Myth: It doesn’t matter what type of toothbrush you use.

Not all toothbrushes are created equal. Soft brushes are recommended as hard brushes have bristles that can cause damage to your teeth and gums. The use of toothbrushes with hard bristles can lead to conditions such as receding gums and cause ledges to form along teeth if one is too aggressive about brushing. Therefore, the recommendation is to brush at least twice a day with a soft bristle toothbrush.

Myth: If you brush, you don’t need to floss.

The mouth is filled with bacteria. Brushing only removes bacteria from the front and inside surfaces of teeth. It cannot help you clean in between the teeth. Yes, even electric toothbrushes cannot clean in between teeth either. Flossing is the only way to remove the bacteria between teeth so that you won’t get cavities there (I nickname these cavities as “flossing cavities”)

Myth: Cosmetic dentistry is only for the rich and famous

You would be surprised at how affordable cosmetic dental procedures are. You can always budget for it and there is third party financing organizations available to assist you with making those procedures more affordable. Currently, whitening procedures are the most affordable and popular cosmetic services across Canada.

Myth: You only need to visit the dentist if you have a problem

Most oral health conditions remain quite silent in our mouths especially early on. For example, cavities, when small, often cannot be felt. The cavity is usually only noticed by the individual when it reaches close to the nerve. At this point, the tooth will likely require a root canal and crown or even worse an extraction (tooth loss). Another group of conditions that often goes unnoticed by patients are the gum diseases. Most gum diseases are not felt until you feel the teeth become quite loose. However, by that time, it is usually too late to save them and the result is tooth loss. By visiting your dentist regularly, your dentist can detect these problems early and correct them before major dental procedures become necessary. Not only will you save your teeth but you will also save your money.

Myth: Root canals never work.

After a root canal my tooth just broke and it had to be removed. This is partially true. Root canal therapy is a very effective treatment for relieving toothaches. However, all root canal treated teeth are at risk for fracture. Any teeth in the back of the mouth with root canal treatments need to be capped. Otherwise, you are at risk for losing them due to breakage.

Myth: I don’t need teeth because I can always get dentures.

This is a very serious misconception. Individuals who must resort to the use of dentures experience a complete change in their lifestyle. Wearing dentures means that you will likely have to avoid eating certain types of food because they may be too difficult to chew. Another concern that most denture wearers share are dentures becoming loose. This results because the shape of the inside of the mouth changes with tooth loss and therefore dentures will become ill-fitting and loose with time. However, sometimes even the best fitting dentures will not stay in place because dentures experience a multitude of forces that knock them out of place. One example is the movement of the tongue during eating or even talking. That is why dentures alone are not an appropriate replacement for your teeth.