Do not let dental myths be a reason you flunk your next dentist appointment.

Myths have been around and passed around for generations. Myths have been affecting the way we think and act for a long time as they were created by people like us. Everything in the world have a myth created about it and dentistry is no different. Yep, there are several myths about our teeth too. People have been known to use these myths as a shield to avoid a trip to the dentist's while others have been mislead by these myths.

Lets debunk the myths that surround dentistry with Dr. Akila Shrestha from Nepal Mediciti Hospital.

  • Myth 1: Do not brush or floss when you have bleeding gums

Bleeding gums are the first signs of a gum disease. Not brushing or flossing means leaving your teeth at the mercy of the bacteria and not brushing and flossing does more harm than help. So, one must keep brushing and flossing in the proper manner to keep the bacteria at bay and schedule yourself a dental appointment to treat your infected gums.

  • Myth2: Take your children to the dentist only when there is a problem

Children should be taken to the dentist as soon as they have their first teeth. This helps them familiarize themselves to the dentist and the setting. Having good and well maintained teeth is a necessity not only for chewing the food but also for their psychological well being too. And parents must not take baby teeth for granted saying they are temporary. Baby teeth need to be on the child's mouth for a certain period of time to have a good set of permanent teeth too. An infection or a rotten tooth could negatively affect the permanent teeth that are to follow.

  • Myth 3: More brushing means healthier teeth

Our mouth has nooks and corners our brush, however fancy it is, fails to reach. And despite brushing and flossing correctly we will be missing the stubborn bacteria hiding in those corners. So brushing does not keep all the bacteria at bay, one needs to visit the dentist's and get it scaled to remove the plaque. Dr. Akila stresses on flossing at least once a day, proper oral hygiene and going to your dentist  twice a year for a general check-up.

Be wary of brushing too hard to get the stains out, it causes more damage than good.

  • Myth 4: Scaling and Teeth Whitening weakens the teeth

Use of faulty instruments or going to a random affordable dentist could result in teeth weakening, otherwise scaling your teeth twice a year is actually recommended by a dentist. A good dentist with sound instruments will actually help remove the plaque or tartar on your teeth. Plaque causes cavities which eventually forms into tartar (hard mass that sits on your teeth) if left unattended. The most scaling and whitening would do to your teeth are leave them with increased mobility and feeling of e in between your teeth for a while.

  • Myth 5: More sugar you eat, the worse for your teeth

Of course only consuming sugary food is bad for your teeth, but mind you when you eat it is also a determining factor. Constant consumption of sugar in between meals makes you more prone to cavities. The bacteria in our mouth breaks the sugar into acid and the contact of that acid with our teeth is what causes cavities and other problems. The amount of time the sugary snacks stay in our mouth the higher the level of acidity. So, a lollipop will cause far more damage than a Cadbury chocolate, so long as you brush your teeth later. There is lesser chance of having cavities from sugary snacks if we eat them with our meals and brush after.

  • Myth 6: Wisdom teeth causes crowding

Wisdom teeth seldom cause overcrowding. Having wisdom teeth will at most lead to a compromise in your support structure, but not enough to cause a problem though. And your teeth will be a tad bit cosy than before but that's quite about it as far as crowding goes. Overcrowding could be because of reasons like having a small jaw line. So, if you are removing your wisdom teeth to reduce crowding them it's in vain.    

  • Myth 7: Losing teeth with child birth

The stress and hormonal changes that entail a pregnancy can cause negligence of her oral hygiene which is the root cause of tooth loss not child birth. The old saying passed around is that the new mother mustn't brush her teeth for a while after child birth. But pregnant woman and/or a new mother must equally care for her oral health as much as her physical and mental health as it could affect her baby. Some gum infections and diseases have in fact been linked with low birth weights and premature baby birth among other problems.

Use of faulty instruments or going to a random affordable dentist could result in teeth weakening otherwise scaling your teeth twice a year is actually recommended by a dentist.