Examining Seven Common Dental Myths

With the rise of social media, dental myths are more widespread than ever. We look at the reality for the benefit of our Epsom patients.

Myths about dental care have always existed. They were often passed on by word of mouth, with some passing down from generation to generation, even when they were no longer relevant at all. The fact that a lot of people express concern about their dental visits, with some being so afraid that they simply don’t go, is bad enough, but with the added ‘threat’ of some of these myths, the likelihood is that the number of people not receiving the oral care that they need is only likely to increase.

As always, if you are afraid of seeing a dentist, whether due to the myths that we examine below or for other reasons, the dentists at the Clocktower Dental, Implant & Facial Centre are always happy to talk to you to find a way to help you receive the oral health care that you need.

Let us take a look then, at some of the myths that you may have heard of.

Healthy teeth don’t hurt

Especially if we are looking for a reason not to visit the dentist, the fact that, to us anyway, our teeth look fine and we are not experiencing any discomfort might give cause for us to cancel an appointment that we had previously booked. Unfortunately, just because your teeth feel fine doesn’t mean that they are and there may be early signs of tooth decay that you can’t see or feel at the moment. By cancelling an appointment, this will only worsen until one day you may wake up with a severe toothache. Preventative dental care is important and helps you avoid the need for more invasive treatment such as root canal surgery.

Brushing your teeth more firmly helps to avoid problems

While brushing your teeth regularly and correctly is essential for avoiding decay and gum disease, it is a myth that if you ‘scrub’ them really well, this will help to improve their health even further. In fact, it is very likely to cause problems. Brushing your teeth too hard over a period of time makes it more likely that you will wear down and damage the protective enamel on the outside of the tooth and allow opportunities for bacteria to enter more easily. Using an electric tooth with a pressure sensor will help you to avoid doing this.

Flossing is hard to do and a waste of time

While some people do find it tricky initially, using dental floss really isn’t hard to do after a little practice. It is also the best way for cleaning between your teeth where food and bacteria often becomes trapped.Decay is fairly common in this area for those that don’t floss as brushing often doesn’t reach there. If you find it difficult to do, ask one of our dentists or hygienists to demonstrate how to use floss correctly.

First teeth don’t matter

Our first teeth, or ‘baby teeth’ as they are also sometimes called, only last for a few years before falling out, to be replaced by our permanent adult teeth. Because of this, some people believe that they are not worth looking after. This is wrong thinking as not only should you not want to see your young child in pain with a toothache, but these act as placeholders for our adult teeth and premature loss can cause teeth to come through crooked. All teeth need to be looked after including our temporary first teeth.

A bit of blood after brushing is normal

No it is not. While this might possibly happen very rarely through scratching an area of gum that is particularly weak for some reason, blood after brushing is one of the possible symptoms of gum disease and should be addressed by an improved teeth (and gums) cleaning regime and by making an appointment with the hygienist at our Epsom dental clinic. Poor gum health can lead to wobbly teeth and potential tooth loss.

Using mouthwash is easier than brushing and floss

While this might be true, it is also a recipe for poor oral health. No mouthwash can replace an effective daily regime that includes good quality brushing and flossing. Your mouth might feel fresher after using mouthwash, but if you don’t brush and floss, it is very likely that bacteria and food debris will remain, followed not too long afterwards by gingivitis and tooth decay. Of course, if you are in a position where only mouthwash is available for some reason, it is better than nothing, but you should return to brushing etc at the first opportunity.

Dental treatments are painful (and dentists enjoy inflicting pain)

The ‘evil dentist’ is a perception not helped by the way that we are sometimes portrayed in films etc. Let us reassure you that we care for our patients and have no desire at all to inflict any discomfort on them. Many dentists also suffer from anxiety when they need treatment too,  despite knowing that no pain will be felt during it. One theory is that because the procedures take place near our sensory organs (sight, sound and smell), that our ‘fight or flight’ response kicks in and causes many people to feel anxious about receiving treatment. The reality though is that with modern equipment, experienced dentists and a powerful local anaesthetic, no significant pain should be experienced in most instances.

We hope that today’s blog has helped to dispel a few of the myths that you may have heard in the past about dentistry and please remember that we are here to help you maintain a healthy mouth and will do all that we can to make your visit as comfortable as possible. If you would like to discuss any concerns that you have or to book an appointment to see a dentist or hygienist, please call the Clocktower Dental, Implant & Facial Centre  today on 01372 720136.