Dental myths debunked by The Foodie Dentist

Meet Dr Surina Sehgal, one of our dental workwear ambassadors. Surina has been a general and cosmetic dentist for 6 years and shares her passion for dental hygiene and nutrition through her Instagram account @thefoodie_dentist – definitely one to check out.

Surina absolutely loves our WonderWink W123 range, particularly the W123 cargo joggers which bring a bit of style to your typical dental workwear look.

Current workplace: Bond Dental

Location: London

Surina shares some typical dental assumptions and gives us the facts:

Only sugar causes tooth decay

Eating too much sugar increases your risk of decay, but so do processed foods, improper brushing, lack of flossing etc.

Diet drinks are better for you

It’s not just the sugar, it’s the acidity. Over time, sugar free drinks can cause the same amount of wear to the enamel which could lead to sensitivity, cavities or tooth loss!

White teeth are healthy teeth

Teeth may look healthy, but it doesn’t mean you are cavity-free! Seeing your dentist every 6 months is crucial for the early detection of any problems

Fluoridated water is harmful

Fluoride in water is an effective way to ensure people are exposed to fluoride and can benefit from its role in helping tooth decay whatever your age, gender or socioeconomic status.

Whitening damages your teeth

Professional tooth whitening is perfectly safe when you follow the specific instructions. However, if you use a whitening product when you shouldn’t or don’t follow instructions you can risk damaging your enamel or causing harm to your oral health so please always see your dentist for advice.

You should rinse your mouth with water after washing

Toothpaste contains useful ingredients like fluoride which protect our mouths during the day. Rinsing straight after brushing will rinse off a lot of that fluoride so wait half an hour to allow it to do its job properly.

Wisdom teeth cause crowding and overlapping of teeth at the front

Such a common one! However, wisdom teeth don’t exert enough pressure on other teeth to create crowding. Other factors like not wearing retainers could be responsible for this.

You should avoid brushing bleeding gums

Bleeding gums are usually a result of build-up of plaque along the gum line, so avoiding brushing will only make the problem worse!! The best way to treat bleeding gums is to actually increase your oral care routine, not reduce it.