Tooth be told, there’s a lot of potential misunderstandings when it comes to dental treatment and proper dental care which fuels the lack of excitement when you see an upcoming dental appointment on your calendar. And while its true that going to the dentist isn’t all fun and games, knowing the truth behind certain myths will certainly help your chances of maintaining good oral health.
Registered Dental Hygienist Anaida Deti is regularly tapped to provide tips and commentary to Canadians on how to take better care of your oral health. She explains that getting to the bottom of dental myths and misconceptions will help you finally make amends with your dental professional.
Five of Anaida’s favourite myths include:
- You can’t go to the dentist while you’re pregnant: Getting a dental check-up during pregnancy is not only incredibly important but completely safe! Cleanings and simple procedures like cavity fillings can be taken care of before your baby is born, and your dentist can help with any pregnancy-related dental symptoms you might be experiencing.
- If my teeth look and feel fine, then I don’t need to go to the dentist: Not necessarily! Sure, it’s great to have healthy looking and feeling teeth, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a pesky cavity forming. Dental visits and cleanings every 6 months will help keep your teeth looking and feeling healthy; and help to catch any beginning stages of gum disease (which is symptom’s) or cavities
- They’re just baby teeth and will fall out anyway, no need to see a dentist: One of the biggest misconceptions is that Baby teeth don’t really matter, since they’ll “just fall out”. On the contrary, baby teeth play a huge role in guiding the adult teeth in both direction and health. They foster good nutrition through proper chewing, and aid in speech development
- Teeth Whitening is harmful to teeth: Teeth whitening techniques have been well assessed over the years and are safe to use, although minor side effects can occur, such as tooth sensitivity, and irritability within the gums. The extent to which you experience problems in any one of these areas depends on the type of treatment you receive, at-home or in-office.
- You don’t have to floss if you’re brushing regularly: When you don’t floss, you’re at risk for two major dental issues in your mouth: Gingivitis, and cavities between your teeth, and are not able to remove dental plaque buildup. Brushing only cleans the visible parts of your teeth.