Seven Dangerous Dental Myths

Dental visits are not as common as they should be. Regular dental visits spots problems before they turn into painful dental annoyances that warrant an emergency dentist visit. There are more than 15 million root canals performed every year and an astonishing 41,000 performed daily. Routine care of your teeth and gums helps protect your dental health before these things are needed. Read below to uncover some common dangerous myths concerning your dental health.

Bleeding Gums Means Your Brushing too Hard

Gums typically do not bleed because you are brushing them too hard. The most common reason of bleeding gums is due to gum disease. This disease irritates your gums and can rot your teeth from the gum line down. This causes holes in the teeth at the gum line. Once the hole forms your tooth will crack and eventually break off. Once this happens an emergency dentist appointment may have to be scheduled.

Hard Brushes are the Best

Hard brushes can actually damage your teeth more than they can help your teeth. Brushing your teeth too hard leads to erosion of the tooth enamel. Once the tooth enamel is eroded the teeth become weak and can start to wear off. Once this happens tooth sensitivity can develop. The only way to help with major erosion is with dental crowns. While these may not necessarily warrant an emergency dentist visit, they can be extremely expensive. If you can spare yourself some cost, then do so by applying gentle pressure when brushing.

Baby Teeth Will Fall Out Anyways

Many people wrongly assume that baby teeth do not matter because they are going to lose them anyway. A family dentist is important whether you are dealing with baby teeth or adult teeth. Even baby teeth can get an oral cavity, and these cavities still hurt. Keeping children healthy and pain-free is not typically an option whether you are dealing with baby teeth or adult teeth.

Two Dental Visits Annually Keeps Teeth Healthy

It is true that you should see your dentist twice a year to improve your oral health, but this is not all that needs to occur. You must take care of your teeth every day to keep your oral health in optimum condition. Oral health is a team effort between you and your dentist, it is not solely dependent upon just your dentist.

Parents Oral Health Determines Children’s Oral Health

Parents oral health and genetics do play a role in your personal oral health, but this is not the sole deciding factor in it. You must also consider your personal oral hygiene. Oral hygiene has come a long way in the past few years which directly impacts the oral health of younger generations. The foods you eat and your own personal oral hygiene habits will play just as important of a role in your oral health as your genetics will.

Chewing Tobacco is Safer than Smoking Cigarettes

Chewing tobacco may spare your lungs from the damage or the tar and nicotine, but that doesn’t mean your gums will be spared. Smokeless tobacco is a major cause of oral cancer. Teach your children that any and all form of tobacco is harmful, and practice this method yourself. Don’t use it to keep your mouth healthy.

White Teeth Mean Healthy Teeth

Many people believe just because their teeth are white that means they are healthy. Teeth have a variety of natural shades from pearly white to off-white. Someone with pearly white teeth could have more problems than someone with off white teeth. Tooth decay, dead nerves and the need for an emergency dentist visit can show without warning signs, so pay close attention to your teeth no matter how pearly white they are.

Routine dental visits are the key to optimum oral health. Only about half of adults admit to visiting the dentist the recommended twice per year. Practice good oral hygiene and visit your dentist regularly to protect your teeth, they are the only ones that you get.