Finding Fallacies

Article 1: Global News Wire. Proper Oral Hygiene Will Save Your Teeth From Falling.
August 21, 2006.

Summary: I only found, what I believe to be, one fallacy in this article.
“Oral hygiene is important to everyone because without proper oral hygiene one’s teeth will fall out.”
Although this statement is true to an extent, I believe it fits the description to be an oversimplification fallacy. It is true that without proper oral hygiene, your teeth could eventually fall out, but it is nothing that will happen like, tomorrow, if you don’t take care of them.
The rest of this article went on to give brushing instructions such as, your teeth should be brushed after every meal and at bedtime, and flossed at least once per day. There are also special supplements that can help with oral hygiene, such as, special toothpicks, water irrigation, or other devices. It was also made clear that dentists recommend having your teeth cleaned professionally every six months, and personal toothbrushes should be replaced every 3-4 months. Lastly, they end the article by letting us all know, “neglect is the only thing really that can lead to poor oral health.”

Article 2: PR Newswire US. Guardian Dental Survey Reveals: Most Americans Connect Oral Health to Overall Health. Boomers confident They’ll Have Most of their Teeth in Retirement, Gen X and Y less optimistic. November 9, 2005

Summary: This is where I started having problems. I did not find a single fallacy in this article. This was strictly a medical/professional reading that was full of exact statistics. (Or what I can only assume to be “exact” statistics)
This article, as I said, gave a lot of statistics after interviewing everyday Americans. According to PR newswire US, 89% of Americans make the connection that their overall health is linked to their dental hygiene according to a consumer dental survey.
Guardian Dental, is actually the insurance that hosted this survey, and it turns out that, seven in ten adult consumers report making a visit to the dentist at least annually, with a surprising 47% of consumers saying they visit the dentist every six months. They also discovered that the biggest reason people without insurance limit their dental visits, is due to the lack of coverage.

For more information on Guardian Life Insurance, please visit http://www.guardianlife.com/


Article 3: Canadian Corporate Newswire. Brush, Floss and Butt Out for a Whiter Smile. April 10, 2006

Summary: Once again, I was only able to find one fallacy in this article, and it was right in the opening statement.
“There is nothing more contagious than a beautiful smile.”
Although smiles are extremely contagious, I can think of a lot of things that are more contagious than a smile. I believe that this fallacy is an oversimplification fallacy.
The remainder of this article addressed the downfalls of smoking, and the different health issues that can be associated with smoking. This author was trying very hard to encourage people to quit smoking. “Not only is quitting smoking one of the best ways to improve overall well-being, but kicking the habit will also improve the health of your teeth and mouth,” as quoted by Canadian Corporate Newswire. They also state that by quitting smoking people can improve their breath and the color of their teeth, while at the same time reducing the rate and incidences of gum disease and oral cancer! The last part of the article was promoting Nicorette (x) gum, claiming that it will help brighten smiles.