Sugar is the main enemy of our teeth.
In fact, we should blame the “bad bacteria,“ which produce acid, for our cavities. The remains of carbohydrates on our teeth are food for these bacteria. Of course, sugar is also a carbohydrate, but many other products — even ”healthy” fruits or cereals — fall under this category.
Mothers-to-be cannot visit the dentist.
On the contrary, if there’s an inflammation in the oral cavity of a pregnant woman, it must be quickly removed. The main fear of mothers-to-be is related to the fact that pain medications can affect the fetus. Yet you don’t have to endure pain in the dentist’s chair: modern research indicates the safety of local anesthetics.
However, you must always warn the dentist that you’re pregnant.
You can avoid fixing milk teeth.
Milk teeth often have thinner enamel and, as a result, are less protected from bacteria.
A neglected cavity in a milk tooth can result in purulent inflammation which will later harm a permanent tooth.
To clean teeth well, you need to use a hard brush.
In fact, you can use a soft brush. Some dentists even recommend doing so in order not to harm the gums and enamel. The main thing is to follow simple rules: brush your teeth twice a day, and change your brush every 3-4 months.
You need to use a toothpick after eating.
Use dental floss after eating because you can harm your gums with a toothpick. Besides, if you have a desire to clean your teeth with a toothpick after every meal, it’s an alarm bell: it’s time to visit your dentist.
The more often you brush your teeth, the healthier they will be.
Brushing your teeth too frequently can lead to enamel wearout and tooth diseases due to the abrasive properties of toothpaste. It’s better to rinse the oral cavity with a special mouthwash between morning and evening brushings.
A toothache means a cavity.
Far from always. There may be a number of reasons for tooth pain aside from a cavity: tooth sensitivity, inflammation of the dental pulp or gum, etc. The problem isn’t always in the oral cavity. For example, it can be sinusitis.
Only a dentist can establish the reason.
If a filling fell out, you don’t need to get your tooth drilled, just refilled.
Fillings are made of a reliable material and don’t fall out for no reason. Most often the problem is in the development of a cavity under the filling and the destruction of tooth tissues.
You must remove wisdom teeth.
If the wisdom teeth are completely erupted and healthy, there’s no need to remove them.
Teeth should be brushed after breakfast.
This opinion does exist even among dentists. Yet today most of them tend to the fact that it’s desirable to brush teeth before eating.
During sleep, the saliva inflow slows down, and this is the reason why bacteria and plaque accumulate in your mouth overnight. If you don’t brush your teeth before breakfast, all this stuff will go straight to your stomach.