When it comes to everyday habits to help protect your health for decades to come, few are more important than ensuring you maintain a good oral hygiene routine.
This is far simpler than it can sound at times. Brush your teeth with a fluoride toothpaste for two minutes at the start and the end of the day, floss or use interdental brushes, and make sure you book a check-up with your dentist every few months or whenever you have a problem.
However, because smiles are often the first part of the face a person looks at, many people are looking for any way to make their teeth gleam a bit brighter and look a bit whiter, which can often lead to falling for quite dubious dental health myths.
Brushing Harder/Brushing More Means Cleaner Teeth
Some people may remember being told to clean their teeth three times a day rather than just two, brushing for longer than two minutes or using a brush with harsh bristles, but all three of these have rather negative side effects.
Brushing away plaque is essential, but brushing too hard wears away the enamel layer that protects teeth, which can contribute to tooth decay.
Similarly, don’t brush your teeth immediately after eating.
Charcoal Toothpaste Is Better
There was a big trend in health and beauty circles that promoted the power of activated charcoal as a way to clean teeth, showing before and afters with gleaming teeth amidst the black charcoal dust.
Technically it does work, but charcoal is a very strong abrasive, so it grinds away enamel very quickly, and as many charcoal toothpaste lines do not have any fluoride, your teeth are more vulnerable to tooth decay.
You Need To Remove Silver Fillings
Over the past few years, people have been increasingly concerned with fillings made with silver amalgam, a strong and long-lasting filling material that had been used for decades, due to containing low levels of mercury.
However, there is no evidence that amalgam fillings are harmful whilst in your mouth and so it is not necessary to get them removed, although composite materials are an alternative for newer fillings or ones that are more visible.