At Metro Dental we want
everyone to know the important facts about dental care. The internet provides a lot of valuable information which can be helpful, but there are also a lot of 'myths' about your teeth that are not evidence or scientifically based and many of those myths can be detrimental to your oral health. Welcome to the first episode of Metro Dental Care Myth Busters!
Myth
#1 - Baby
Teeth Don’t Matter
Some parents ask us why we bother fixing baby teeth if they will fall out anyway. Baby teeth help children speak clearly, chew
naturally and provide a path for permanent teeth to follow. Further, failure to treat cavities in baby teeth will lead to pain (often on a Friday night thus ruining the whole weekend!), abscess, systemic infection, and damage to the permanent tooth buds below.
A
child who has a mouthful of cavities is going to be in pain and can have difficulty concentrating in school, and may not be eating properly therefore not receiving the nutrients a growing body needs.
The American Academy
of Pediatric Dentistry recommends children have their first dental
visit six months after their first tooth appears or around their
first birthday. The first visit is typically a lap exam where the
child sits comfortably in the parent’s lap for an oral inspection
and to learn about the dentist. The kids love watching their favourite TV programs on our ceiling-mounted entertainment system. A Metro Dental Care we are a family-oriented practice and we hope to establish long, trusting relationships with your children.
Myth
#2 - You Can Feel a Cavity
Tooth decay do NOT always cause symptoms. By the time a cavity gets to the
point of pain, it usually require invasive and expensive treatments, like a root canal or extraction, because once the nerve in a tooth is damaged, it has very limited ability to repair itself (unlike a cut or bruise on other body parts such as your tongue or finger).
Many of the severe dental
problems we see are preventable. A small cavity is quick and easy to
take care of, and costs a lot less than root canal therapies. An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. A small hole in the tooth is definitely easier to fix and will have less complications than fixing a big hole! If you suspect something is wrong with your teeth, give us a call!
Myth
#3 - Flossing Isn’t Necessary because I use an electric toothbrush and mouth rinse.
The places where
most cavities form are in the deep chewing grooves and between the teeth where NOTHING EXCEPT FLOSS can reach. Dental product companies have been years trying to come up with products such as Waterpik and
AirFloss that can replace the old-fashioned floss, but there is no complete substitute yet.
Gentle flossing should be done at least once a day to remove
food particles and bacteria that turn into sticky plaque. The acids
in plaque eat away at teeth and can cause toothaches, hot or cold
sensitivity, pain when biting down and cavities. Since interproximal cavities grow from the 'inside', very often only x-ray pictures will reveal these lesions. At Metro Dental Care, we offer safe, efficient digital dental x-rays to ensure diagnostic accuracy and your comfort.
When you
brush your teeth, you miss up to a quarter of the tooth surface. That’s
why flossing is important. It dislodges the particles and plaque that
cause decay. You Don't Need To Brush Every Tooth- Just The Ones You Want To Keep!
Metro Dental Care Tooth Myth Busters will continue....
