5 Dental Myths that Need to be Debunked!

1. Sugar Causes Cavities

This is kind of a tricky one because while it is true, it is not what you may think. If your daily diet consistently consists of candy, cookies, and soda, then yes, you are at a higher risk of developing dental cavities. The pH in your mouth becomes acidic, which is a haven for developing cavities. So, along the same vein, anything acidic but not sugary, if consumed enough, can have the same effect, such as Sparkling Water, Coffee (black with no sugar), and Diet Coke. See what I am getting at here? It is the frequency at which these products are consumed throughout the day that makes all the difference. Sip on any of these things throughout the day. You've got problems, but have one with a meal, you're in the clear.

Also, any cooked carbohydrates, when broken down by your saliva, turn into sugar, so that means Goldfish crackers, Animal crackers, Cheez-its, etc., can be equally as destructive to your teeth as Diet Coke. Again, think frequency please, just don’t snack on these products all day, and you will be fine :) If you need something to snack on, choose nuts, fruits, veggies, cheese, beef sticks (I know, all the boring things), but your mouth and overall health will benefit!

2. Bleeding Gums when I Floss is Fine

Okay, so bleeding gums when brushing usually raise red flags, but for some reason, bleeding gums when flossing are considered normal. Now, it may not happen often, but it is a sign of gum disease either way. We have many types of bacteria in our mouths, and unfortunately, bleeding gums are a sign that the bad bacteria are winning. Red, shiny gums when you smile very big in the mirror are also a clear sign that the bad bacteria are winning. Guys, in no world do we want the bad bacteria winning. Please talk to your dental provider abouthow you can get it under control. There are so many tools and pieces of knowledge we have to share, ranging from nutrition changes to products to use. We even have saliva testing we can do to identify the bacteria we are dealing with. Please just ask if you have any concerns.

3. Dental X-rays are Dangerous

Dental X-rays expose patients to a very small amount of radiation—far less than many people expect. For example, a single digital dental X-ray typically delivers about 0.005 millisieverts (mSv) of radiation, and even a full set of digital dental X-rays is usually around 0.02–0.03 mSv. By comparison, the average person in the United States receives about 3 mSv of natural background radiation each year from everyday sources like the sun, soil, air, and naturally occurring radioactive materials in food and water. That means a single dental X-ray is roughly equivalent to just a day or two of normal background radiation exposure. Modern dental equipment, digital sensors, protective lead aprons, and strict safety guidelines all help keep radiation doses as low as reasonably achievable, making dental X-rays a very safe and valuable diagnostic tool.

4. Dry mouth happens with Age

The notion that dry mouth occurs as we age has been widely accepted in the dental world, but it has been deemed false. What tends to cause dry mouth more often than not are the medications we take, autoimmune disorders, chemotherapy and/or radiation treatment, certain allergies, and mouth breathing associated with a breathing or sleeping disorder (i.e., sleep apnea). There are many different products, OTC and prescription, that people can try to alleviate the awful feeling of constant dry mouth, and they should be discussed with a dental or medical provider.

While the feeling of dry mouth is bad enough, the dental implications that can happen in the absence of saliva can be truly devastating. Our saliva has multiple powerful benefits, such as keeping the pH in our mouth in check. If it is no longer produced, we have a very acidic environment, which is a perfect home for the bacteria that cause cavities to thrive.

5. My Gums have receded because I brush them too Hard

So this is still a relatively controversial topic because many dentists believe it's true. While there are some cases where this can be true, more often than not, gum recession is due to forces they are not meant for. Clenching and/or grinding our teeth together when we are not conscious (sleeping) is a sure way to put way too much force on our top and bottom teeth. What ends up happening is that our teeth flex ever so slightly back and forth in our jawbone. This leads to very small pieces of enamel flaking off at the gum line, and when this happens, the gum tissue pulls away from the traumatic event. There may be people out there with enough strength each morning and night to brush their gums away, but it does not jive with the number of people we see with recession day in and day out. If you suspect clenching/grinding, talk to one of us about ways to stop and ways to protect your teeth and gums if you cannot stop.

*By the way, clenching and grinding while we sleep is mostly caused by an obstruction in our airway, either by mouth or nasal, but that is a topic for another blog post (I am sure), so stay tuned, it’ll be a good one.