Hello readers! :D
It's General Blog Day today, so I thought to write something related to health. Being a dentist, I came across alot of patients who had some misconceptions relating to Dental Hygiene. Some of these happen due to wrong word-of-mouth advice, other are due to the false images created by media. In this blog ill be addressing FIVE of these misconceptions, and hopefully clear them.
Have any questions for me? Leave a comment and ill get back to you. Remember "brushing twice a day, keeps the dentist away". :)
Smile away...
Regards,
Dr. Mom Chef xx
1 ) When to brush:
Ideally one should brush atleast two times a day and again within 20-30 minutes of eating anything sweet (best to avoid cavities). Now everyone knows the brushing twice rule.. what lots of people misunderstand is WHEN? We give advice to brush before bedtime (and don't eat anything after) and then brush AFTER breakfast. Believe me I've got alot of raise eyebrows at the after breakfast part. But see, once you've brushed before eating anything at night... your mouth is still in that stage, so it's better to brush after breakfast, to get any stuck food particles out. Now people question that how can we eat before brushing and I agree it can be gross, so just brush before and after breakfast, but don't skip the after part. After all its BEST to brush after EVERY meal.
2) Scaling weakens teeth:
This I got alot. scaling is basically professional cleaning of your teeth. It removes even the hard plaque (calculus or tartar) which is not easily done with a toothbrush. Whenever I used to advice scaling.. I listened to this. People used to be scared that scaling will weaken teeth and they mention people they knew whose teeth started moving after scaling. I tell them time and time again, NO.. scaling does not weaken teeth.. on the contrary it's very good and is needed for healthy gums and teeth. The reason some people do experience mobile or moving teeth after, is because their gums have become so weak with tartar build up that they have gown down or receded. And the only thing supporting their teeth is the tartar, so naturally once tartar is removed, such people can experience moving or mobile teeth. But if the damage done is not so much, such conditions are usually reversible and with proper oral hygiene measures, will go back to normal. On the other hand... scaling can and does cause sensitivity, but it's temporary and usually lasts 2-3 days at max.
3) Polishing whitens teeth:
Again a commonly asked question. After scaling, we rub a granulated paste on the teeth surfaces, to smooth out the rough texture caused by scaling. This is done to avoid staining after scaling too, as teeth become more prone. The term given to it is polishing. People expect to have bleached white teeth after it, which is not realistic. Teeth are only smoothed out so they may appear shiny (polished) but that's it. Some degree of whiteness might be there due to plaque and tartar removal. But your natural teeth colour won't be changed. For whiter teeth you might want to look up teeth bleaching or teeth whitening procedures.
4) Toothpaste all over the toothbrush:
This is a false representation created by media. Ads showing people put toothpaste on the whole of the bristled surface of toothbrush. You do not need that much toothpaste. The quantity of toothpaste advised is "pea-sized". Just a tiny blob will do the trick.
5) Hard toothbrush and aggressive brushing equals clean, white teeth:
WRONG! Always use a soft bristled toothbrush (until your dentist advises otherwise). The brushing should always be gentle and more like a massage. Hard brushing will only damage and cause wear on your tooth surface and may cause gum recession and most importantly this is the leading cause of sensitivity. If you have stains, refer to a dentist and he'll be able to guide you how best to tackle them.
Hoping I was able to clear up some misconceptions. If you have any queries ill be more than happy to answer. :)
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