This would be true if you are age six years or under, but otherwise once the enamel is formed and the tooth is already grown into the mouth this rule does not apply. I do agree that toothpaste should be spit out, and some chemicals in certain formulations cause problems that are not advertised (this is a more important topic), but his broad statement was wrong.
Other examples of inaccurate information, this time on DoctorOz.com include Dr. Roizen's comment that relates to tooth wear. He wrote as you age "teeth wear down and you can get a gummy smile" (false) but he also mentioned the fact that our lips start to sag (true) and we start showing less of our upper teeth when we smile (true). I hate to be tough on the doctor but that's my job.
To be safe, I contacted Dr. Brian LeSage who coordinated the UCLA Aesthetic Dental program. Dr. LeSage agreed that as people age their lips sage at an average rate of 1mm every ten years starting at age 40. So this means you show less and less upper teeth, and more and more lower teeth thanks to gravity. So you get less 'gummy' on the top part of your smile and potentially more 'gummy' on the bottom as time goes by.
Dr. Roizen's
comments about silver-mercury fillings were partly true but also included a false statement that "porcelain and white fillings last longer than silver ones". While I agree with his idea that there is not much evidence to state mercury in the old style silver fillings is harming us, I don't like the idea of using them routinely. The alternatives to silver fillings need more frequent replacement but have now become much more popular than when I graduated from dental school in 1986 (when we got in trouble trying to use tooth colored restorations in the back teeth).
So high paced, big name authorities do spread incorrect information to the public and this is rarely questioned or reviewed by the dental associations. Much of what we were taught in dental school has turned out to be false, but we need to be careful to examine comments from the media as some of the 'facts' after closer inspection are misleading or competely false.
I can barely keep up with the massive amount of material they cover on these shows, but as each snippet of information is analyzed some need to be thrown into the trash, while others could save your teeth or even your life. Overall, Oz & friends do a great job dishing out helpful hints to to the public, but everyone in the health professions need to stop and consider whether the advice we give our patients is based on myths, opinion, propaganda or the truth?
One of my hygienists mentioned Dr. Oz recommended people should ask their dentist to use a lead neck cover to protect the thyroid from radiation during x-ray exposure. In the 'old days' this may have been an idea, but with many dentists using digital (low exposure) x-rays she was taught that lead aprons may no longer be needed. I would defer judgement on this one to a radiologist who really understands the topic.
I've tried to correct the few errors that slipped out into my book when it went to print (including the advice on which specific teeth don't always need caps after root canal treatment). In short, we all need to really think twice before we follow the advice of the experts on TV, or even the dental professional hovering over you. This is especially true if the professional has the possibility of financial gain by the choices he/she recommends. Much of what professionals say is probably true, but just because you can quote Dr. Oz or a guest 'cosmetic dentist' doesn't mean you can bet money on it being 100% factual.
