Due to the lack of attention to dental health among Chinese people and the existence of many misconceptions in daily life, there are several common misconceptions about teeth that can be harmful. Let's take a look at them together!
Misconception 1:
Occasionally using teeth to open a soda or beer bottle is not a big deal.
The enamel of teeth is a translucent calcified tissue that contains 96% inorganic salts (calcium salts), making it the hardest part of the human body, second only to diamonds in hardness.
However, teeth, despite their apparent strength, are actually quite fragile.
Biting on hard objects with teeth can easily cause tooth loosening, hidden cracks, and even tooth fractures.
Hidden cracks refer to incomplete tooth fractures or small non-physiological cracks on the surface of the tooth crown, which are not easily detected.
The cracks of hidden cracks often penetrate into the dentin structure of the tooth and can be one of the causes of toothache.
Misconception 2:
If teeth don't hurt, there is no dental problem.
Many people measure the health of their teeth by whether or not they feel pain, thinking that if their teeth don't hurt, their teeth are healthy. This belief is incorrect.
Most oral diseases are not felt in the early stages.
For example, in the early stages of dental caries and periodontal disease, there is no discomfort in the teeth, but once there is pain, it indicates that the disease has developed quite seriously.
It takes at least one year for a tooth decay to develop from its inception to the onset of pain in adults, and slightly shorter for children.
Misconception 3:
Orthodontic treatment cannot begin until all the teeth have been replaced.
For a long time, many people believed that orthodontic treatment would be more effective when children have finished replacing their teeth around the age of 12.
This view is not entirely correct and not suitable for all patients.
For oral deformities caused by bad habits, such as misaligned teeth or uneven teeth, the earlier the correction is done, the better the result.
If orthodontic treatment is done after tooth replacement, not only will the result be unsatisfactory, but also the best treatment period may be missed.
Misconception 4:
As people age, tooth loss is a normal phenomenon.
The World Health Organization has proposed the "8020" plan, which states that an 80-year-old person should still have 20 healthy teeth. Therefore, the idea of "losing teeth as you get older" is incorrect.
As long as good oral hygiene habits are developed, regular oral examinations are conducted, teeth are scientifically cared for, mouth rinses are done regularly, teeth and gums are massaged, one can have a healthy set of teeth.
