There are quite a few misinterpretations prevalent among the general public regarding oral health. We asked 3 dentists anonymously about common misunderstandings and here they are:
1. It’s not the amount of sugar consumption that’s a problem, it’s the frequency.
Sugar is bad because bacteria eat the sugar and convert it into lactic acid, which erodes your teeth and creates cavities.
If you chug a 2L bottle of coke in under a minute… It’s not great but your teeth are exposed to the sugar and acid for under a minute.
Compare that to sipping on a giant cup of soda throughout the morning at the office. That’s a near-constant exposure of sugar and acid to your teeth all throughout the morning. Compare it to ripping a Band-Aid off quickly versus slowly taking it off through a four-hour period.
2. Sugarfree gum is actually bad for you.
Check the ingredients for xylitol, which is amazing for your oral health. It’s basically the world’s most tantalizing mousetrap for the bacteria in your mouth. It’s also poisonous to cats and dogs.
3. Please don’t buy expensive toothpaste off of Facebook.
I have personally seen patients who are a dental mess, who have needed me to remove multiple teeth, advertising their favorite charcoal toothpaste on social media using doctored-up photos. Another trick, if toothpaste lists “aqua” as a major ingredient, it’s because it is being labeled as a cosmetic product and following different labeling standards. This is usually because there is insufficient evidence, or the company hasn’t spent the time or money to research whether or not their product actually does anything. So it gets labeled a cosmetic and they call it a day.
4. Small children need their teeth brushed too.
Baby teeth get cavities. Kids can have dental pain. Kids sometimes need root canals. Just because they’ll lose those teeth doesn’t mean you can just avoid brushing them. Met a woman yesterday who stated that she never brushes her 2-year-olds teeth. Please, brush their teeth. Please don’t make them get dental work at such a young age. This is what causes dental fear and avoidance of dentists later in life!
