5 Best Ways to Prevent Tooth Decay

If you want healthy teeth and to avoid having a lot of fillings then you need to do everything you can to help prevent tooth decay. Tooth decay causes your teeth to weaken over time and develop holes and cracks that require filling, or sometimes even replacing all together. To help you avoid this, below are some of the best ways to prevent tooth decay. 

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1. Eat the right foods

Everybody knows the foods you should avoid to prevent tooth decay – sweets, fizzy drinks, hard candy etc. However there are also foods you can eat that will help to strengthen your teeth. Calcium is one of the best ingredients for preventing tooth decay. This is why young children are often encouraged to drink milk to make their teeth stronger. You can get calcium from any dairy products though, including cheese and yoghurt. 

Other great foods for preventing tooth decay are fruits and vegetables that are high in fibre. Some excellent foods to go for are figs, raisins, bananas, apples and oranges. Whole grain foods such as brown rice and brown bread are also great for preventing tooth decay. 

2. Brush regularly

It might seem obvious but one of the best ways to prevent tooth decay is by brushing your teeth regularly. Ideally you would brush your teeth after each meal, although this isn’t practical for everybody. You should brush your teeth twice a day – once in the morning and once before you go to bed. This will go a long way to help your teeth stay clean and healthy as well as preventing tooth decay. 

3. Always floss

Flossing is something that most people neglect but it’s something that most dentists would recommend as strongly as brushing your teeth. Whilst brushing will allow you to remove plaque from the front of your teeth, the tiny gaps between your teeth can only be cleaned properly by flossing. 

Flossing is best done after each meal, since it will help to remove any tiny pieces of food that get caught between your teeth. Floss is very inexpensive to buy so there’s no excuse not to make flossing a part of your regular routine for keeping your teeth healthy. 

4. Avoid alcohol

Alcohol is fine in moderation but a lot of alcoholic drinks are now carbonated and very sugary, which is not good for your teeth at all. Even red wine can stain your teeth if you drink it regularly so it’s best to keep your alcohol intake to a minimum if you want to keep your teeth as healthy as possible. 

5. Schedule regular dentist appointments

Going to the dentist is something that a lot of people dread and therefore they’ll only go when they absolutely have to. This doesn’t make much sense though since going to your dentist regularly will help you to avoid developing more serious problems with your teeth that require treatment. There are many dentists that cater to those that are particularly nervous so you shouldn’t have any problem finding a dentist who will be able to set your mind at ease. 

About the Author:

Jayden has a keen interest in dentistry. His articles cover topics such as how to prevent tooth decay. And is associated with Bhandal dentistry.

The Impact Sugar Has On Teeth And How To Prevent It

It seems as though sugar is demonised at every turn nowadays. Whether it’s the weight gain it causes or the negative impact it has on a child’s mood – it’s hard not to avoid it. Whilst it might seem like a silly agenda that’s unnecessary, there are very good reasons why sugar is best avoided, not least of which is the damage it does to your teeth.

Why sugar is bad for your teeth?
 
You’re probably already aware that sugar is bad for your teeth but what you might not be aware of is why. When you consume sugar, bacteria sticks to your teeth that converts into acid, which will eat away at your teeth. Your teeth are covered by a protective material known as enamel. Sugar eats through the enamel and will cause a great deal of damage to your teeth once it does.

It’s very important for parents to control the amount of sugar that their children consume, since kids are often attracted to the most sugary foods they can find. Around half of 8 years old in the UK have dental decay already so it shows just how big of a problem sugar is and how early it can start damaging our teeth.

But I like Sweet Foods

Being completely honest, it’s not feasible for most people to cut sugar out of their diets 100%. So many every day food items now contain sugar as a preservative i.e. tomato ketchup, that it would be next to impossible to avoid it altogether. This being the case, the best course of action is to avoid any food or drinks that contain added or excessive amounts of sugar.

Some of the worst offenders in this regard are fizzy drinks. Fizzy drinks, such as Coke, Pepsi and 7Up contain a lot of sugar in each can and if you drink them regularly, they’ll certainly cause a lot of damage to your teeth. If you enjoy these types of drinks then try to cut them down as much as you can. Switching to diet fizzy drinks is another alternative although even this isn’t great for your teeth since they’re still carbonated.

As far as food goes, you should try to avoid any foods that are obviously high in sugar, such as donuts, cakes and chocolate. See these types of foods as treats to have on very rare occasions and you’ll be able to cut down your sugar intake significantly.

Some Tips To Reduce Tooth Decay

Sugar isn’t the only thing that causes tooth decay however. There are many things we can do to help prevent it as well as avoiding. For example, eating foods that strengthen your teeth, such as dairy, high-fibre fruits and veg and whole-grain foods. 

You should also ensure that you brush your teeth at least twice a day to help remove the plaque build up from the food you’ve eaten. Flossing is another essential thing to do that will help to keep your teeth healthy and prevent tooth decay.

About the Author:
Jayden is very interested in dentistry and associate with Bhandal Dentistry. His articles cover topics such as the impact sugar has on our teeth.