Deciding on the best way to take care of your teeth and gums can be a little confusing. Over the years, I’m sure you’ve heard advice from various sources about the best way to care for your teeth. While these sources may have good intentions, some of this advice could actually be causing you to hurt your oral health instead of helping. As your dentist in Keller, we are here to break the most common myths surrounding oral health care.
Teeth Whitening at Beauty Salons
Beauty salons offer an array of services, which often include teeth whitening. You get a new hairdo while getting your teeth whitened. What could be better, right? Well, the whitening treatments used at beauty salons aren’t professional grade gels or treatments, which could place your gums and teeth at risk. Only dentists are legally able to offer whitening treatments because they must follow a certain set of protocols to safely offer the treatment. Those who offer the treatments without the right training or products can cause serious damage to your oral health.
Brushing After Eating
To keep your teeth looking their best, it makes sense to brush your teeth immediately after eating, right? Wrong! You should wait at least 30 minutes after eating to brush your teeth, especially if you’ve eaten something that contains a lot of acid. Brushing your teeth right after you eat can cause your enamel to weaken.
Fruit Juices Are Better than Soda
Fruit juices and diet drinks may sound healthy, but they can be just as damaging to your teeth as regular sodas and other sugary drinks. Fruit juices contain high amounts of natural sugars. In fact, they may contain higher amounts of sugar than soda. Over a period of time, fruit juices and diet drinks will cause your enamel to weaken, increasing your risk for cavities.
Rinsing Your Mouth with Water
It may seem counterintuitive, but rinsing your mouth with water after brushing your teeth isn’t the best idea. Yes, you want to spit out any excess toothpaste, but you don’t want to rinse with water because it will remove beneficial fluoride from your teeth.
Don’t Brush Bleeding Gums
Bleeding gums are always an area of confusion. Many people think bleeding gums are a normal part of brushing and flossing, but bleeding gums are never normal. Not to mention, when the gums bleed, many feel they should avoid brushing them to prevent further bleeding and irritation. If you have bleeding gums, you need to step up your oral hygiene and visit a family dentist in Keller right away. Bleeding gums are the first sign of gum disease.
Your Family Dentist in Keller
Distinguished Dental is your dentist in Keller for complete dental care. At our Keller dentist office, we don’t want to see you place your oral health at risk due to common misconceptions about oral care. If you’re unsure whether or not you should be including something in your oral care, please call our office at (817) 993-4208.