Avoid These Common Dental Care Mistakes: Tips From Vancouver’s Top Dentists

We’ve listened to the advice since we were little kids: Brush your teeth after every meal, floss, use mouthwash, and visit the dentist at least twice a year. For the most part, people do their best to fit these instructions into their routines. However, people will have their own ways of doing these things, and sometimes, they can end up doing more harm than good.

If you’re wondering whether you’ve been doing your dental care tasks the wrong way for years, take a minute to check out these insights from Vancouver cosmetic dentistry professionals and find out how you can fix up your habits to improve your dental health instead of weakening it.

Do you:

Brush your teeth right after drinking orange juice?

If your breakfast always includes a glass of orange (or maybe the increasingly popular lemon water), you’re highly likely to have downed your juice, gone straight to the sink to brush your teeth, and then sped out the door to make it in time for work before. Dentists say that this practice has to stop; the acidity caused by citrus already weakens your teeth’s enamel, so brushing immediately will cause more damage. Wait 30 minutes after drinking, or drink water or milk to neutralize the acid before you brush.

Drink apple cider vinegar for health?

There are health gurus and blogs touting apple cider vinegar as a miraculous tonic that can remedy all kinds of symptoms, and advising people to drink it straight. Dentists discourage this practice, saying that drinking the acid (like in orange juice) is very harmful to teeth enamel (the effects won’t be reversed even by drinking water afterward). Refrain from using the vinegar, or just consume it in salad dressings instead of drinking it.

Obsess over cleaning your toothbrush?

Some people cringe at the thought of toothbrushes harboring bacteria, so they run it through the dishwasher or blitz it in the microwave to kill germs. Actually, experts say that just rinsing the toothbrush in tap water, letting it air-dry, and storing it upright (away from contact with other toothbrushes) is all you need to do.

Look up dental care tips on the Internet?

Because many people avoid going to the dentist unless absolutely necessary, they resolve to self-diagnose any dental issues they have instead by looking up symptoms and treatments online. This practice is can be very risky if people end up trying the wrong treatments and potentially harmful devices, visit your dentist instead.

Fit other tasks in while you’re brushing your teeth?

When you’re running late, you often brush your teeth while picking out your clothes, clearing dishes from the table or looking through your phone. Being too distracted while brushing may mean that you’re not brushing properly. Make time to brush in front of a mirror if possible so you can be sure to get all mouth areas.

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