Stand Out from the Crowd: Avoid These Trends That Can Hurt Your Teeth

Social media can be a great way to find funny stories, tasty recipes, or cool automotive repair tips, but dental care advice should be left to the professionals. Recent years have seen the rise of many purported methods for better oral hygiene or teeth whitening, and many of them can damage your teeth and increase your risk of dental injuries or infections. Here are a few especially terrible dental treatments that are peddled by unqualified individuals as well as a few tips for proper oral care.

Your Teeth Lose When You Use Lemon Juice

Lemon can lend a pleasant flavor to many dishes and beverages while delivering a healthy boost of vitamin C, but drinking lemon juice regularly can have disastrous consequences for your teeth. Lemon juice is highly acidic, meaning that it begins eroding your enamel on contact. Some people have found that treating their teeth with lemon juice can help lift stains and discoloration, but it does this by removing layers of enamel that your teeth need for protection. Too much lemon juice exposure can leave your teeth vulnerable to infection and injury as well as uncomfortably sensitive.

If you’re interested in a brighter smile, ask your dentist about professional teeth whitening treatments. These procedures can leave your smile up to eight shades whiter in as little as a single appointment.

DIY Denture Repair Is a Path to Despair

There are many videos on social media demonstrating supposed ways to fix broken dentures at home, but trying to fix your own pair can damage it further or expose you to toxic substances. A denture is a carefully designed appliance, and even a slight change in its dimensions can ruin the way it fits, making it impossible or uncomfortable to wear or even causing injuries to your soft tissues or remaining teeth. Some people even make the mistake of trying to repair their dentures with superglue, which can be very toxic if swallowed after the appliance is placed in the mouth.

If your dentures are broken or no longer fitting well, please contact your dentist’s office to schedule a repair or an adjustment.

Fluoride-Free Toothpaste Can Result in Your Teeth’s Waste

There’s a lot of misinformation out there about how fluoride is toxic, and this is especially unfortunate because moderate fluoride exposure is proven to safely prevent tooth decay. Dentists have long referred to fluoride as “nature’s cavity fighter,” and putting a small amount of this natural mineral in public drinking water has saved people much suffering as well as untold millions or billions of dollars in dental bills over the last century. Communities without fluoridated water have been scientifically demonstrated to have much higher rates of tooth decay than those who do.

Sadly, some people are advocating for using toothpaste that has no fluoride for health reasons or due to other concerns. This deprives their teeth of an important layer of protection and sets them up for infection down the line. Stick to fluoridated toothpaste to keep your smile in great shape.

About the Practice

Blanco Circle Dental Care provides gentle and comprehensive oral health care to the community of Salinas, CA. Led by Drs. Ed Hajdari and Arian Chehrehsa, the staff takes pride in ensuring that each patient has a pleasant experience while receiving effective treatments. Areas of expertise include general, restorative, cosmetic, and emergency dentistry. To learn more about proper oral care, contact the office online or dial (831) 422-7838.