Busting common oral health myths

FROM THE AUSTRALIAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION

For Dental Health Week 2022 the Australian Dental Association (ADA) is urging people to do a little bit every day to keep their mouth in great shape.

There’s a lot of misinformation and noise out there around the best ways to keep your mouth healthy. Here are some of the most common myths the ADA hears about through its members – and the right way to do things so your mouth will love you for it. “If you look after your teeth by observing the ADA’s four key messages, you can have your teeth for life,” said the ADA’s Oral Health Promoter and dentist Dr Mikaela Chinotti. “That means brushing morning and night with a soft bristle toothbrush and a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste, flossing once a day, eating a nutritious diet low in added sugar and visiting your dentist regularly. “And none of these habits take long. These routines added together amount to around only five or six minutes a day– and they’ll benefit you for your entire life.” Some commonly-held myths and the truths behind each.

Myth: It doesn’t matter what toothpaste you use so long as you brush. Truth:There’s a whole industry of wellness products filling chemist and supermarket shelves and many include fluoride-free toothpastes. But without the essential ingredient of fluoride, the toothpaste may not protect the teeth as much as necessary for optimum protection. There’s a very large body of evidence showing that fluoride toothpastes prevent more tooth decay than non-fluoride toothpastes. It’s in our water too and Australian studies show this reduces tooth decay in children by 26–44% and 27% in adults. Tooth decay is a largely preventable disease and the addition of fluoride to most Australian water is a substantial help in preventing decay. Despite the claims of minority groups, there’s extensive research that shows there are no adverse health effects from fluoride, a naturally occurring mineral, when used within recommended limits.

Truth: If you’ve done it correctly, two minutes will do the job. Brushing beyond that isn’t needed if you’ve done a thorough job during the recommended two-minute period.

Myth:Brushing once a day is enough. Truth: This is not the case. One study showed that on average, less than half of dental plaque was removed when bushing with a manual toothbrush for 2 minutes. With so little plaque removed and it then building up again throughout the day, brushing teeth twice a day is recommended by the nation’s dentists to keep control of plaque levels.

Myth: Tooth whitening kits off the shelf are OK to use unsupervised. Truth: If you haven’t had your mouth checked by a dentist recently, you won’t know if you have an untreated crack, cavity, exposed root or other problem you can’t feel. If the bleach escapes from the standard-sized bleach tray that comes with off the shelf whitening kits, and it gets into that untreated area, you could suffer pain from the teeth or from your gums. It’s always advisable to get your teeth checked first and even better to get them whitened with a dentist’s supervision, either in a clinic or at home with a dentist-supplied kit as they can monitor your progress.

Myth:Charcoal toothpaste is healthy for teeth. Truth: This is not the case for all toothpastes or powders containing charcoal. A 2019 report in the British Dental Journal showed that for people with periodontal disease (gum disease affecting the gums, bone and ligaments that hold the teeth in place), there was the potential for charcoal particles to collect under the gums and cause the gum tissue to appear grey/black in colour, or build up in the grooves of the teeth or surface defects on white fillings. Needless to say if this happens at the front of your mouth it will show! The report also found that 92% of charcoal toothpastes or powders included in the study didn’t contain fluoride and that the charcoal could be abrasive and may cause wear of the tooth surface. Myth: Brushing alone will keep teeth and gums healthy. Truth: You need to clean between your teeth every day, in addition to twice-daily brushing, to remove the bacteria and food particles from between the teeth. Toothbrushing can’t reach these areas, no matter how well you do it. Cleaning between the teeth with interdental brushes or floss helps keep gums healthy. Gums are hugely important as they’re a part of the foundation that holds the teeth in place.

Myth: I can eat something sweet so long as I brush straight after. Truth:We all like a sugary treat but keep your daily consumption to within World Health Organization guidelines of six teaspoons a day maximum. After eating or drinking something containing sugar, rinse your mouth with water. It can take at least an hour for your teeth to recover from acid attacks caused by sugar, so wait an hour before brushing as doing it too soon will damage the tooth enamel softened by sugar.

Myth:what goes on in my mouth won’t affect the rest of my body.

Truth:Dental researchers working in this area have found plenty of evidence to show how oral health affects the rest of your body, particularly in relation to diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, where gum disease is not only a risk factor for these conditions, but also a factor in causing these conditions. Research has shown that people with gum disease have a 2.5 times increased risk of having a heart attack compared to the same group of people without gum disease. What they have yet to determine is if the prevention or treatment of gum disease reduces the number of heart attacks.

Don’t have a regular dentist or one who’s nearby? No problem - the ADA’s Find-a-Dentist search engine at www.teeth.org.au makes it easier.