The Truth Behind Common Dental Myths

Myth: a widely held but false belief or idea. We’ve all heard our fair share of myths, old wives’ tales and flat out lies – from ‘if you swallow chewing gum it will stay in your stomach for seven years’ to the classic ‘touching a toad will give you warts’ – these somewhat crazy tales have survived decades of human intelligence and are not limited to general situations, as even the dental industry has some interesting myths that require debunking.

Teeth Whitening Weakens Teeth

Everyone loves a white smile, including dentists. Embraced by people working in the dental industry, methods for whitening and brightening smiles have been well researched and tested. Now if you’re going to try improving the colour of your pearly whites with household bleach – as recommended on TLC’s My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding – then you can expect some issues, but if you are using a dentist recommended whitening system and are following directions - then the health of your teeth won’t be in jeopardy. Dental professionals are incredibly protective of their own smiles – so when you know that they trust the technology behind today’s teeth whitening systems, and are using the same systems offered to patients; you can move forward with confidence and achieve the smile you’ve always wanted.

Stop Flossing if Your Gums Are Bleeding

At first blush this statement might make sense. After all: we have been conditioned to stop any activity that causes bleeding. But the truth of the matter is that flossing isn’t the cause of bleeding gums – it’s caused by inflammation. A buildup of plaque and food remnants becomes an irritant to gum tissue – causing them to become puffy and swollen and bleed at the slightest pressure. The best thing you can do to reduce plaque levels and gum inflammation is floss! Seeing your hygienist for regular cleanings will also keep teeth free from deposits of plaque and calculus and make it easier for you to maintain optimal gum health. If your gums bleed easily it’s probably time to contact your dental team for a professional cleaning – think of it as the mouth’s oil change – enabling the system to run smoothly.

Family Dentists at Centennial Smiles Dental want patients to get the straight talk on oral health matters. Welcoming new patients to their practice - contact this Downtown Calgary Dental Office today (587) 317-7959 and check next week’s blog for more dispelling of dental myths.

All procedures performed by General Dentists.