Dental Myth Busters
Many dental problems are preventable-I am going to go through some of the most common dental myth busters to help look after teeth!
Myth — Baby teeth don’t matter
Truth — Baby teeth DO actually matter-they start to be lost at around 5–6 years old (as with any developmental milestone there can be some variation on this-see your own dentist if you have any concerns). Some of the back baby teeth are present until beyond 12 years old. Baby teeth are important to a child’s health and development-they can affect your little ones smile, speech, how they eat, their confidence and ability to learn and thrive. If they are lost prematurely as a result of dental decay or trauma the spaces for adult teeth can be reduced, which may result in crowded and crooked teeth.
Myth — Morning time is the most important time to clean teeth
Truth — Night time toothbrushing is more important than a morning brush-at night time, the buffering capacity of saliva is greatly reduced so it is more important to brush teeth at this time so that fluoride can help with remineralisation of teeth and brush teeth at one other time-not necessarily in the morning but most people do this as part of their oral hygiene regime.
Myth — Brushing straight after eating will keep my teeth healthy
Truth — Don’t brush straight after eating-we advise waiting for at least 30 minutes, ideally around an hour. The reason for this is that each time we eat, our mouth becomes acidic as bacteria breakdown sugars into acids. It can take upwards of 30 minutes for our mouth to return to a more neutral or ‘safe’ environment, brushing before this can potentially put teeth at a risk of acid wear. So, for example, in the morning either brush before breakfast or wait at least 30 minutes after eating to clean teeth.
Myth — Rinse out with water after toothbrushing
Truth — After toothbrushing, spit out toothpaste but do not rinse with water afterwards-this is to maintain fluoride concentration levels. Unless advised specifically to do so by a dentist, you don’t need to use a mouthwash for the same reason as fluoride concentrations are usually lower in mouthwashes than toothpastes, so you essentially dilute the fluoride if you use mouthwash straight after toothbrushing. We may recommend using a mouthwash at a different time to toothbrushing in some circumstances for conditions such as gum disease in adults or in those who are at increased risk of dental decay for example.
Myth — I don’t have a lot of sugar so my teeth will be ok
Truth — Both the amount of sugar AND the frequency of which the sugar is consumed are causative factors in tooth decay. Each time you have sugary food and drink, the bacteria found in dental plaque produce acid that attacks teeth-over time, this can eventually lead to holes (cavities) in teeth. It may be that you consume small amounts of sugar often ie a high frequency-this can predispose teeth to caries as each time there is a sugar intake the mouth becomes acidic and takes upwards of 30 minutes to return to its neutral or safe state -if there is a high frequency of sugar intake, the mouth can spend more time in an ‘unsafe’ pH for teeth-this is particularly the case with little ones who ‘graze’ on snacks throughout the day and for ‘sipping’ drinks from bottles and beakers, and is why from 6 months we suggest making the transition to an open cup, so drinks are consumed in one intake.
Myth — ‘Healthy’ snacks are ok for teeth
Truth — Products that are marketed as ‘healthy’ snacks aren’t always so good for teeth-try and see beyond marketing and ‘heathy’ snack claims. Although labels may specify that there is ‘no added sugar’, this does not mean that the products contain no sugar. Some of the ‘healthy’ snacks, which are ‘great for lunch boxes’ , contain ‘1 of 5 a day’ and ‘only naturally occurring sugars’ , ‘made with real fruit’ in fact contain fruit from concentrate, fruit purées and dried fruit, which is not fruit in its natural state, so is classed as a ‘free sugar’, meaning that this counts towards your child’s daily allowance…opt for fruit in it’s whole form as a true healthy snack! (see link to the Liverpool City Council/Public Health Liverpool www.savekidsfromsugar.co.uk campaign which has some great visual resources for families)
Myth — ‘No added Sugar’ don’t contain any sugar
Truth — ‘No added sugar’ doesn’t mean ‘no sugar’ -some of these products can contain a large amount of natural sugar and may also contain artificial sweeteners. Fruit from concentrate, fruit puree and dried fruits contain free sugars-this can often be the case with fruit juices and fruit cordials. Sugar free means there are no sugars (less than 0.5g) in the products, but often these may be acidic and therefore potentially erosive to teeth. This can lead to the softening of the outer tooth surface (enamel) leaving it more vulnerable to wear and to decay.
