The Worst Dental Advice We’ve Ever Heard of
All of the information in our blog consists of good advice from our dentist. After all, we care about our patients and we want to make sure everyone who comes into our office receives the proper dental health care and treatment that they need.
With this in mind, let’s talk about advice itself. There is some pretty bad stuff flying around online, usually regarding dental care advice, that is just plain wrong! We’re here to clear the air and put our foot down against these bad tips. Check out the worst advice we’ve ever heard of about taking care of your teeth.
“Brushing more than twice a day is good for you”
You only need to brush your teeth twice a day. Any more than that is going overboard! Brushing too much or too hard can wear down the hard enamel protecting the top of your teeth. That being said, we do suggest you floss your teeth more than the recommended once a day should foreign particles, such as popcorn kernels, get stuck in between your teeth. That way you can go back to your daily routine without being uncomfortable!
“You’ll save money by not going to the dentist”
Actually it will cost you more money to avoid your dentist in the first place! Without regular dental cleanings and checkups, the risk of developing oral health issues such as cavities, white spots, and gingivitis to name a few will grow and even develop into serious health risks such as gum disease. The procedures needed to treat these risks are not cheap, but they can be avoided if you visit your dentist regularly!
“You only need to brush the teeth people see”
All of your teeth should be brushed and taken care of, especially the molars. After all, these are the teeth that you work the hardest to chew and swallow your food. While our front teeth are indeed the most visible when we smile, some of us can smile so widely that our back teeth can be seen too…and if those aren’t taken care of, people will notice!
“Mints and mouthwash will help your teeth if you smoke”
No amount of breath mints or mouthwash will help your oral health if you smoke. While these work in the short term to cover up the smell of cigarettes on your breath, in the long-term there is no way to avoid halitosis (bad breath) or gum disease from building up if you continue to smoke. In addition, breath mints are notorious for bathing the teeth in sugar and causing cavities.
“Dental care will cure your bad breath”
While dental care can certainly help you prevent halitosis, sometimes it develops because of a more serious oral health issue that persists even when you follow your dentist’s advice. If this sounds like your situation, call us at once!
“Mouthwash is the cure-all for your dental health”
It’s actually the combined efforts of brushing, flossing, and regular dental cleanings that are the solutions to ensuring your dental health is good. Mouthwash can help freshen your breath for a little while, but its alcohol content can leave you with a dried out mouth. It also cannot penetrate or clean out all of the bacteria in your mouth, nor will it fully prevent cavities.
“You don’t need an electric toothbrush”
There’s nothing wrong with manual toothbrushes (i.e. regular toothbrushes you hold in your hand to brush) since they can be cost effective and any brushing can help prevent plaque buildup. However, electric toothbrushes are slowly gaining credibility as great tools for at-home dental care. They are designed to be effective at removing plaque and bacteria with its automatic circular brushing motion and to remove food particles that can get stuck on top of your teeth (especially the back molars). While you may not need an electric toothbrush—whether you do or not is a personal choice—it’s a good idea to have one.
“You need to buy every dental treatment”
Although we do recommend you receive treatment for more serious dental health issues such as gum disease or wisdom tooth removal, you absolutely do not have to accept every single dental treatment you’re offered. It’s all based on your personal preference and how comfortable you are with your smile. If you feel like you don’t need teeth whitening, then by all means don’t think that you absolutely have to get it done! If, however, there’s something in your mouth that is having a negative impact on your life, then yes, you should really get dental treatment.
“Don’t trust your dentist”
Now this is the worst piece of advice we’ve ever heard of! This is usually spoken by people who have had a previous awful experience with their dentist or have developed trust issues with doctors in general. Not only are they harming themselves by not getting a check-up, but also they’re harming you by telling you to follow their example and not get proper dental health care—and that, to us, is the worst thing anyone can say to another person.
You don’t have to be best friends with your dentist, but you can and should feel able to talk to us about your dental health without feeling anxious or uncertain. We actually prefer it if you asked us questions or talked to us! By doing so you may feel more at ease. If dental anxiety and trust are still hard for you, feel free to check out our article on the subject.
What’s the worst piece of dental advice you ever heard of? Let us know next time you’re in our office for an appointment!
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