Brush and floss every day, limit your sugar intake, and see the dentist a couple times a year. Most people probably think that that’s all they need to know about their oral health. However, there are several misconceptions that are popularly held. Educating yourself, along with visiting your dentist at Dental Arts St. Pete Beach in Florida, will help to keep your mouth as healthy as possible.
You only need to go to the dentist if your teeth hurt.
You’ve probably heard that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This is especially true in dentistry, when diseases do not present symptoms until they have reached a more advanced stage. This means that you may be suffering from a dental illness such as gum disease without knowing it. Visiting the dentist twice a year for a cleaning and exam helps to catch these problems in their early stages when they are both easier and more affordable to treat.
Flossing can create spaces between your teeth.
Flossing does not move anything except the debris that has collected in between the teeth; it doesn’t shift the teeth or gums. You may experience a small amount of bleeding when you first start flossing, but after a few weeks of steady flossing, this should decrease and you can enjoy the benefits of flossing – to remove harmful plaque and bacteria from between the teeth.
It’s only a baby tooth, so it doesn’t matter much.
Baby teeth are actually very important. They “save” the space where a permanent tooth is meant to erupt. Cavities in baby teeth (if left untreated) can potentially lead to tooth loss, which can affect the health of the permanent teeth. If a baby tooth is lost too soon, an artificial space maintainer will probably have to be put in place. Additionally, training kids to take good care of their baby teeth will help ensure that they will take care of adult teeth.
It doesn’t matter what time of day I brush.
Though it’s most important to brush twice a day, the time of day does also matter, namely brushing at night. Because our salivary glands produce less saliva at night, skipping the nighttime brushing allows bacteria in the built-up debris to attack the teeth, potentially causing cavities and even gum disease. Brushing at night cleans the teeth of all the food and debris that has built up throughout the day.
Diet sodas are ok to drink because they don’t have sugar in them.
It’s true that sugar is a big culprit in causing cavities, but that doesn’t make diet sodas ok to drink all the time. They are still highly acidic and can cause erosion in teeth enamel. Other acidic beverages that can cause damage to the teeth include orange juice and other citrus juices. It’s best to stick to drinks such as water, vegetable juice, and milk.
Oral health is not connected to the rest of the body.
Research has found that oral health is connected to systemic (overall) health. For example, severe tooth decay and periodontal disease can allow bacteria to enter into the bloodstream and cause problems in other areas of the body. Correlations have also been found between periodontal disease and heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other ailments.
My teeth are unhealthy because I’m aging.
Age does not automatically determine deteriorating oral health. Taking care of your teeth throughout childhood and adulthood can help you enjoy healthy teeth and gums well into your senior years. On the other hand, being young doesn’t ensure good oral health. What matters is how you take care of your teeth and gums with daily brushing and flossing and regular dental appointments.
Let the professionals at Dental Arts St. Pete Beach in Florida help you maintain good oral health.
