Scrub harder for cleaner teeth. Give up flossing when gums bleed. Only see a dentist when something hurts. These beliefs are everywhere, and plenty of them do real harm over time. Here are eight common dental myths, and what’s actually true, from the team at Dental Wellness Stanmore.
Everyone has picked up dental advice from somewhere: a parent, a friend, a video that came up on their feed. Some of it holds up. Quite a lot of it doesn’t.
These are the myths that come up most in our appointments.
The truth: Plaque is soft and lifts off easily, so heavy pressure adds nothing except damage. Over time, scrubbing hard thins the enamel and pushes the gums back, leaving the sensitive root surface exposed. A soft brush, gentle pressure, and a steady two minutes, twice daily, does the job. Bristles that splay out within weeks are a sign you’re pressing too hard.
The truth: Sugar plays a big part, but how often you have it counts for as much as how much. Each sugary or acidic bite or sip leaves your mouth acidic for a while afterwards, so a drink sipped slowly over a couple of hours does more harm than one finished quickly. Starchy foods like crisps and white bread turn into sugars as you chew, and acidic drinks, including fizzy water and fruit juice, can wear enamel down directly.
The truth: Gums bleed because plaque along the gumline has made them inflamed, and removing that plaque is what calms them down. Most people notice the bleeding settling within a week or two of regular flossing. If it carries on, or your gums look puffy or feel tender, it’s worth having them checked at Dental Wellness Stanmore, as it can be an early sign of gum disease.
The truth: Many dental problems stay silent for a long time. Decay, gum disease, and small cracks can all progress for months without any discomfort, and by the point they start to hurt, treatment is usually bigger and costlier. Regular check-ups are there to find issues while they’re still minor.
The truth: Acidic foods and drinks, such as citrus, fizzy drinks, wine, and coffee, soften your enamel for a short time, and brushing straight afterwards can wear some of it away. Waiting about half an hour is better. Many people find it easier to brush before breakfast instead, and to swish with plain water after anything acidic.
The truth: Mouthwash can help, but it can’t physically lift plaque off your teeth the way a brush and floss can. Treat it as an add-on, not a replacement. It also works best at a different time from brushing, say after lunch, so you don’t rinse away the fluoride your toothpaste has just left behind.
The truth: There isn’t much good evidence that charcoal toothpaste whitens, and many kinds are quite gritty, which can wear enamel down with regular use. Thinner enamel lets the yellower layer beneath show through, which can leave teeth looking darker. If whiter teeth are the goal, professional whitening is safer and gives more reliable results.
The truth: Baby teeth keep space for the adult teeth coming through, help children eat and speak, and decay in them can spread infection or affect the permanent teeth underneath. Habits learned young also tend to last. Children should see a dentist from when their first teeth come through.
Brush gently twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, clean between your teeth every day, reduce how often you snack and sip on sugary or acidic things, and keep up with regular check-ups even when everything feels fine. After brushing, spit rather than rinse, so the fluoride stays on your teeth for longer.
If a few of these sound familiar, you’re not alone, and none of it is hard to put right. The team at Dental Wellness Stanmore can look at how your teeth and gums are doing and give you advice that suits your mouth.
Book online, call us on 020 8954 2602, or pop in and speak to our reception team.
Want more practical tips straight from the team? Visit our YouTube channel for patient testimonials, treatment walkthroughs, and expert tips from the team at Dental Wellness.
