A Colorado Springs Dental Implant Dentist Busts Major Myths About Oral Health, PART 2

Using sound logic and expert advice, this four-part article series dispels some of the most common myths surrounding oral health and dental treatment.

Welcome to the second installment of this four-part article series on the most common myths on dental health.

The very biggest obstacle in the path of perfect oral health is almost always ignorance. But, more than just not knowing any better, there are a number of myths that many Colorado Springs residents dangerously believe to be fact. And by adhering to the falsities perpetuated by these myths, these people put themselves at a much higher risk of doing permanent damage to their teeth and gums.

In Part 1, a dentalimplant dentist in Colorado Springs discussed the first two myths:

Myth # 1: Your oral health has little to do with your general health.

Horribly untrue: you eat with your mouth and you breathe through your mouth, so if it’s full of bacteria, you put your body at much greater risk of infection.

Myth # 2: If it doesn’t hurt, I can live with it.

Gum disease, surface cavities and even oral cancer frequently DON’T present with painful symptoms. And you certainly cannot live with those!

Let’s move along and take a look at the next two common misconceptions…

Myth # 3: If it’s not broken, why fix it?

“Unless you painstakingly examine each and every tooth and your gums with a magnified dental mirror, you cannot know whether it’s “broken,” can you? Dental problems rarely tend to announce themselves with much fanfare. Rather, they begin small, at which stage they’re easy and inexpensive to treat, and they develop and worsen over time. By the time you do realize you’ve got a problem that requires professional attention, the necessary treatment will likely be a lot more complex and a lot more expensive,” explains a Colorado Springs family dentist.

“There are two important messages for Colorado Springs residents to realize: (1) Just because you don’t notice anything wrong with your teeth doesn’t mean there isn’t anything wrong. And (2) dentists are trained to and have the specialized equipment necessary to identify problems in their infancy, or that may be hidden from the human eye. They can then provide early treatment that will prevent you from sustaining permanent damage. This is why routine preventative appointments with your dentist are essential for the maintenance of excellent oral health and hygiene.”

Myth # 4: It’s normal for your gums to bleed when you brush or floss.

“If you got in the shower and started bleeding from your skin where you scrubbed it, would you think it was normal? No! You’d probably jump out the shower and go straight to the doctor’s office. Why are your gums any different?

“The gums tend to bleed when they have been weakened by infection, which means that your oral health is compromised,” warns the Colorado Springs dental implant dentist. “If your gums bleed quite a bit when you brush them, it probably means that you have gingivitis or even periodontitis – gum disease. In addition to being at risk of ultimately losing your teeth, other symptoms of these conditions include really bad breath, so you may want to have that sorted out by going to your dentist before you find yourself losing friends.”

What if I’ve been told I’m in good oral health, but my gums still bleed?

“You may want to switch to a softer toothbrush and ease up on the pressure; hard, vigorous brushing can cause the gums to tear and bleed. Most family dentists recommend using a “soft” or “medium” bristled toothbrush and short, brisk strokes, rather than long, hard scrubs.”

Stay Tuned for Part 3

To read about more major myths that could potentially be disastrous for your oral health, stay tuned for the third installment of this four-part article series.