of day I brush.”

While the dentist recommend patient to brush their teeth at least twice a day, brushing at a certain time does have an impact on your oral health. At night when we sleep, our salivary glands produce less saliva. During the day our saliva flow is higher and it naturally provides a cleansing effect that we do not get at night. In general, those people in whom the saliva secretion is less (whether naturally or due to medication) have more cavities because they have less natural saliva cleansing their mouth and washing food particles away. So, when we don’t brush our teeth at night before bed, those food particles sit on our teeth all night and contribute to tooth decay over time. Brushing in the morning not only fights against tooth decay but also helps fight bad breath.

“The harder you brush the cleaner you’ll get your teeth.”

Brushing too hard or with too abrasive of a toothbrush (medium or hard) can actually harm your teeth by eroding some of the hard enamel that protects the tooth from cavities and decay. People feel like they are getting their teeth more clean, but actually it wears away enamel thus making them sensitive to hot and cold food items.

“Diet sodas are okay to drink because they don’t have sugar in them.”

Sugar in soda combines with bacteria in your mouth to form acid. Diet or “sugar free” soda is just as harmful as regular soda because it contains its own acid, and acid in soft drinks is the primary cause of weakening tooth enamel. Our mouth has acid-loving bacteria that contribute to cavities. The acid in diet soda eats away at enamel causing tooth sensitivity.

Besides soda, other acidic beverages like orange juices, citrus juices, etc. can also cause similar damage. The healthiest alternatives to keep your body hydrated are water, vegetable juice, and milk.

“Braces are only meant for the young children”

Whether you are 20, 30 or 50, you have a reason to smile as your crooked teeth can be realigned to make you look beautiful. Dental clinics in India now are offering treatment options for all age groups by recommending braces metallic or ceramic, invisible aligners etc., custom made for each patient. Gone are those days, when there was a perception that only the younger generation could get their perfect smile.

“Visiting a Dentist Is a Painful and Dreadful Experience”

This is absolutely untrue; many clinics have a different feel altogether. Conventional dental care settings were rarely therapeutic and just walking into a dental office could raise the stress level of the patients. But now Dental clinics in Delhi are specially designed unconventionally with a “feel good” factor, to calm down anxiety of the patients. Smile Delhi – The Dental Clinic is one of them.

Fear of pain is the main reason people avoid seeing the dentist. The good news is that there is a wide array of medications and techniques are used alone or in combination that can reduce or eliminate pain and control anxiety during most procedures.

We encourage you to be proactive in keeping your teeth healthy. Putting off your regular dental check-ups will likely lead to dental problems. A little time invested each day can save you countless hours of trouble in terms of your health in the future.

Smiling is an international language, and it has more benefits than you think. A smile alone is said to be able to help relieve stress.

Taking care of those pearly whites today only helps in protecting them against aging and the effects of other wear and tear.

Posted by : Dr Sonam