Tuesday 25 February 2014

Truth vs Myths about Dental Procedures

Read the article on The Truth Behind Major Dentist Myths (click on the title link)

Then answer the following questions:

1. What new thing (even vocabulary) about dental procedures have you learnt from the article?

2. What do you think the article means by: “modern anesthetizing techniques not traditionally taught in dental schools?” (you may make enquiries, even talk to your teachers and practitioners about this)

3. Do you know one other myth about dental health?

60 comments:

  1. We all know that prevention is the best way to avoid dental problems.Fluoridation is a prevention method extended to a large number of people, and in my opinion,this is a great preventiv solution. I liked this part of the article.I did not know that you should drink between 5,000 and 10,000 glasses of fluoridated water in a single sitting, to become dangerous. Who can really do that? ...maybe Chuck Norris:))
    I have to ask my teachers about “modern anesthetizing techniques'.I know very little about the classical methods also.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Cristi,
      I understand that you have not learnt about anesthetizing techniques yet, but maybe you can do a Webquest and let us know the results. Similarly, about other myths. Actually we intend to learn from one another on this platform and first and foremost, to improve our writing skills as we agreed.

      Delete
  2. I remembered about an old myth that l have heard when I was young.Is the myth of my childhood. Here it goes: losing baby teeth to tooth decay is okay. This is not true! Why this is not true? Because: 1. Tooth decay in baby teeth can result in damage to the developing crowns of the permanent teeth developing below them, 2. If baby teeth are lost prematurely, the permanent teeth may erupt malpositioned and require orthodontics later on.Therefore ,milk teeth decay should not be considered a minor problem.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Cristi, you have made an interesting point with the milk teeth myth.
      Do you/others know about the wisdom teeth truth/myth?

      Technically: Because you replied to my comment, you could have clicked on the Reply button below it so that we can trace replies to the same comment. Hope you do this next time.

      Delete
    2. OK, then I will reply:) It's a myth that sounds like this: wisdom teeth serve no purpose. I did a webquest and the results was impressive.I found that in the not-too-distant future, our wisdom teeth, stored in a preserved state, could serve as our own personal stem-cell bank, even providing the ability to grow our own replacement teeth. This is the future of dental medicine!

      Delete
    3. It's indeed impressive information about the milk teeth!

      Delete
    4. I really liked this article . One thing that I did not know is that one of the most common pain myths is the procedure on the "root canal" . I always taught and feared most of the tooth extraction . It feels the most painfull procedure to me.
      I searched information about modern anesthetizing techniques and found out that there is a type of anesthezia STA – Single Tooth Anesthesia - which is controlled by computer . A very thin needle is inserted and the anesthezic is dosed by the computer . This makes the procedure more efficient and less painfull for those who have dentist phobia. It also takes effect instantly and lasts for 30-45 minutes.
      I hope I brought some new information :)
      And another myth that I know is that an expensive toothpaste is better that a cheap one . Not always , because even if the majority of the people doesn't know , the toothpaste and even the toothbursh aren't so important as the brushing technique. In conclusion it doesn't really matter what type of toothpaste you use.

      Delete
  3. I just remembered a myth about chewing gum, it says that chewing gum is bad for our teeth.This one’s partly true. Chewing gum of any kind increases saliva production, and we all know that this is a good thing, because saliva helps cleaning the teeth and neutralizes acid. The sugar found in some gum, however, feeds bacteria. :( So whether chewing gum is good for us or not depends on whether it’s sugar-free or not. Sugar-free gums can actually be good for teeth, it seems that a particular type of artificial sweetener, rumors says that it's name is xylitol, fights oral bacteria better than other types of sweeteners.I personally adore chewing gum, but I think this 'hobby' gave me a beautiful stomach disorder, called gastritis. Regardless modern anesthetizing techniques I only know that exists nitrous oxide, an inhalation gas, often called 'laughing gas', it is a very safe, mild sedative that can help us, as patients remain relaxed during dental procedures.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hello! To start with the first question,I didn't know that dead teeth or damaged pulp can be whitened from inside out. I thought they can't be whitened effectively. Moving to the second question, modern anaesthesia can refer to Nebotamine, a drug with similar effects to ketamine, is injected into the anterior lingual glands blocking action potentials from sending signals to the myelinated nerve. The potency of the anesthetic is directly related to its lipid solubility, since 90% of the nerve cell membrane is composed of lipid.
    The only myth I know that is related to dentistry is that "you are supposed to wash your teeth with a hard toothbrush in order to clean you teeth properly"...it is totally wrong to use a hard toothbrush because it can damage your gums and it can create micro-fissures in your enamel which are retentive for plaque and dangerous bacteria.

