Video: Healthy Habit Myths-What’s Good Can Be Bad For You

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Most of us do what we can to follow healthy lifestyle habits but are we doing more harm than good? The American Dental Association recommends that we brush our teeth at least twice a day but some of us think that if we brush more, we’ll decrease our chances of tooth decay. Not true.

“Brushing obviously is  a daily habit that we consider to be positive in nature but if you are too aggressive or overly aggressive while brushing you can actually take away the surface enamel on the teeth which can cause tooth decay and destruction of the enamel,” says Dr. Jay Wiygul, DMD of Wiygul Dental Clinic.

If you like to brush after each meal, Dr. Wiygul recommends chewing sugar-free gum instead which gives your mouth a fresh, clean feeling. Drinking bottled water is thought to be a healthy way to hydrate the body. But bottled water is lacking one important thing for teeth: fluoride.

“Fluoride is one of the mechanisms that dentist recommend to help strengthen our teeth. It actually provides a harder enamel surface to prevent the breakdown and erosion of teeth,” says Wiygul.

Still, there are some activists who believe fluoride levels in tap water should be lowered.

“There are groups that still advocate lowering the fluoride levels that we use on a daily basis but studies have shown that fluoridation has lead to a decline in tooth decay among adolescents as well as adults,” says Wiygul.

So the next time you want a glass of water, grab a glass and head for the kitchen faucet. If you don’t find the taste of tap water appealing, you can buy a water filter or simply add lemon to mask the flavor.