7 Common Mistakes People make where
teeth are concerned
A beautiful and confident smile Speaks a Million words as Smile plays a vital role in once life, It builds confidence, it influences our social life, relationships and our careers.
Teeth play a very important role in our life. They help us to chew, & bite food, they help us to talk and speak clearly, they support the facial muscles and gives shape to our face.
A healthy mouth helps you to defend against array of medical disorders.
People often feel that rest of their body is more important and confine teeth only to brushing and hence make regular mistakes to maintain healthy mouth, such as:
1. Avoiding dental treatments due to dental fear.
Fear of dental treatments is very common. Dental fear and anxiety has been the barrier for dental care in a large number of the population.
The fear is so extensive that they avoid the dental visit altogether until the pain is excruciating and necessitates a dental visit.
Avoiding dental treatments lead to progression of dental disease , which in the long run causes enormous tissue damage, pain, discomfort and aggressive treatments which can lead to more dental visits and thus increased expences to their pockets.
Today dentistry is one of the fields which has advanced, in terms of techniques, materials and treatment procedures which are painless and minimally invasive. So one needs to be aware, that the age old dentistry of painful dental treatments and extraction of teeth are the thing of past, enigma no longer persists. Preserve the natural because there is nothing better.
2. Brushing is enough to maintain healthy teeth
Most people think brushing twice a day is enough to keep the mouth healthy.
Brushing doesn't remove plaque from the spaces between the teeth and below the gums .
There are tools which help to clean these areas where the tooth brush does not reach, like dental floss, interdental brushes, water flosser.
Flossing is as important as brushing , if you don't floss you are not cleaning 40% of the total teeth area.
Mindful and proper brushing technique is very important to efficiently clean the teeth.
Brush your teeth in small circular motion at 45 degree angle to the gums.
Do not forget to clean your tongue.
Nevertheless a quarterly or a half yearly visit to your dentist for a chekup goes a long way in maintaining your oral as well as your general health.
3.Skipping the yearly dental appointments.
It is common for people to make dental appointments only when dental pain arises.
Consistent oral hygiene maintenance and regular check-ups help in prevention of the disease.
Skipping dental appointments can lead to plaque and tartar deposits.
Our mouth is full of bacteria, these bacteria along with food byproducts get deposited as a thin biofilm called plaque, these bacteria in the plaque produce acid which dissolves the enamel of the teeth leading to cavities.
When the plaque hardens it forms yellow or brown colored deposits on the teeth called tartar.
Dental tartar cannot be removed by brushing and flossing, it requires professional cleaning.
If the tartar if not removed, can lead to gum disease, bone loss and weaken the teeth leading to tooth loss.
Detailed cleaning under magnification using dental microscope is better than regular cleaning , as unseen tartar deposited below the gums and curvature of the teeth is detected and removed thoroughly.
Apart from maintaining good oral health, Dental appointments help in diagnosing any dental or oral problems at the earliest. Hence can prevent the progress of oral diseases.
4. Cavities and gum disease are the only dental problems
Mouth is the gateway to our body, it is also the mirror of our overall health.
Many acute and chronic diseases cause symptoms in the mouth. Hence dentist would be at the fore front to spot serious health conditions developing silently in the mouth.
The signs of many diseases first appear in the mouth and help in diagnosing the disease for example diabetes, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, which most don't know about and if detected early can cause the full stop in the vicious cycle of infection leading to disease and disease causing infection.
Poor oral hygiene can be a contributing factor to heart disease, stroke, pneumonia, rheumatoid arthritis, auto immune disorders, pregnancy and birth complications to name a few.
Hence good oral health is equally important as overall health.
Healthy mouth = Healthy Body
5.We ignore warning symptoms
Bad breath, bleeding gums, sensitive teeth, food getting struck between teeth, discomfort while chewing, cracked or chipped teeth, increasing gap between the teeth, uneven teeth, jaw joint problems, headaches, aphthous ulcers, sores, thrush are all signs of something is wrong and you need to see the dentist.
6. Diet sodas are better options than regular soft drinks.
All kinds of sodas are acidic, they are equally harmful to your teeth,
These acidic drinks erode the enamel layer of your teeth, causing cavities and sensitivity to your teeth.
It is very important to make the right dietary choices not only for our overall health but also oral health.
The food you eat on a daily basis has a direct impact on the oral microbiome and saliva.. When you eat wrong food you create an ideal breeding ground for the bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum disease.
Foods to avoid:
Simple starches like pasta, white bread, potato chips
Sugary foods & drinks like cookies, cakes, juices, pastries, candies
Acidic foods and drinks like sodas, coffee, carbonated drinks, tomato ketchup, energy drinks
7.Not replacing your tooth brush
Over time the bristles of the tooth brush harden and become frayed and build up more and more bacteria, such toothbrushes don't help in cleaning the teeth efficiently. It is advised to change the brush every 3 months.
