I’m a dentist — here are 4 things I’d never do (and 4 tips I always recommend to patients)
Good oral health is intimately connected to our overall well-being — healthy teeth and gums play an important role in preventing chronic disease by lowering risks linked to heart disease, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases, among others.
April is National Oral Health Month and this month, the Canadian Dental Association (CDA) is raising awareness about the importance of oral health. To find out how Canadians can boost their oral health care routines, Yahoo Canada spoke to Dr. Sanjukta Mohanta, a general dentist practicing in the Greater Toronto Area.
Good oral health comes down to three key elements, Mohanta said. “Every Canadian can have a healthy smile by doing three things: having good daily oral hygiene, having a healthy diet that's low in sugar, and visiting a dentist at least once a year.”
When was the last time you visited the dentist? Mohanta recommends seeing your dentist at least once per year (Getty).
To find out four things Mohanta would never do, and four things she recommends to boost oral health, read on. She also shares her top dentist-approved picks for oral health care, including her favourite toothpaste, CDA-approved mouthwash, and more.
4 things a dentist would never do
1. Go to bed without brushing
“No matter how tired I am, I will drag myself to the washroom and brush and floss,” Mohanta told Yahoo Canada. “I can't fall asleep without doing it.”
2. DIY dentistry
“People are 3D printing their own clear [teeth-straightening] liners, or they are putting elastic bands around their teeth to close spaces,” she said. “Any movement of teeth should be supervised by an orthodontist, because you can create a lot of damage.”
She would also skip DIY teeth-whitening methods that are touted online, like mixing baking soda and strawberries and putting them on your teeth, which is not effective and can actually be damaging. “The strawberries have sugar and acid,” she said.
In fact, any online advice should be double-checked with a healthcare provider. “We have to make sure the things we do are backed by science,” Mohanta said. “For example, charcoal toothpaste is really abrasive, so it's going to lead to tooth sensitivity because it's going to brush away your enamel. Instead of using charcoal toothpaste to whiten your teeth, talk to your oral healthcare provider. The whitening agents that we suggest will provide you with a whiter smile without damaging your teeth.”
3. Use products that aren't CDA-approved
“We should avoid buying products that don't have the Canadian Dental Association (CDA) seal of approval,” Mohanta said. “Products with the CDA seal of approval mean they have done tests to make sure that the product is safe, and it's effective at actually doing what it says it's supposed to do.”
4. Use medium or hard-bristle toothbrushes
“We should avoid using medium and hard-bristled toothbrushes because they are way too abrasive,” she said. “You could actually brush away your gum and create notches in your enamel, and that'll create sensitivity.”
Instead, always buy brushes with soft bristles, and do not brush hard. “We should not scrub by the gum line. That'll brush away the gums and cause sensitivity,” she said. “We should use a light touch and brush in little circles by the gum line and then sweep away.”
“We should avoid using medium and hard-bristled toothbrushes because they are way too abrasive,” Mohanta said.
Instead, follow these dentist-recommended tips
1. Visit a dentist at least once a year
“It's really important to visit your dentist at least once a year,” Mohanta said. “Don't wait until you have pain, because by that time, you'll need expensive treatment.”
With this in mind, starting on May 1, the Canadian Dental Care Plan is expanding to include all Canadians aged 18 to 64 who do not have access to dental insurance and bring in under $90,000 per year. “Apply if you're eligible,” Mohanta suggests.
2. Always rinse with therapeutic mouthwash
“I wish people would use therapeutic mouthwashes more often, like Listerine,” Mohanta said. “It doesn't just fight bad breath. It also decreases plaque and gingivitis, and if it has fluoride in it, like Listerine Total Zero, it will help decrease decay, on top of decreasing gum disease and bad breath.”
Mohanta said swishing with CDA-approved mouthwash only takes 30 seconds twice a day. “It's really easy to do. All you have to know is how to swish. And the evidence shows that it reduces plaque by 52 per cent more than if you just brush and floss. If you add Listerine to brushing and flossing, you're going to remove more plaque for a healthier mouth.”
For those who are put off by really intense mouthwash, Mohanta suggests opting for the milder versions, such as Listerine Zero, which has no alcohol in it, or Listerine Green Tea Zero. “That's a really mild flavour mouthwash and it tastes great, like a matcha mouthwash.”
3. Always drink water
“I wish people drank more water,” Mohanta said. “Water is the main drink that we should be drinking every day, all day long.” Mohanta says water should be everyone's go-to beverage because it has no sugar, it doesn't cause cavities, and, unlike flavoured drinks, some water contains fluoride, which can help prevent tooth decay.
“Drinking water prevents our mouths from drying, and it helps to wash away food that's stuck to our teeth. Water is also going to decrease gum disease and tooth decay — just from washing stuff off of our teeth and moistening our mouth,” she said.
However, if you choose to drink sugary drinks like soda or juice, here's a dentist-approved hack.
“The trick is to drink it quickly, so that way it's not on your teeth for very long. So, if you're going to have sugary drinks, it's better to drink them within half an hour instead of sipping on them all day. If you sip it all day, you're exposing your teeth to the acids all day, versus if you drink it quickly, you're exposing your teeth to it for just a short time.”
Afterwards, rinse your mouth with water — that simple act can help reduce any sugars lingering on your teeth.
4. Be mindful when enjoying sweets
In an ideal world, people should avoid eating sweet and sticky food to limit the amount of sugar on their teeth. However, even Mohanta indulges in a sweet treat. “I love sweets. I eat them every day, but I practice harm reduction,” she said. “I will pick sweets that aren't sticky. For example, at Easter, I pick the pure chocolate, because that's not going to stick to my teeth like candies or caramel would.”
After she eats anything sweet, she follows up with a piece of hard cheese or a crunchy fruit or vegetable, like apples, carrots or cucumbers. “These help naturally clean it off your teeth. And if I can't do that, I'll rinse my mouth with water.”
If you are snacking on sweet treats, Mohanta recommends exposing your mouth to sugar for a limited time only. So if you're having a movie night with a bowl of Hershey's Kisses, for example, Mohanta suggests eating them faster.
“It's actually better for your teeth to eat it all at once. Just expose your mouth to the sugar for five minutes, instead of two hours,” she says.
6 dentist-approved products
Let us know what you think by commenting below and tweeting @YahooStyleCA! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
