When one speaks about health, oftentimes dental care is forgotten. Dentists around the world had counseled everyone on the importance of oral checkups and dental visits. Dentists are doctors too, and just as how you ask questions to your doctors, you should do so with your dentists.
Ever wonder how many times you should brush your teeth? Or how many times you should visit your dentist every year? These are some of the most frequent questions asked to dentists around the world. Here's what the dentists have to say.
Why do you need to brush your teeth?
The primary cause of brushing your teeth is to prevent plaque from staying in your mouth. A plaque causes bacteria to develop on the surface. Bacteria are also what generate bad breath.
When should you brush your teeth?
Dentists advise to brush at least twice a day, one before bed, and another, either before or after breakfast. Dr. Rebecca Moazzez, director of the oral clinical research unit at Kings College London (KCL) Dental Institute says, "It depends on what you have eaten. The main thing to be careful of is fruit juice or fresh fruit, because they contain acid that can make the surface of the tooth quite soft." Brushing your teeth at the time acidic food were consumed can lead to the minerals being brushed away which causes the teeth to be weak.
Is chewing gum good or bad for teeth?
Chewing gums are not bad, say the dentists, only if it's sugar free. One advantage of chewing a gum is that it exhilarates the creation of saliva that protects the teeth from acid that destroys them
Do I really need to visit my dentist every six months?
If your teeth are in good condition, seeing the dentist twice a year (every six months) just for the sake of visiting in not needed. The Cochrane Oral Health Group explained that six-monthly dental checkups aren't scientifically proven and necessary unless a person encounter's a dental problem. The National Institute of Clinical Excellence recommended that children under 18 years old should visit the dentist at least once every year, due to tooth decay, which happens faster to children than adults. Adults were advised, if not encountering any problem ,that dental checkup once every 2 years is enough.