Things you are too afraid to ask your dentist

dentist secrets

Many people feel anxious and afraid when they think about going to the dentist. However, it’s important for your oral health to schedule those appointments, especially if you’re in pain, even if going to the dentist isn’t always a piece of cake.

To avoid dental emergencies, be sure to visit your dentist twice a year. Here are the answers to your most common questions, according to dentists.

X-rays won’t hurt you

Many patients are concerned that dental X-rays could cause cancer.but if you are outdoors for an hour, you are exposed to more radiation than you would receive from a full series of dental X-rays.

What worries me is that if I don’t get an X-ray, I could miss something serious.

Bryan Tervo

People notice good teeth

When someone first meets you, the first thing they notice is your eyes. The second is the teeth and the third is the hair. But people spend a lot more money on their hair than on their teeth.

Damian Dachowski, General Dentist, Horsham, Pennsylvania

We can smell your last meal

Please don’t eat a heavy garlic lunch before coming to see us, we would appreciate it.

jennifer jablow

But we won’t tell you

If you have bad breath, we won’t tell you unless you ask. However, you can ask if bad breath could be the sign of another medical problem.

Gary Herskovits

The teeth of your dreams may not be possible

Patients come in with pictures of celebrities and say, “I want to look like her.” I’m sitting there thinking: You can’t have a smile that looks like Angelina Jolie’s, because you don’t have a face that matches those teeth.

It’s like when you dye your hair: you can’t put the same highlights or lowlights on everyone’s hair.

Jay Grossmann

Bottles can seriously damage your baby’s teeth.

During the last 20 years, we have been telling parents about baby bottle tooth decay and not to let a child fall asleep with a bottle. But I haven’t seen much change.

Winifred J. Booker, Pediatric Dentist

Chewing gum should be part of your routine

If you want to reduce bad bacteria in your mouth, you should use xylitol (a sugar substitute found in chewing gum). Change the chemistry of your mouth.

Six or seven xylitol gums every day will help keep cavities away. However, keep in mind that xylitol and other sugar alcohols can cause bloating and diarrhea, so don’t overdo it.

Chris Kammer

No piercings in the mouth. Please

With any type of piercing in the mouth, there is a great risk of infection if it is not done in a truly sterile environment. I have seen cases where we have had to cut out pieces of the tongue because the infection was widespread..

Even when things are going well, virtually everyone I see with a tongue piercing has chipped front teeth. Don’t pierce your tongue.

Jay Grossman, cosmetic dentist, Brentwood, California. Here are signs that he’s headed for a dental emergency.

That old idiom just isn’t true.

People say that something difficult is like pulling a tooth. But pulling teeth is really quick and easy.

Mark Mutschler, pediatric dentist

Dentists are only as good as their waiting rooms.

When choosing a dentist, check to see if the magazines in the waiting room are up to date. That shows attention to detail.

michael alkon

Bleeding gums are serious business

If your hands bleed when you wash them, you would run to the doctor. But in the public mind, bleeding gums are okay.. Unless you’re really messing with your toothbrush, if your gums bleed even a little, that’s periodontal disease, period.

Ron Schefdore, general dentist

You do not have “soft teeth”: you have cavities

People come to me with their mouths full of cavities and say, “I have my grandfather’s soft teeth.” I don’t even know what soft teeth are.