No one likes to feel victim to lies and false advertising. But being deceived is downright dangerous when it comes to health matters.
Unfortunately, many people base their dental health decisions on common falsehoods.
The Grove Family Dentistry team in Clayton is committed to helping our patients get the true facts on dental health and treatment. We’re starting with this list of popular myths about teeth.
1. A woman loses a tooth for each child she has.
This is an old belief with a grain of truth. It’s not exactly that a growing baby zaps teeth of calcium, as some claim. Rather, pregnancy causes a hormone surges that can make gums more sensitive to infection.
If a pregnant woman doesn’t take good care of her gums, she’s setting herself up for periodontal disease which does lead to tooth-loss.
Additionally, many new moms can be so focused on their baby’s health that they’ll neglect their own. This means cavities going untreated, leading to extractions.
2. Baby teeth don’t need dental treatment.
Baby teeth need care just like adult teeth do. A decaying baby tooth can infect other teeth and possibly damage the adult one just below the gums. Daily brushing with a smear of fluoride toothpaste is imperative to baby’s health.
3. Flossing makes your gums bleed.
Healthy gums do not bleed on brushing or flossing. Gums that are already irritated, infected, and swollen will show they’re unhappy by bleeding when bumped by pretty much anything.
If your gums bleed while flossing, either you’re doing it too rough or your gums aren’t being flossed often enough to keep the bacteria away.
Check in with The Grove to debunk more common dental myths.