Your teeth can last a pain-free lifetime if you look after them properly. Here are some practical tips to help prevent cavities forming and to keep your smile intact.

Tooth decay process

Bad guys

Tooth decay and dental cavities are caused by a build-up of bacteria-laden plaque on the surface of the tooth. Certain types of bacteria use sugars or starch in the food we eat to make acids that, over time, eat away at the tooth enamel and cause cavities (holes). Cavities may cause permanent damage to a tooth that only a dentist can repair with a filling. When not removed, plaque (a colourless, sticky substance) starts hardening into tartar that slowly dissolves the bone surrounding the tooth, causing even more damage.

Good guys

Our teeth do, however, have some form of natural protection in the minerals such as calcium and phosphate found in saliva. These minerals help tooth enamel repair itself by replacing the minerals lost during an “acid attack”. Repeated cycles of “acid attack” and mineral loss may cause a white spot to appear on a tooth or teeth. This is a sign of early tooth decay and may yet be stopped or reversed at this point.

Stop tooth decay in its tracks

The most important treatment option for healthy, pain-free teeth and gums is meticulous oral hygiene to prevent the build-up of plaque.

This can be done by:

    • Brushing and flossing the teeth regularly. It takes about 24 hours for plaque and the acid it produces to start harming your teeth if not removed and about two days to harden into tartar. Regular brushing (not scrubbing) will clean about 60 per cent of the tooth surface and flossing hopefully the rest.
    • Using fluoride toothpaste. Fluoride penetrates into teeth and helps replace teeth-strengthening minerals that acid has removed. Fluoride is safe and a proven cavity fighter when used as prescribed. However, very high doses of fluoride can do the opposite and eat away at a tooth’s enamel (called fluorosis).
    • Strengthening your teeth’s defences with a sealant, that is a protective coating that blocks bacteria and acids from sticking to the chewing surfaces of especially the back teeth (molars).
    • Reducing the amount of bacteria in your mouth. Rinse with an anti-plaque mouthwash and eat crunchy foods such as apples, carrots and other raw vegetables that naturally clean the teeth. Chew sugarless gum, especially those with xylitol to dislodge food particles and increase the flow of saliva. Xylitol is a natural sugar alcohol that unlike most sugars stops the growth of bacteria. Don’ t overdo it, though, or you may end up with jaw pain.
    • Regular check-ups by your dentist are a must and will also offer an opportunity to fill small cavities before they become big abscesses. Your dentist will also be able to clean your teeth and remove plaque and tartar from exposed teeth roots. Topical fluoride gels and other bonding agents may be applied to seal these sensitive areas.

Adhere to the abovementioned and keep on smiling for life!

 

Sources

All about cavities. Retrieved from: http://www.simplestepsdental.com/SS/ihtSS/r.==/st.31845/t.32653/pr.3.html
Bautista D. 2013. Toothache. Retrieved from: http://www.onhealth.com/toothache/article.htm
Perritano, J. Five products that prevent cavities. Retrieved from: http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/oral-care/products/5-products-that-prevent- cavities.htm?utm_source=Outbrain&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=OutbrainOrganicTraffic=obinsite
The tooth decay process: how to reverse it and avoid a cavity. Retrieved from: http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/oralhealth/OralHealthInformation/ChildrensOralHealth/ToothDecayProcess.htm