The harder you brush your teeth, the cleaner they get.
No, there is a limit to how clean your teeth can get with brushing. Brushing can help get rid of bacteria only, not stains and discoloring. In fact, chances are that hard brushing will lead to a receding gum line rather than clean teeth. Exposed roots could cause a strong tingling sensation and pain when you have very cold or very hot food or drink. Hence, it is important to brush correctly.
Toothpicks are mandatory after a meal.
It is, if you have food particles stuck between your teeth. But the kind of toothpick you use and how you use it plays a major role in dental care. There are two sorts of toothpicks. The round ones, which you get in restaurants, are excellent for picking out shreds of meat. The triangular ones, which are shaped just like the space between the teeth, are meant for cleaning the bacteria between your teeth. These are available at select pharmacies.
Candies, chocolates and pastries are tooth assassins. Anything else is all right.
Anything that sticks to your teeth is its enemy, as it produces bacteria and leads to tooth decay. If the candy is very sticky, the acid attack will stay longer. Chocolates, though, are not so bad. Chocolate contains fat and a high fat diet is supposed to protect teeth from decay. However, don't stretch this logic too far. If you eat chocolate excessively, you will definitely have cavities. All I am saying is that chocolate is a lesser evil when compared to sticky toffees.
How you eat is equally important. Ensure that all the chocolates are eaten in one sitting and not spread over a long period. Eating chocolates over an extended period of time will expose the teeth to bacteria relatively easily.
Salted nuts fall into the same category as chocolate because they too contain fat and, therefore, are safer for teeth than sticky toffees. However, you still need to brush your teeth after eating these foods.
If I brush my teeth once a day, I've done my duty towards my teeth.
Wrong. You should brush your teeth at least twice a day - once in the morning and then in the evening. It is also imperative that you floss or use toothpicks to clean between your teeth at least once a day.
The most important factor in dental care is the number of times one eats during the day. Every time you eat a food item which contains carbohydrates or sugar, acids which cause tooth decay are produced in your mouth. So, if you have a habit of nibbling throughout the day, you will end up with cavities even if you maintain strict oral hygiene.
Eat not more than five times a day - breakfast, lunch, dinner and two small meals in between. If you like to have carbonated drinks, opt for sugar-free ones. If possible, avoid sugar in tea and coffee too.
Rinsing your mouth after having sugary foods or drinks is not good enough, because it takes 30 seconds for the bacteria to start producing harmful acid and around 30 minutes for the saliva to neutralize the pH value and bring it to harmless levels. So, if you eat 15 times a day, which you shouldn't, and brush your teeth after every [major] meal, you will still end up with cavities, as within the 30 minutes of your eating you are exposing your teeth to bacteria.
Senior citizens who wear dentures no longer need to visit the dentist.
People who wear dentures need to see their dentist every second year at least to check the gums to see that that the dentures fit well. This is because ill-fitting dentures can lead to ulcers on the gums. When you have extracted your last tooth, your jawbone normally shrinks. This is a normal part of ageing, which means that after a couple of years dentures would need to be realigned.
When you wear dentures you only need to take care of those. Other dental hygiene routines are unnecessary.
You would still need to brush your gums with the same kind of toothbrush you used while you had teeth. You also need to clean your dentures daily or else they may develop fungus.
In elderly people, saliva production is reduced not only as a result of ageing but also because of medication they may be taking. When saliva production is reduced the risk of getting cavities is increased enormously. These people would need to be extra careful of dental hygiene and see a dentist regularly.
Is it important to choose the right toothpaste?
On an average, all toothpastes are the same. What can ruin your smile is your brushing technique. If your gums recede, your teeth will appear long and that, of course, is not aesthetically nice.
Having said that, I would add that there are some extremely abrasive toothpastes recommended to smokers to get rid of the stains.
If they scrub their teeth really hard with this for a prolonged period of time, it may ruin the teeth.
Pregnant women should skip dental check ups.
Not true. Pregnant women are a little more at risk of dental problems. They tend to eat a lot more frequently in order to stave off morning sickness. This leads to more acid attacks and they are more likely to get cavities. Also, the hormone balance in your body changes during pregnancy and this may lead to bleeding gums. Of course, the condition disappears after childbirth.
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