There are several things relating to oral health which are commonly held as facts while they are dental myths. In this article we will look at a few of these and help to clarify.
I lost calcium from my teeth during my pregnancies, or my kids took all the calcium from my teeth:
This is very common to hear. During pregnancy, there is an increase desire to consume sugary snacks. This happening alongside inadequate home oral care and irregular dentist visits, the results will be increased rate of teeth decay. Additionally, during pregnancy gums tends to bleed and swells due to increased hormone levels, when teeth brushing is not optimal the results are increased risk of gum disease. If this pattern continues throughout life the end results is loss of teeth due to decay and gum disease. It is common to encounter dental emergencies during pregnancy and this can present a challenge in management as there is issues surrounding the health of the baby from the use of numbing agents and dental x-rays. Just like all other health checks we do before getting pregnant, it is advisable to do dental checks and manage all existing dental conditions and maintain six monthly checks with your dentist to eliminate risk of getting painful dental emergencies during pregnancy.
My parents wear dentures, so I expect to wear dentures.
Dentures are plastic teeth that seats on the gums and bone of the jaw, sometimes can be supported by remaining teeth. Some people have grown seeing parents and grandparents using dentures and they can assume that this is what they will end up with themselves. There is nothing wrong with wearing dentures, however this is something one can avoid inheriting. As mentioned above, the loss of teeth is caused by high consumption of sugary and acidic foods, lack of brushing and not visiting the dentist regularly. This creates a cycle of dental emergencies and in most cases, it is too late to save the tooth, or one may opt for extractions as opposed to other means of saving teeth due to expense. Dental emergencies are often associated with high expenses and discomforts. This in turn intensifies lack of dental awareness and drifting away from the dentist, the results are poor dental health, loss of teeth and high dental expenses. Over time teeth are lost from extractions and will get to a point where they need to be replaced. Loss of teeth can be avoided through three things: brushing twice a day and flossing once, six monthly checks with your dentist for maintenance and addressing dental issues at an early stage.