5 Common Misconceptions about Oral HealthYour oral health is vital to your overall health. While everyone wants to take good care of their mouths, we often hear questions from patients (and friends) about brushing, flossing, gum disease, and oral health in general. Here, then, are five of the most common misconceptions about going to the dentist and about oral health.
. Oral Health isn’t Related to Overall Health
Your oral health can often be an indicator of your overall health. In fact, one of the first indicators of poor health is trouble in your mouth. Take your oral health seriously. Brush, floss, and use mouthwash every day. Take note of any bleeding in your gums or anything unusual in your mouth. If you take care of your mouth, you take care of your body, too. It’s that simple. Take a look at our video about “Biofilm” for information about how oral health affects the rest of the body.
2. Flossing
When you were little, your mother told you to floss. Your dentist still tells you to floss. Yet we often hear “Well I’ve been meaning to floss more” at appointments. In truth flossing should be an integral part of your daily oral health routine. Flossing only takes a minute or two longer than brushing and yet it plays an important role in your overall health.
Flossing removes decaying food particles that lodge between your teeth after you eat. These particles cause bad breath, plaque buildup, and other health issues. Flossing only takes a few minutes and you’ll feel better.
3. Do I Really Need to Worry About Gum Disease?
Gum disease is one of the most misunderstood aspects of oral health. Since bleeding gums can be a sign of gingivitis many people assume that if they their gums aren’t bleeding that they don’t have to worry about gum disease. Unfortunately this is not the case. See our “Periodontitis” video for more information.
Gingivitis and other types of gum disease can cause major damage to your gums and, yes, your teeth. It is therefore imperative to floss regularly (as mentioned above) in order to take care of your gums. Another frequent factor in gum disease is overactive brushing. Many people assume that brushing more forcefully, or “harder,” is better. In truth aggressive brushing can cause severe damage to your gums.
One of the easiest ways to prevent aggressive brushing is by investing in an electric toothbrush. Electric toothbrushes such as a Sonicare “do the work” for you, meaning that you merely guide the toothbrush rather than exerting force to clean your teeth. This causes less abrasion to the gums and, in the long term, can help fight gum disease. Blue Back Dental offers professional wholesale pricing on Sonicare toothbrushes, allowing us to sell it significantly below retail cost.
4. Adult Braces
Many adults are interested in corrective dentistry but worry about getting adult braces. Thankfully advances in technology mean that adults can enjoy the benefits of adult braces without worrying about how they look while wearing them.
At Blue Back Dental we offer the two leading adult braces systems: Six Month Smiles and Invisalign. Both systems offer clear alternatives to traditional metal braces. The best part is that these systems often take months rather than years, at a cost much lower than traditional braces. If you are considering orthodontics, consider Six Month Smiles and Invisalign, two options that will have you smiling again in no time.
Lookout for Blue Back Dental’s Invisalign event day on May 16th 2014 for up to $1000 off.
5. Teeth Whitening
Blue Back Dental offers 3 teeth whitening systems: In office, Disposable Tray, and Custom Tray. They vary in concentration of the active ingredient Carbamide Peroxide. These systems are a safe and effective way to lighten enamel an average of 4 shades.
The fastest method is our “In Office” whitening with Boost gel. Because of the higher strength gel, a one hour application in the office is equivalent to several weeks use of at home systems. Blue Back Dental recommends starting the whitening process with a Boost treatment, and then maintaining the whitened levels using either Disposable or Custom tray gel use periodically. Tres White disposable trays or Opalescence gel syringes are an economical method to maintain whitened levels at home.
As you can see oral health is an often overlooked aspect of your overall health. A healthy mouth leads to a healthy body. At Blue Back Dental we’re happy to answer any questions you may have about your teeth, gums, or mouth in general. Stop in or give us a call to schedule your next appointment or a consultation.