Decay rates generally are falling through more awareness of the need for dental health.
The major improvement has come about in large part because of the addition of fluoride to community water supplies. Some communities actually achieved these results earlier this century because fluoride occurred naturally in the water. Because fluoridation saves money as well as teeth, the cost of dental care in a community is reduced.
Chicago, one of the first major American cities which fluoridated its water, saved more than $20 million in dental bills in the first 15 years of fluoridation. Tooth decay dropped by half among schoolchildren.
When fluoride is consumed while teeth are being formed, it strengthens the enamel, making it much stronger and of higher quality. When the teeth come through, there are very few weak spots which can be attacked by acids from plaque.
There has been controversy about whether it is safe to add fluoride to the water supply. The level at which it is added is very low one part in every million parts of water - and the weight of scientific evidence suggests that it is very safe.
Fluoride toothpastes also have helped to reduce decay rates.
The fact is, the more times that fluoride is brought in contact with the teeth, the more protection the teeth get. So toothpaste helps, as does the periodic application of topical fluoride by your dentist. Topical fluoride treatment and the taking of fluoride supplements are the key to the dental health of children living in communities with non-fluoridated water.
Selecting a good dentist
How do you find a good dentist? That may sound a silly question, but it is a valid one.
You can ask other parents if they know of a dentist who likes to work with children. But it is not always necessary to take a child to someone who specializes in child dentistry.
Some of the following points, which one should seek from a dentist, will help you to decide on the right dentist for you:
Good dentists emphasize by word, and by fluoride applications, their interest in dental care and prevention of possible decay.
Is the surgery clean and tidy? Do you like him or her at first meeting? Higher qualifications indicate the degree of competence. Does he or she examine the entire mouth for abnormalities?
The time to choose a dentist is well before you need one. That way you can make a more reasoned choice.
Before a dentist begins any complex work, make sure that he or she explains what is to be done, how long it will take and what it will cost. Ask if there are options.
Be aware of the possibility of over-servicing and over-charging.
Free treatment for those on low incomes is available at many hospitals.
Source: https://www.happyshop123.com/A STUDY carried out some years ago by nutrition scientists found that the New Zealand Maoris used to be remarkably free from tooth decay because their diet consisted mainly of coarse unrefined foods which required lots of chewing.
But as soon as they, and other peoples such as the Eskimos, switched to refined foods introduced by the white man, tooth decay became common.
Carbohydrates, such as sugars, cause dental disease. Sweet and sticky foods are bad because they are partly converted into acid by bacteria. Sugars have been implicated in other problems besides dental disease. So eating a good diet, including lots of cereal products, fruits and vegetables, is important.
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