We’ve all visited our dental office for a cleaning only to leave with certain pearls of wisdom from our dentist. Some of them make perfect sense – brush twice a day – while others are questionable. On top of our dentist educating us, we have friends and family who also have healthy mouth tips for us to follow. Well, how many of these suggestions are reliable? We set out on a mission to find out.
Myth or Fact: Sugar rots your teeth. Avoid it!
Confirmed: Plaque on your teeth LOVE sugar. Plaque eats sugar and releases an acid that erodes your teeth. The news that surprises people is that sugar is a carbohydrate. So in reality, the big bowl of spaghetti you ate for dinner last night has the same effect on your teeth as the ice cream sandwich you had for dessert. Table sugar, however, has no nutritional benefit and should be avoided.
Myth or Fact: If your mouth doesn’t hurt, you don’t need to visit the dentist.
Busted: In addition to keeping your mouth and gums healthy, dentists are trained to look for slight abnormalities in your mouth that could be a sign of greater problems. Plaque hardens into tartar which can only be removed by a dental professional. If these aren’t reasons enough to go see your dentist regularly, maybe your tooth falling out will convince you. Hey… it’s possible!
Your dentist should always be the final word in your oral care. If you are having problems with your teeth, make an appointment with your dentist!
Stay tuned for the September Mythbusters blog that will challenge more dental questions!