    ReplyDelete
  5. There is very useful information in this article, specially for common people who are bad informed and tend to propagate myths or wrong information about oral health. By reading this article, I have learnt a new term, “culprit”, which refers to substances responsible for oral lesions.

    There are some myths that I have heard down through the ages. For example, there are people who believe that only the sugar in sweets, cakes and chocolate is bad for the teeth. In fact, while all these foods are bad for teeth , dried fruit, fruit juice and honey contain natural sugars that can cause tooth decay, as well.

    Another myth would be that white teeth are healthier teeth. They do look better but teeth aren't meant to be pure white. We should keep them as white as it is possible by regular brushing with fluoride toothpaste and flossing, avoiding food and drinks that can stain, such as tea, coffee and red wine.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Cristina, here the term "culprit" indeed refers to certain substances, but did you understand its basic meaning?

      Delete
    2. Yes, I think I understood. The basic meaning is “guilty”, “culpable”.

      Delete
  6. I cosidered interesting the part that discuss the root canal myth. I did not know that the patients are so afraid of this procedure.
    I know about a modern anesthetizing technique that uses nitrogen protoxid or laughing gas.
    I know a dental myth that is pretty funny. Some says that if you hold some vodka on your aching tooth, the pain will go away . :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Stefan,
      in the distant past, your myth was partly real as alcohol was used as an anesthetic.

      Language errors to be corrected: 1. the part that discuss; 2. Some says....

      Delete
    2. Some say, I was mislead by a TV show. I will reformulate the first phrase : "The part discussing the root canal myth was the most interesting part for me."

      Delete
    3. Stefan have you tried it on yourself ? :)

      Delete
    4. That sounds better, of course.

      The idea was that you missed the "s" in the 3rd person singular which is very important in English: e.g. the part discusses...

      Delete
  7. In the second year we have just learnt about the professional tooth-cleaning and about the basic instruments so we do not know a much about the modern anesthetizing techniques,not even about the classical ones.
    I read on the internet a myth that bleaching products on teeth can be harmful or that they can weaken the teeth.
    Bleaching products are generally harmless if used according to the directions. That's because teeth bleaching only affects the color of the teeth, not their health or strength.Bleaching works by removing some of the teeth's pigmentation, and if you bleach them too much and remove too much of the natural pigmentation, your teeth might begin to appear translucent. Some people could mistake this translucency for weakening of the enamel or damage to the teeth. Side effects of too much bleaching include temporary tooth sensitivity and irritated gums, but there's no need to fear that using bleaching products will weaken your teeth...Well, I’m not convinced if it’s just a myth.

    ReplyDelete
  8. 1. you cand see if you brushed your teeth thoroughly if you use a plaque disclosing tablet which reveals the remaining plaque.

    2.You should brush your teeth for 5 minutes. I agree with this, it doens't seem to much.

    3. In preventology , I found out that people with severe parodonthopaties need to use interdental brushes so they can clean their interdental spaces.

    ReplyDelete
  9. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Most dentists recommend brushing your teeth two or three times a day, but brushing more than that is unnecessary and could actually damage or irritate the gums and wear away tooth enamel, especially if you're brushing too hard.

    Modern anesthesic: anesthetic spray

    ReplyDelete
  11. I liked this article, because I think it is important to know about these myths as a student in dental medicine. Our friends can ask myths like these and we have to answer correctly to them.
    A myth I have heard is that you have to be afraid of dentists, because the procedure is painful. I know now the truth: if you go regularly to consultations, you can prevent the pain.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi! I would start by saying that I've known about these myths.
    Nor as a child, nor now I've never had any problems regarding my teeth. Yet I always accompanied my mom for her check up, but I was never scared. If every parent would take their children with them, or even take the children for check-ups, these myths would not be accurate.
    I am sorry for being so negative. I just never understood people who were scared, maybe because I have never suffered in any type of toothache.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Iulia,
      there is a problem with your second sentence. I will start it and then could you correct it, bearing in mind what happens when you start a sentence with a negation:
      Neither as a child, nor now..........

      Delete
    2. yes. I can see it now. I will be more careful next time!

      Delete
    3. It just got way to complicated. I understand I should not have user neither..nor, followed by another negation(I have never).
      I think it would be easier to just erase the beginning and correct it by starting my sentence with: I have never had any...

      Delete
    4. OK, but it could also have been like: neither as a child, nor now have I heard.............(what I meant is that after a negation, you need to make an inversion as in a question)

      Delete
  13. I didn't know that fluoride may even be lethal and that we can found him in our drinking water.

