Dental Hygiene - Fake News!?

Hello everyone, this is Fornitani speaking and this is my first blog. As some of you may know, I'm on my senior year of dental school, so I came here today to bring you guys some "fake news" related to your mouth health that I usually talk to my patients:

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Q: Does activated charcoal makes your teeth whiter?

NO! Don't use charcoal, ever. There's no scientific evidence that show us that activated charcoal can actually whiten your teeth. It can actually cause necrotizing ulcerative periodontitis [Necrotizing ulcerative periodontitis (NUP) is characterised by soft tissue necrosis, rapid periodontal destruction, and inter-proximal bone loss. Unlike other periodontal diseases, it presents substantial necrosis of gingival tissues, and loss of periodontal ligament and alveolar bone.]

​Q: Is hard toothbrush better than a soft one?

​NO! Even though it feels that it cleans better, you are scratching your tooth enamel which can leads to sensitivity. Also, a hard toothbrush can lead your gum to retract and once retracted, the gum doesn't recover. ​​

Q: Just brushing my teeth is enough for a good cleaning?
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Just brushing is not enough. A good cleaning should also include flossing and brushing your tongue. Using the floss allow us to clean deeper, where the toothbrush can't reach, under the gum, this way you can prevent gum retraction and keep the gum with a healthy aspect, which is a light pink that looks like an orange skin. 

​I hope you all enjoyed it, see you next time.

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Blog Written by Fornitani