While we often overly take care of our skin and hair health, dental health is often underestimated or neglected. Oral health is the gateway to overall health. Especially in the modern lives where we’re surrounded by food, oral care should become a priority to maintain an overall healthy lifestyle.
With so much technological advancement, it is not very difficult to maintain the health of your teeth and gums. However, neglecting or incorrect practices may lead to irreversible or long-term ill effects. Although there is tremendous information available online ranging from at-home practices to professional care and more, dental myths have become a super common phenomenon.
In this article, we will discuss eight such dental myths that surround us so often that we end up accepting those.
Myth 1: Sugar causes tooth decay
While sugar is often the culprit, it's not the sugar itself that's causing the problem but the bacteria that eat sugar. Sticky foods, such as starch, attract bacteria to grow around the teeth. These bacteria produce acidic compounds that promote tooth decay. To prevent this from happening, it is important to rinse and brush after meals to reduce acid and plaque buildup. A better and more effective alternative, however, is water flossing after every meal. It helps remove the food debris as well as the bacteria that surround the teeth after eating.
Myth 2: Bleeding gums are normal
Bleeding gums when brushing or thread flossing are caused by inflammation of the gums. Gums can become inflamed and bleed due to excessive plaque buildup, gingivitis, periodontal disease, or other causes and that's not normal. Water flossing is the safest option, as, unlike thread flossing, it uses a pointed stream of water to clean the bacteria and food that sticks to the mouth after eating. It is capable of doing deep cleaning without much effort.
Myth 3: Harder the brushing better the cleaning
Strong brushing has the opposite effect. The harder you brush, the more trauma you inflict on your enamel and gum tissue. It can eventually lead to other problems such as receding gums. With a soft bristle brush, brushing gently for 2 minutes twice a day is sufficient. ORACURA’s sonic electric toothbrushes are power packed with soft DuPont bristles that are gentle on teeth and hard on bacteria that thrive in the mouth.
Myth 4: No special dental floss is required
Dental water flossing is an essential part of maintaining good oral health. It removed the food debris that finds its way into the little crevices of your teeth, thereby ensuring deep cleaning. Dental floss removes up to 80% of plaque. Plaque buildup promotes tooth decay but can be prevented with daily water flossing. ORACURA’s water flossers are very compact and easy to carry. They also offer various modes of cleaning and come with adjustable settings that can be changed as per unique requirements.
Myth 5: Chewing gum works like a brush
Chewing gum is no substitute for brushing your teeth. Some gums can clean teeth and promote better breath, and some dentists recommend chewing sugar-free varieties instead of candy. Acts as a health adjunct to, but does not replace brushing yet.
Myth 6: White teeth are healthy teeth
White teeth are not always healthy teeth. Teeth begin to whiten and may become discolored over time due to discoloration or damage. Teeth whitening may not address the underlying cause of discoloration. If your teeth have lost their shine, talk to your dentist about why as there could be various reasons associated with it. However, if your teeth have lost shine purely because of a lack of dental hygiene, they can be restored in various ways. ORACURA’s toothbrushes also offer teeth whitening mode that can be used once you’re done with normal brushing to ensure whiter-looking and cleaner teeth.
Myth 7: Charcoal toothpaste is better
Activated charcoal toothpaste is marketed for whitening purposes, but it actually does little to protect your teeth. Activated charcoal toothpaste actually works against your teeth by absorbing protective compounds that are thought to keep your teeth healthy and strong. You may choose to use any toothpaste as long as your brushing and flossing are in place. If you keep your mouth healthy by brushing twice a day and water flossing post meals, you don’t really need to worry much about toothpaste and other things like mouth rinse, etc.
Myth 8: Children don't need to brush their milk teeth
Poor oral health can lead to lifelong complications. When teething, the child should brush the twice a day. Cavities in children can cause health problems long after the baby's teeth are lost. Also, it is important to impart the significance of oral care at a very young age to children so they understand the role it plays in their overall health.