    To be honest I haven`t heard about any myth, so far, but I checked on the Internet and I found some myths:
    Aspirin placed next to a tooth will help a toothache, I can't think that are people who believe this. Swallowing aspirin is what helps reduce toothache pain. I found that aspirin is acidic and placing it beside the tooth can actually burn your gum tissue, causing an abscess.
    If you have a cavity, you'll know it, this really is a myth. Mild tooth decay does not cause symptoms. The pain we associate with cavities comes when tooth decay is more advanced and causes damage to the nerve.

    I found that, thankfully, modern anesthetics allow procedures, such as root canal treatments to be done virtually pain-free. This is so great but I suppose that modern dentistry would be very difficult to perform, especially in our country.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maria, can you use "him" for fluoride?

      Delete
    2. Oops! As Stefan once said "where is the edit button?". I didn`t realize. Of course I can`t use "him" for fluoride, I have to use object pronoun "it".

      Delete
    3. There is no "edit" button, Maria. This type of writing is supposed to make you aware of how important it is to check something before letting it go.

      Delete
  14. 1. From the article I have discovered the word bonding which means- a dental technique in which a material such as plastic or porcelain is attached to the surface of a discolored or damaged tooth.
    2. In sedation techniques are used nitrous oxide and dental instruments like laser apparatuses.
    3. There are people who think if they are chewing gum they don’t have to clean their teeth.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your "myth" is really true for many people!

      Delete
  15. Flouride is really beneficial for our teeth,but is in the same time dangerous if this is in excess. Bottle-fed babies receive the highest doses of fluoride. Infant exposure to fluoridated water has been repeatedly found to be a major risk factor for developing dental fluorosis later.But we can use toothpaste with fluoride because this contain a minimum quantity,and this isn't harmful for our health.In my opinion,this is a great preventiv solution!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Laura, please correct the following sentences:
      1. but is in the same time
      2. this contain a minimum quantity
      3. preventiv

      Delete
    2. 1.but at the same time is dangerous
      2.it contains a minimum quantity
      3.preventive

      Delete
    3. Laura, I will not accept any more comments, not will I take them into account if you keep making the same mistake: i.e. missing the subject: It is dangerous. In English you cannot start a sentence with the verb like in Romanian! So please, show me you have learnt this!
      - the others are correct

      Delete
  16. The myth about fluoride surprised me. I didn't know that it is dangerous but I am relieved that harms you only in large quantities . I also heard about Natalia's myth with the chewing gum but I have also heard about people who use mouth wash instead of brushing their teeth.

    ReplyDelete
  17. By reading this article, I have learnt that fluoride is connected to such health issues heart disease, and genetic abnormalities.After more research i found out that Austrian researchers proved in the 1970s that as little as 1 ppm fluoride concentration can disrupt DNA repair enzymes by 50%. When DNA can't repair damaged cells, we get old fast.( http://preventdisease.com/home/tips79.shtml ). Fluoride prematurely ages the body, When fluoride changes the enzymes, this can damage immune system,digestive system,respiratory system and blood circulation.
    One of the modern anesthetizing techniques not traditionally taught in dental schools is represented by Nitrous oxide (N2O):is simply a gas which you can breathe in. It has no color, smell, and doesn’t irritate.Most important it kills pain – and it induces a pleasurable feeling.(like a ‘happy drunk’ feeling.)
    Myth: Bleaching Weakens Teeth? :Not really. Bleaching products are generally harmless if used according to the directions. That's because teeth bleaching only affects the color of the teeth, not their health or strength.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Mihai,it will be two of us....it surprised me too.But the myth about root canals treatment did not surprised you ?I did not know that the phrase "root canal" can inspire so much fear.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Laura, your sentence: the myth about root canals treatment did not suprised you? - should be corrected.

      Delete
  19. Seeing as dentistry is a branch of medicine it's more than probable that a whole bunch of "myths" popped up over the years , I was surprised however to learn about the "fluoride myth" , another example comes to mind , namely the one where people actually thought that placing an aspirin next to your tooth brush overnight will actually reduce toothache pain.

    ReplyDelete
  20. from this article I have found out new information about sedation with nitric oxide. It is interesting to read such articles, because in this manner we can improve our knowledge about modern medical interventions. Unfortunately, in College we learn only the basics, we are not presented with innovations, perhapson the ground of disinterest of lack of knowledge from teachers. I believe that we should find out more when it comes to anesthesia, but how it is done in the present. I want to learn more about it.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Other myths of dentistry ..
    "There is no need to brush baby teeth" which is a bad thing because even though baby teeth will eventually be lost, they still need to be brushed and flossed daily. This brushing and flossing(if they are helped by their parents) is an important thing to them because will helped them to establish good habits early in life.

    One other myth is "The only cause of bad breath is poor oral hygiene" which i also i have disagreed because may be other causes of bad breath like smoking, certain foods and large dental infections or abscesses.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. correct form: "because THIS will help them". How about:
      - which i also i have disagreed because may be other causes (3 mistakes)?

