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Myth: You should avoid brushing and flossing bleeding and inflamed gums It might seem to be logical to leave red and inflamed tissue alone and wait until it heals. However when it comes to your gums the opposite is true. Plaque and food particles accumulate along your gums making them irritated and inflamed. This accumulation needs to be gently but thoroughly removed with soft-bristled toothbrush in order for your gums to heal. method Gums might bleed initially however it will reduce over time. A lot of people will experience some degree of bleeding when they haven’t flossed for a while. When flossing, don’t force the floss between your teeth. Instead gently slide it back and forth, following the natural c-shaped curve of your tooth. It may take few days for bleeding and soreness to disappear. If bleeding and soreness doesn’t disappear after few weeks of proper brushing and flossing, it may be a sign of more serious problem that needs to be assessed by your dentist. Myth: Mouthwash can replace brushing Few years ago a major mouthrinse manufacturer released a number of nation-wide TV and radio commercials claiming that their product was “blasting plaque off teeth” and “killing 99.9% of germs”.  Unfortunately their claims were far from truth. bacteria_build_up_issue_01 Source www.dentalthai.org When plaque starts to appear on teeth it forms a complex biofilm which can only be removed by mechanical action (brushing and flossing). Mouthrinse will only kill a surface layer of bacteria leaving others untouched. Furthermore it only kills 99.9% of bacteria providing it is not suspended in a biofilm. Think of mouthrinse as a nice addition to your brushing and flossing routine. Not all mouthrinses are the same. Most of them are designed to target specific dental conditions. So ask your dentist or hygienist which one the is best for you. Myth: Placing a painkiller tablet on a tooth will relieve toothache You wouldn’t put a tablet on your forehead if you have a headache, would you?Pain killers are designed to be ingested as they get absorbed through digestive tract and enter your blood stream to travel through your body. Pain killers work by blocking pain messages from affected site to your brain. Furthermore some painkillers like Aspirin are very acidic and can cause very painful chemical burns to the soft tissue surrounding the tooth. Myth: Tooth decay is genetic Dental decay is caused by bacteria therefore it is considered to be an “infection” rather than inherited trait.  Dental decay is transmittable and is usually passed from mothers and other family members to babies during their first year of life though kissing and sharing of food.  Child is more likely to harbour tooth-decay causing bacteria later in life if their parents or carers had active decay or lots of fillings. images Good oral hygiene and diet is the best way to prevent dental decay in children. Myth: You dont have to see a dentist if teeth are not bothering you Prevention is better than cure. Most dental diseases can be prevented but cannot be reversed. Several dental conditions such as periodontal disease, erosion, attrition wear and early stages of caries are known as “silent killers” and usually don’t show any symptoms until late stages of disease. Through regular examinations your dentist can detect those problems early and stop or slow down the progression of the disease. It is much easier and more cost-effective to treat early dental decay compared to advanced one which is painful and cavitated. Source www.dentalcare.com Plus severely decayed tooth might require very costly and complex restorative treatment such as Root Canal Treatment or in some cases need to be extracted.

Myth: You should avoid brushing and flossing bleeding and inflamed gums

It might seem to be logical to leave red and inflamed tissue alone and wait until it heals. However when it comes to your gums the opposite is true. Plaque and food particles accumulate along your gums making them irritated and inflamed. This accumulation needs to be gently but thoroughly removed with soft-bristled toothbrush in order for your gums to heal.

method

Gums might bleed initially however it will reduce over time. A lot of people will experience some degree of bleeding when they haven’t flossed for a while. When flossing, don’t force the floss between your teeth. Instead gently slide it back and forth, following the natural c-shaped curve of your tooth. It may take few days for bleeding and soreness to disappear. If bleeding and soreness doesn’t disappear after few weeks of proper brushing and flossing, it may be a sign of more serious problem that needs to be assessed by your dentist.

Myth: Mouthwash can replace brushing

Few years ago a major mouthrinse manufacturer released a number of nation-wide TV and radio commercials claiming that their product was “blasting plaque off teeth” and “killing 99.9% of germs”.  Unfortunately their claims were far from truth.

bacteria_build_up_issue_01

Source www.dentalthai.org

When plaque starts to appear on teeth it forms a complex biofilm which can only be removed by mechanical action (brushing and flossing). Mouthrinse will only kill a surface layer of bacteria leaving others untouched. Furthermore it only kills 99.9% of bacteria providing it is not suspended in a biofilm. Think of mouthrinse as a nice addition to your brushing and flossing routine.

Not all mouthrinses are the same. Most of them are designed to target specific dental conditions. So ask your dentist or hygienist which one the is best for you.

Myth: Placing a painkiller tablet on a tooth will relieve toothache

You wouldn’t put a tablet on your forehead if you have a headache, would you?Pain killers are designed to be ingested as they get absorbed through digestive tract and enter your blood stream to travel through your body. Pain killers work by blocking pain messages from affected site to your brain. Furthermore some painkillers like Aspirin are very acidic and can cause very painful chemical burns to the soft tissue surrounding the tooth.

Myth: Tooth decay is genetic

Dental decay is caused by bacteria therefore it is considered to be an “infection” rather than inherited trait.  Dental decay is transmittable and is usually passed from mothers and other family members to babies during their first year of life though kissing and sharing of food.  Child is more likely to harbour tooth-decay causing bacteria later in life if their parents or carers had active decay or lots of fillings.

images

Good oral hygiene and diet is the best way to prevent dental decay in children.

Myth: You dont have to see a dentist if teeth are not bothering you

Prevention is better than cure. Most dental diseases can be prevented but cannot be reversed. Several dental conditions such as periodontal disease, erosion, attrition wear and early stages of caries are known as “silent killers” and usually don’t show any symptoms until late stages of disease. Through regular examinations your dentist can detect those problems early and stop or slow down the progression of the disease. It is much easier and more cost-effective to treat early dental decay compared to advanced one which is painful and cavitated.

Source www.dentalcare.com

Plus severely decayed tooth might require very costly and complex restorative treatment such as Root Canal Treatment or in some cases need to be extracted.