Myth — Fluoride is harmful, I need to use a Natural Toothpaste.
Truth — Fluoride can help to prevent tooth decay. Brushing teeth thoroughly twice daily with an appropriate fluoride toothpaste is one of the most effective ways of preventing tooth decay. Natural toothpastes often don’t contain sufficient (if any) fluoride. It is fluoride which has a strong evidence base that it reduces dental decay by around 1/3. Toothpastes with less than 1000ppmF are ineffective at preventing tooth decay. It is important to use a flat smear of toothpaste for 0–3 year olds, a small pea sized amount for 3–6 year olds and 7 years + a pea sized amount.
Myth — I’m not in pain so I don’t need to go to the dentist
Truth — Regular dental check-ups are important to prevent problems from arising or to catch dental problems at an early stage-dental problems are largely preventable. Just because there is no dental pain does not mean that there isn’t a problem. Often, when pain becomes a symptom, it may indicate a more serious problem for a tooth as the nerve may be affected at this point, meaning that the tooth may require more complex treatment. Dentists also examine your soft tissues in the mouth in addition to your teeth and provide preventative advice to prevent problems from arising in the first instance. Historically, patients would visit the dentist every 6 months, however, recall intervals are based on current NICE guidelines and may be longer or shorter than 6 months-the dentist will discuss this and agree a recall interval based on your risk factors-this may be as short as 3 months or as long as 24 months.
Myth — Dentists are scary!
Truth — Dentists are not so scary or judgemental! Lots of patients open with the line ‘I hate the dentist’, but then after treatment often confess it wasn’t as bad as they had anticipated-things have changed over the years and there are lots of options available for anxious patients if you really can’t tolerate treatment in the dental practice. Don’t let fear or embarrassment act as a barrier to accessing dental care. We genuinely want to help. We won’t judge you on how long you haven’t visited the dentist for or what condition your teeth are in-rest assured it is highly likely that we have seen worse and whatever is discussed in the surgery remains entirely confidential!
So why is this so important? Well, In 2017/18, there were 38,385 tooth extractions under general anaesthetic in children due to tooth decay — equivalent to 13 full school buses each week. Public Health England data indicates that at least 60,000 days of school are missed during the year for hospital tooth extractions; parents and carers may also have to take time off work. Children in the most deprived areas have twice the level of tooth decay as those living in the least deprived areas.
Our environment has slowly changed, and it makes it hard for our children to be healthy-cheap unhealthy food is often the easy option and children are constantly exposed to advertising for unhealthy food and drink. Infancy and early childhood are an important period for establishing healthy eating patterns. Many infant foods exceed the recommended maximum daily allowances for sugar and some contain added salt.
Children are eating nearly three times the recommended amount of sugar. Too much sugar is bad for health leading to obesity and tooth decay.
Parents are confused with the amount of sugar that is in everyday items that they give their children to eat and drink.
Parents have been shocked by the amount of sugar found in drinks, breakfast cereals and yogurts, a snack which is seen as a healthy alternative. Public Health Liverpool have taken the bold step to name and shame some of the top children’s branded drinks, breakfast cereals and yogurts and show clearly the shocking amounts of sugar in each.
For more information on the Liverpool City Council/Public Health Liverpool sugar campaign click here: www.savekidsfromsugar.co.uk. To help parents see how much sugar their child is having each day the campaign includes a website featuring a sugar check tool. The tool enables parents to choose which breakfast cereals, drinks, yogurt and snack their child has on a typical day and works out how much sugar the child is consuming.
Helen Clint has worked as a Dentist at Muirhead Dental Practice in Norris Green since qualifying with Honours from the University of Liverpool in 2005, with a distinction in Oral Health. As an NHS England Clinical Entrepreneur, her aim is to make the Oral Health message more relatable and accessible to families, which she does via Instagram (@dentalmummy). Helen empathises with parents’ battle with regards to restricting sugar intake and regular brushing as she is a mother of two young children herself.
