Here’s a worthy goal to shoot for: no matter how many cavities you’ve had in the past, vow to yourself that you’ll never have another.
As in never. Ever. Never have another cavity.
Read below for three things you can do to meet this goal.
1. Understand that there’s a reason why dentists insist that you brush twice a day, floss once a day and visit them twice a year for professional teeth cleaning: these habits work!
Your dentist keeps telling you brush your teeth because doing so really does prevent cavities!
Here’s why: cavities are caused by two things: carbohydrates and bacteria. Eat carbohydrates in the form of sugar and starch and the bacteria that live on your teeth feed on the carbohydrates you eat.
The bacteria then has to – well – get rid the waste products of its food and that waste excreted by the bacteria produces plaque as well as acid. If not removed, these two eventually will eat through your tooth enamel and form a cavity.
So that’s why your dentist wants you to brush your teeth (removes plaque from the front and back of teeth) and floss (removes plaque from in between your teeth) and come in for a check up twice a year (so that you can get the still-extant and tougher plaque removed from your teeth professionally).
Bacteria on your teeth can double in as few as five hours; hence your dentist’s admonishment to brush twice a day. (Hint: three times is a lot better!)
2. Cut way down on sweets and starches. Seriously. Cut way back. And don’t eat sugary foods between meals. If you must have a sweet treat, make sure you have it with your meal, not as a snack. (And then go brush your teeth when done eating.)
3. Talk to your dentist about having a sealant placed on your teeth. These are coatings that are placed on your teeth to fill the ever-present grooves at the top of your teeth, helping to prevent cavities. Many of the grooves on your teeth are too deep and narrow for your toothbrush bristles to clean thoroughly, but sealants make the tooth smoother and easier to clean. In addition, since the grooves are smoothed out, there’s less surface area on your tooth for bacteria to hide in – they won’t be able to hide from your toothbrush!
Will following the three steps above guarantee that you won’t ever again have a cavity? Of course not! But they will lower your odds considerably. Truly.
image courtesy of cooldesign/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Comments