Dental Care Myths Busted: What You Need To Know

By | March 14, 2025

Dental Care Myths Busted: What You Need To Know – Brushing your teeth is an important part of good dental care. This prevents many oral problems, such as cavities and tooth infections.

Cleaning a child’s teeth is not an easy task! Children ask a million questions before taking active and concrete action. As a parent, you have many responsibilities and you don’t have all the answers.

Dental Care Myths Busted: What You Need To Know

Dr. Pratibha Kukreja Pandit understands this particular dilemma where parents need to teach their children good habits and explain the logic to them. As a pediatric dentist, is he the perfect person to explain to your kids why brushing is so important? What are the rules of oral hygiene? And so on.

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Pandit Clinic is a pediatric and preventive dentistry practice based in Pune. This multidisciplinary clinic is headed by Dr. Pratibha Kukreja Pandit, Pediatric Dentistry. It is one of the few pediatric dentistry practices that offers a full range of dental care for children with special needs.

FACT: It is a common misconception in our society, especially among the older generation, that children should be taught good oral hygiene when their permanent teeth begin to grow. This saying may have been true 2 generations ago and we don’t want to argue with it. 

But times have changed and so has the way of life. Children today are exposed to refined sugar from a young age in the form of chocolate, bread, caramel, jelly and cookies. In urban education, these products are part of their daily consumption. In addition to these snacks, children also drink carbonated soft drinks or sweet cocktails. All these factors contribute to tooth decay. 

The only way to prevent and fight tooth decay is to teach the child to maintain oral hygiene from an early age. Tooth decay on baby teeth can also cause pain and toothache. Therefore, I insist on teaching children with baby teeth to brush their teeth twice a day. Brushing teeth cleans away any cavity-causing bacteria, keeping your baby healthy from an early age. 

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As a doctor, I always tell my little patients, “Brush your teeth for two minutes twice a day and avoid all tooth monsters!”

FACT: Children grow up without the help of adults and want to do things on their own. They want to be independent from a young age, away from parental control. This means they want to learn how to brush their teeth on their own, which is a big start in itself. However, I believe that early childhood supervision is necessary to ensure that children are choosing the correct brushing technique. 

We all know how boring brushing teeth can be for kids. So, if parents monitor this activity, we at least guarantee a correct result. I encourage children to choose their own toothbrush, change the flavor of the toothpaste, and play a timed echo or song to encourage better brushing. 

Another important piece of information is knowing the right age to allow 100% independence in brushing. I recommend parents to brush their child twice a day with fluoride toothpaste until they are 5-6 years old. 6-8 years is a great time for a child to brush his teeth on his own under the supervision of his parents. Thus, parents should teach their children to maintain oral hygiene by showing love and support. 

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FACT: Most toothpaste commercials show children brushing their teeth with copious amounts of toothpaste. While it looks great on screen, the reality is the opposite. I firmly believe that the mantra for toothpastes is “less is more.” 

Dentists and dental associations around the world have studied this topic. According to research and supporting evidence, a rice-sized amount of toothpaste should be sufficient for children under 3 years of age. For children over 3 years of age, toothpaste is not enough to brush their teeth once. 

When Pandit Clinic’s pediatric dentistry practice explains the concept to parents of children (including children with special needs), it’s called “toothpaste.” This number serves as a safety margin in case the child eats/swallows the toothpaste.

FACT: Choosing the right toothpaste is a difficult decision because we have so many brands of toothpaste in the market. Even Wikipedia lists more than 40 global brands on its page. Too many choices lead to unnecessary confusion. Moreover, we now live in an age where we want to make conscious “green” choices for an environmentally friendly lifestyle. 

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But do these herbal toothpastes outperform non-herbal ones?  I don’t think there is a “one size fits all” toothpaste. Toothpaste should be chosen according to the purpose of tooth brushing. For example: a dentist recommends Sensodyne to a patient with sensitive teeth or gums. However, he does not recommend that toothpaste to a patient who wants to whiten his teeth. 

Likewise, children need fluoride toothpaste. Fluoride is a natural cavity fighter and daily use of fluoride toothpaste can prevent cavities in baby teeth (baby and permanent). So, instead of blindly choosing herbal toothpaste, check the ingredients and then decide, or better yet, talk to a pediatric dentist and choose the right toothpaste. 

FACT: Yes, a worn-out toothbrush should be replaced immediately. Loose toothbrushes can damage gums and lead to ineffective brushing. 

But this may not be the only reason to change toothbrushes. First, replace your toothbrush every 3 months as part of maintaining good oral hygiene. 

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Another important thing that most parents don’t know is that if your child has recently recovered from any serious illness, flu or respiratory illness, it’s a good idea to change the toothbrush immediately. 

FACT: This is a common misconception caused by toothbrush ads that claim that toothbrushes with caps are “safer and better.” In fact, toothbrushes with lids stay wet because we rinse them with water after brushing. Moisture encourages the growth of microorganisms, including harmful bacteria. 

Many studies in this field have concluded that toothbrushes stored dried and uncovered are significantly less contaminated than those with lids. 

FACT: Technology has made our lives easier in many ways and one of these inventions is the electric toothbrush. Advantages of using an electric toothbrush: 

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Pandit Clinic has nothing against electric toothbrushes, but I would like to make a few caveats here. Like any machine, electric toothbrushes have their drawbacks. Incorrect control of the electric toothbrush can lead to tooth damage. Limited battery life is also a dampener. Most importantly, too much mental dependence on an electric toothbrush will prevent your child from learning how to brush their teeth on their own. 

The use of an electric toothbrush should be determined by an experienced pediatric dentist based on an assessment of the child’s age and capabilities. As a rule, it is not recommended for children under five years of age.  If you decide to let your child use an electric toothbrush too early, do so only with full supervision to avoid accidents and injuries.

Dr. Pratibha Kukreja Pandit, MDS – Preventive and Pediatric Dentist is a community practitioner who understands that parents are faced with difficult dental problems and don’t know where to turn. She is available for virtual video consultations where she will examine your child and recommend the right course of action. 

? Smile is bright, teeth are bright, but there is something invisible. Face and cyst, hidden couple, Let’s find out what is hidden!?

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Call us +91 7888229284 Pediatric dentistry at home Your child’s first dental treatment A child’s first dental treatment is an important stage in his development.

Call us +91 7888229284 Pediatric Dentistry at Home Pediatric Dental Treatment under General Anesthesia Pandit Clinic, Pune Best Pediatric Dentistry Practice Headed by Dr. Pratibha Kukreja.

Dr. Pratibha Pandit is the head dentist of the clinic. He is also a Consultant Pediatric Dentist at Kotbagi Hospital and KEM Hospital, Pune. Dr. Pratibha completed advanced training in pediatric dentistry under general anesthesia and intravenous sedation, dental rehabilitation of children with special health needs, and dental repair of cleft lip and palate at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan. select He is a life member of the American Dental Association (SCADA), the student clinical association.

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Pandit Clinic, Kamalja Building, 2nd & 3rd Floor, 1306, Argada Heights Lane, Near Titan Salon, J.M.