      Delete
    2. Also, I have to disagree because there are other causes of bad breath, such as smoking, certain foods and dental infections or abcesses. :)

      Delete
    3. An ancient myth: It was thought that toothaches were caused by the worm-like parasites in the teeth, the pain they caused reminded people of their own demons.

      Delete
  22. Unfortunately I am receiving an error report and I can't read the article, but from the comments I read I found nitric oxide sedation interesting, also “culprit” which refers to substances causing oral lesions is a term that I didn't know and a myth I heard in my childhood was about a sharp canine. Children used to say you were a vampire if you had a sharp canine.

    ReplyDelete
  23. 1. I must say I did not know that fluoride can be lethal in high dosage. I knew that it is harmful for your teeth in high concentration but never thought it can be lethal.
    2. I think that the article refers to other anesthetizing techniques than those that use a common anesthetic drug injections with Lidocaine, Novocaine or other similar drug. I don't know much about that but I have once seen on the television a dentist in India that was using hypnosis instead of anesthesia. It was really fascinating.
    3. I don't know if I should call it a myth or a general misconception, and that is that people incline to think that white teeth are healthier teeth. The teeth aren't actually meant to be pure white but more a white with grey and yellow or even brown shades. Because of this misconception many people, especially young people, are looking to bleach their teeth which generally do more harm than good.

    ReplyDelete
  24. 2. I wasn’t able to open the link that we were supposed to look at, so I decided to do research outside the given material, and the website that I have consulted was http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/healthy-teeth-10/cavities-'myths “. From this website I looked at the myth of “Aspirin Placed Next to a Tooth Will Help a Toothache “. From reading the website, I have learned that by placing an aspirin next to a tooth will cause more harm than help. Aspirin is considered to be acidic, therefore placing it beside a tooth “…can actually burn gum tissue, causing an abscess”. It is recommended to always swallow aspirin as it will help tooth ache even if the aspirin is not placed next to the tooth itself.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Martika, I did the same, because the link was wrong, and I couldn't read this article, but I've found a very useful site. I would especially highlight one of the most surprizing myth, but besides this I've learnt the same thing as you.:
      Myth: It isn't really important to take care of my child's baby teeth because they are going to fall out in a few years anyway.
      Fact: Not only is it a good idea to start teaching your child about good oral hygiene at an early age, neglecting to take proper care of their baby teeth can cause problems with their bite or permanent teeth if they fall out too early.

      Anorther myth: Once I heard it from an old woman that putting a slice of garlic on your aching tooth may soothe the pain.

      Delete
  25. 3. Among all the myths shown by my colleagues, one often meet , at almost all the patients is represented by hidden dental caries.
    Myth:
    If a patient doesn’t have visible decays, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t there and he shouldn’t go to the dentist.
    False:
    If the caries don’t seen it doesn’t mean you do not have it, they can appear between interdental spaces or as chalky white spot with enamel demineralization.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Madalina,
      what is the correct form of:
      - if the caries dont seen, it doesn’t mean you do not have IT...?

      Delete
    2. If the caries don't seen, it wouldn't mean you do not have it...

      Delete
    3. Madalina,
      the correct form is: "if the caries aren’t seen, it wouldn’t mean you do not have THEM" .

      You can never combine don’t with the third form of a verb. You say: caries are seen, are not seen (a passive form of the verb to see)
      Because you are talking about caries (plural), you use a plural pronoun (them).

      Delete
    4. I am so sorry for all my mistakes.

      Delete
    5. No problem, Madalina, I just hope it will be a learning experience.

      Delete
  26. 1.By reading this article I have learned about heart and genetic diseases that can be produced by fluoride. What I remember from my first year of college in chemistry is that large quantities of fluoride can destroy neuronal development, especially at children because parents exaggerate with dental health care.

    ReplyDelete
  27. 2.I don’t know more about modern anesthetizing techniques but I have read on a site: http://www.evz.ro/metoda-prin-care-va-puteti-rezolva-problemele-dentare-fara-freza-si-anestezie-1031288.html that using modern lasers, you can treat the most difficult teeth caries without pain and without the noise of the grinder. With the "red light" you can do even extractions without anesthesia. I think it is fascinating to know that you can go to the dentist without being afraid of the pain.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Crowns, I was told by some, actually cause root canals. This is definitely a myth. Crowns do not cause root canals. If a crown is in place and years later a root canal is needed on the tooth, it may due to many reasons. A new cavity may have formed under the crown, which is not the fault of the crown, unless it was not fabricated properly, leaving an opening around the edge allowing saliva and bacteria to seep through.

    ReplyDelete