12 Ways to Protect Teeth From Cavities

Teeth are the so-called pearls of the human body. Oral hygiene and its maintenance have been a great issue for most people. Due to the lack of such maintenance, a huge number of people suffer from chronic dental problems. But are there any ways to protect the teeth and further reduce the chances of tooth decay? If you are concerned regarding the issue, then this article is for you.

But first, focus on the point, Why are teeth important?

The human mouth is very precious because the process of ingestion of food starts from this point. Teeth are the most important part of the mouth, and without proper chewing, one can face problems while digesting the food he takes. Teeth can also help in phonetics, stabilizing the mouth, maintaining facial symmetry and structure, and lots more. In this world where people lack confidence, a person without teeth or with defective teeth can lack the aesthetics he desires.

Why do cavities form?

Dental caries, which further progress to cavities, are not something that occurs on the tooth as a natural phenomenon. There have been a lot of theories regarding the formation of caries and cavities. The most famous one out there is due to microbes and their chemical discharge. The Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus are two of the most frequently seen bacterias causing cavities.

These bacterias release some toxic chemicals, which make way for these bacterias inside the enamel (outermost white layer of teeth). These bacterias are basically feeding on the organic content of teeth which causes a cavity to depress further.

12 Brilliant Ways to Protect Teeth From Cavities

1.0 Brush, Brush, and Brush

If you have been to a dental surgeon, and then most probably he might have suggested you brush at least twice a day. A lot of people think this to be vague advice; but on the other hand, this has a lot to do with maintaining your oral hygiene. To understand the concept, you must be aware of something called “plaque.” The dental plaque is a white sticky layer formed by some microbes. This layer is one of the precursors of dental caries.

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According to a theory, the microbes in the human mouth form dental plaque every 12 hours. Hence if a person brushes twice a day (which will be approximately every 12 hours), this layer will be removed, and caries can’t progress further. Always remember that over brushing is also very bad.

2.0 Dental Flossing-

There is spaces between the teeth called embrasures and contact areas. These areas are the primary spots for food examination while a person chews. If you are an individual that consumes a lot of sticky food items such as chocolates and sweet candy bars, then these areas can get blocked by the food items you eat. Further, this can be the primary feeding ground for different harmful bacteria between teeth. Hence dentists always suggest using dental floss in order to remove these deposited food items.

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Dental flossing must be done in a particular way, or it might damage your gingival tissue. There are patients with periodontal damage who have problems with their periodontal ligaments in the gingiva. Flossing is not preferred for these patients. Hence always visit your dentist to get the correct advice before starting to floss. Talking about the benefits of flossing, more than 42 % of people were seen to have benefits regarding maintenance of good oral hygiene after they started flossing.

3.0 Tobacco-

we all know the disadvantages of smoking and the consumption of tobacco, but people somehow ignore these disadvantages until they find themselves in a bad position regarding their health. Tobacco can be very dangerous for your mouth and your teeth.

The oral mucosa is one of the most sensitive mucosae, and it can react to the carcinogens present in tobacco. Once these carcinogens irritate the oral mucosa upto a certain level, the patient most likely will develop oral cancer and other harmful periodontal diseases. Smoking has been a major cause why the hygiene of teeth gets degraded.

Chronic smokers even get their tooth discoloration due to heavy consumption of tobacco. If you are a regular tobacco consumer, then we will suggest you quit smoking as soon as possible if you want to protect your teeth from cavities.

4.0 Realization-

as mentioned before, oral hygiene is one of the most neglected fields when it comes to personal maintenance and hygiene. People rush to the doctors only when there is a critical situation buildup in the mouth or on the teeth. But on the other hand, if we talk of cavities, the process of its formation is very slow, and if taken care of in the initial stages, you can easily protect your teeth from cavities. Hence self-realization becomes very important to protect cavities from going down into the teeth and destroying them completely.

5.0 Avoid Tea, Coffee, and sodas-

the teeth are covered by enamel which is the strongest structure in the entire oral cavity. On the other hand, the enamel is very sensitive to sodas and components present in these drinks. Different sodas in soft drinks can erode the outer layer providing a perfect breeding ground for bacteria to form cavities. Other drinks such as tea and coffee can also promote such cavities, but they have a greater role in discoloration and staining of the tooth.

6.0 Good and healthy diet-

The human teeth, like all the other body parts of the human system, do require proper nutrition for maintenance. Human teeth have a good amount of calcium which is actually one of the minerals that are needed to be synthesized by the food a person consumes. If your diet lacks in such minerals, the teeth lose their structural stability and can further become fragile and weak. Such teeth are very prone to cavities.

7.0 Inspection-

Even before you face primary problems related to teeth and cavities, one must visit his dentist or dental surgeon on a regular basis to keep a check. There are many special techniques in dentistry that are completely dedicated to helping people maintain proper oral hygiene. Periodontal cleaning and other such techniques are amazing to refresh your Oral cavity. A person who gets his oral hygiene checked by a professional on a regular basis is less likely to get a tooth cavity.

8.0 Usage of lukewarm salty water-

If you are a student of biology, then you might be aware of a process called osmosis. Osmosis is a process of the flow of water from lower concentration to higher concentration via a semipermeable membrane. Sometimes, due to periodontal problems, the gums get infected with microbes, and this will lead to cavities. If a person rinses his mouth with warm salty water on a regular basis, due to osmosis, all the water will come out of the microbes, which ultimately collapse them and kill them. This will help you in saving your teeth from cavities.

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9.0 Sugary intake-

Eating a lot of sugar and sugary food items will ruin your oral hygiene and will further cause cavities. The microbes in the mouth will break down the sugar in the food, and this will create acid on the outer surface of the tooth. This further will create caries. Children often face the problem of cavities due to high sugar intake.

10.0 Usage of Mouthwash-

Mouthwashes are special liquid preparations for the mouth, and they basically contain chemicals that inhibit and kill the cavity-causing bacteria in the mouth. But you must choose a mouthwash very carefully as sometimes adverse reactions in the mouth are also seen due to mouthwashes. Hence get a good mouthwash prescribed by your dentist before you start using it.

11.0 Washing and rinsing teeth after every meal-

If you are not willing to do something hectic to maintain your oral hygiene, then the least you can do is to rinse your mouth with water after every meal. Always remember that the food you eat is the basic feeding ground for the microbes in the oral cavity. Rinsing your mouth and passing the water via the contact areas will take out the food particles and will not allow bacteria to grow further.

12.0 Use Fluoride Toothpaste-

Whenever we talk of oral hygiene, not mentioning toothpaste will be unfair to the topic itself. Well, if you ask dental professionals, using specific toothpaste can help you get better protection from microbes. One of the most important minerals that will protect the teeth from chronic decay is fluoride.

But consuming fluoride is not that beneficial, and it won’t be helpful in tooth protection. The best option to protect the teeth is to use fluoride toothpaste. This toothpaste can form a layer of fluoride over your teeth which are next to impermeable to bacteria. But the sad truth is the fact that excess fluoride is not good for the body, and it won’t last as a coating on the teeth. Hence one must use these toothpastes according to what the doctor recommends.

Above in the article(12 Ways to Protect Teeth From Cavities), we mentioned some of the best ways to protect your teeth from cavities. Try using these methods to get the best result to protect your teeth.