Everybody has secrets, so do your dentist. What crosses their minds when operating on their patients and what they seriously wish their patients knew, but hardly tell?
You’re not brushing your teeth enough: But I brush my teeth after every meal, isn’t that enough? The important part is the length of time. Brushing for a few seconds or even a minute is not enough. What your dentist badly wants you to know is that the desired brushing time is a whole two minutes! This makes sure the plaque accumulated overnight is thoroughly removed. Another tip your dentist wants to stress upon is changing your toothbrush every two months.
If your mouth is dry, it’s prone to a faster bacteria attack: What many of us don’t know is the importance of saliva for keeping our mouth clean by washing away the residue, and fighting cavities. It also neutralizes the acid in certain foods, preventing enamel erosion. So, if you have a dry mouth, you need to be extra careful about your oral health.
Don’t wear lipstick on your visit: It’s annoying! Getting lipstick stains all over our gloves and instruments, and on your teeth, we’d rather you not wear or take it off before the appointment.
Exercise could lead to dental problems: Exercise causes dehydration, leading to slow saliva production and a more vulnerable mouth. Furthermore, sport and energy drinks are high in sugar and may eventually erode your enamel.
Cavities are contagious: Generally, sugary foods are blamed for cavities, whereas the transferable cavity-causing bacteria are a more alarming threat, and are contagious.
Daily aspirin dose may cause excess bleeding: Your dentist wants you to tell them if you take aspirin daily since it causes more bleeding when operated or during extraction.
Your tongue is a crystal ball to your health: You could tell a lot about your health just by examining your tongue. A red tongue tip means thyroid defect or heart problem whereas a yellow-green tip indicates liver or gallbladder problems. Similarly, a grey-brown color means problems with digestion.
