HOLISTIC DENTAL MYTHS
Over the years, we have heard some pretty incredible claims that we feel need to be debunked:
​MYTH 1: Holistic Dentists Don't Need to Take X-Rays
While there are some things that can be done without X-rays, it is simply impossible to perform most dentistry without them. Teeth are opaque, meaning you cannot see through them. How is it possible to see infections, cavities, roots, and nerve locations that are in the teeth and gums? You can't. Anyone who says they can is not being honest frankly. Anyone who says they can do dental work without them is simply guessing where the work needs to be performed. You do not want someone guessing on dental work.
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So we don't guess, and we do need X-rays. We will try to use any recent (less than 6 months old if nothing is serious) X-rays you may have from other offices. But, just because you have other X-rays does not mean they are of diagnostic quality. If we do need you to take X-rays at our office, just know we use the lowest radiation levels possible that give us the images we need. It's a balancing act, but we try to push your X-ray exposure down to the lowest limits that are medically necessary.
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MYTH 2: We Can Re-Grow Teeth
It is simply not possible to regrow teeth at this point. Some of the confusion is intentional and some is just a bit of wishful thinking. There is research out of Japan that looks promising for re-growing teeth, but that research very optimistically puts the commercial availability of this out at least 5 years. We are not sure how just re-growing a tooth will work exactly because to re-grow a tooth usually means it's missing, and if it's missing, then the periodontal ligament has probably atrophied as well as the tooth's nerve. Those two things are large hindrances to just re-growing a tooth to act like a natural tooth. Without those, a re-grown tooth is just a more toothy dental implant, so why bother. That's especially true if it takes years to re-grown the tooth.
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Now maybe you have heard about the Japanese research; but, maybe you saw one of these re-grow your teeth ads on Youtube or Facebook. These ads are complete nonsense and have no basis in reality. Dental offices around the world are not conspiring to withhold some miracle cure from you. The people that peddle this nonsense like to claim the Dentists are just trying to make money off of you, and then they turn around and try to sell you some ridiculously expensive supplements with all sorts of fake reviews to back them up. Do better and don't believe these ads. Also, reverse image search the reviewers and see how many of the same types of supplements they're giving "5 stars" to. It's a scam.
MYTH 3: Using Products that Kill all the Bacteria in Your Mouth is a Good Thing
Bacteria is bad? Right? The answer is always more complex than it seems at first. There definitely are strains of bacteria that are bad for you. Those are the ones that cause tooth decay and periodontal diseases. But, there are also strains of bacteria that are very much good for you. Simply using a mouthwash that kills everything does about as much harm as it does good.​
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A better approach is to maintain healthy eating habits as well as getting regular cleanings while brushing and flossing at home.
MYTH 4: I Can't Floss Because it Causes my Gums to Bleed
We've heard this one quite a few times. The problem is the patient has this backwards. It's not that you can't floss because your gums bleed, it's that your gums bleed because you have periodontal disease which flossing can help alleviate.
Once you find your gums bleeding, you should keep flossing, but you will need to have a professional cleaning on a regular schedule.
MYTH 5: Snoring is Normal
Snoring may happen to millions of people, which might make it seem like it's normal, but the body is not supposed to snore. Snoring is a caused by the collapse of the soft palate obstructing your airway. The 'snoring' is caused by the vibration of the soft palate and the back of your tongue against your airway. If the soft palate and tongue were in the correct position. There are both genetic and lifestyle reasons for why this happening.
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The first thing you should do if you have snoring issues or worse, you believe you may have obstructive sleep apnea, is to find a sleep doctor or sleep dentist to get a sleep test. You will need the results of a sleep test to see how bad the snoring and/or sleep apnea is.
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Most patients with obstructive sleep apnea will be prescribed a CPAP machine, which runs constant air through your airway during the night. A CPAP machine can be difficult to sleep with and many people will ditch their CPAP machines for oral appliances prescribed by your dentist. We can help you if you want, but regardless, go get the sleep test and help!
MYTH 6: Stiffer Bristle Brushes are Better at Cleaning
Cleaning your teeth is not like cleaning the stove. Your teeth seem like they're rock hard, but they're not and brushing with stiff bristles can actually wear down the enamel and damage your gums. This can lead to increased rates of dental decay and gum recession. A soft bristle brush is plenty good for daily cleanings. ​
MYTH 7: My Teeth Should Always be Touching
You guessed it, but no, they should not always be touching. It is unnatural for your teeth to be touching unless you are actively chewing. In fact, clenchers and grinders often have this notion that their teeth should constantly touch, but that touching and grinding will wear down your teeth. Clenchers and grinders usually grind their teeth unconsciously, but consciously, they think it's normal till there is significant damage on their teeth. Clench and grinding (Bruxism) will eventually cause your teeth to grind the tops down to almost smooth, and then will eventually start to cause more serious tooth problems, including cracked teeth that will likely need to be extracted.
MYTH 8: My Parents Had Bad Teeth so I'm Hopeless :(
Never. Every patient is unique and every patient has the agency to control the outcomes of the oral health. While there is some component of oral health that is genetic, genetics isn't everything. Daily habits and good routines can do wonders for your oral health. A holistic dentist can also help you understand the larger role played by your body in your overall oral health.
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Don't give up!
MYTH 9: Ortho Can't Start Till All Baby Teeth are Gone
This is something we have heard many times during our Myobrace consults. It's not true that you have to wait that long. Ortho can, and often should, be started when kids are quite young, like optimally at 6 or 7 years old. Ortho can be done all the way through adulthood, but the problem lies in our ever increasing jaw bone density which makes moving teeth more difficult with age.
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Essentially, our ortho program is concerned about creating sufficient space for your adult teeth, which is great when they haven't yet come in. It's when nothing has been done and those larger adult teeth come in that they end up having to push each other out of the way. That crowding leads to crooked teeth, making them twist and turn to fit. Doing ortho early simply makes that problem go away before it even starts.
MYTH 10: Charcoal is Good For Your Teeth and Gums
Charcoal is all-natural! It is also super abrasive! The same principles apply to products containing charcoal that applied to hard bristle brushes: the more abrasive (think grainy), the more that product will work off your enamel and damage your gums
