Tips On How to Prevent Cavities
It is much simpler and less expensive to prevent tooth decay than to repair or replace a decayed tooth. What we eat and how often we eat are crucial factors in limiting the exposure of decay causing acid on our teeth. Our oral hygiene daily routine is also a critical factor in removing the food and plaque forming acid that causes tooth decay. We need to limit the exposure of the acids on our teeth by watching what and how often we eat. We also need to make sure that we are using an effective oral hygiene routine to remove food and plaque from our teeth. See the section on oral hygiene instruction for some tips.
How do I prevent cavities?
Brush your teeth at least two times a day with a fluoride toothpaste and floss between your teeth at least once daily, preferably before bedtime. Eat a healthy diet, limiting snacking and sipping on sugary drinks. See your dentist for regular checkups. Have dental sealants applied to your teeth. See your dentist for professional fluoride applications along with prescription fluoride toothpaste and supplements. Sugar-free candies and gum containing xylitol help neutralize plaque acids and kill tooth decay causing bacteria. It is recommended to eat these after meals when you are unable to brush and floss or throughout the day for added help.
*Keep xylitol containing candies away from your family dog it can kill your dog if ingested in large quantities. Dogs cannot digest xylitol.*
How else to protect teeth from decay
Talk with your dentist about ICON and silver diamine fluoride, also make sure you limit snacking and sticky foods. Each time we put one single piece of food in our mouth for the next 20 minutes we are bathing our teeth in acids. Frequent snacking can increased tooth decay. Sticky foods are harder to get out of the grooves and smooth surfaces of the teeth and will cause more damage than non-sticky foods. Make sure to brush with a correct and effective technique especially concentrating on the gum lines and floss between your teeth. Flossing is very important!
Would you eat off yesterday’s dirty plate ? This is comparable to what we are doing when we don't brush and floss effectively. Plaque disclosing tablets show us areas we are missing when we brush and floss. They are terrific at helping you visibly see where you're leaving all the plaque and food on your teeth by dying it a bright color. I like to use these tablets after brushing and flossing. Wherever the bright color remains on your teeth is where plaque and food are being left behind. It's very helpful to see where you missed!