Simple Things You Can Do to Prevent Cavities

19 Apr, 2024

Tooth decay is a common dental problem, with over 80 percent of Americans having at least one cavity before their mid-thirties. The condition arises when bacteria from the mouth or residue food particles produce acids, which then erode the enamel, causing holes in your teeth.

Individuals with dental cavities could experience severe toothaches and sometimes swelling of the gums. These symptoms can cause discomfort and dental issues like gum disease and tooth loss. Although dental cavities can be treated through fillings or covering them with crowns, preventing them is much easier.

You can avoid the pain and the cost of undergoing complicated dental procedures by preventing cavities. If you have developed dental cavities or notice an early sign of a dental issue, it is essential to seek immediate dental care. However, you can prevent dental cavities by doing the following:

Determine Your Risk of Developing Cavities

Dental cavities can be treated to restore the appearance and function of your teeth. However, preventing them is better than seeking treatment. This is because you can avoid the pain and discomfort caused by cavities. Additionally, you can save on complicated dental procedure costs like dental fillings, crowns, and dental implant expenses needed to restore your tooth.

Determining your risk of developing the condition is the first step in preventing cavities. Some individuals may be at a higher risk of developing cavities and other dental complications than others. This could occur even with proper oral hygiene and dental care practices. Determining your risk level helps you take the necessary measures to neutralize the risk and protect your teeth.

Age could be an essential risk factor for cavities. According to a national survey in 2021, up to 14.8% of children aged between 1 and 17 years in the state suffer from dental cavities.

Factors that increase your risk of developing dental cavities include:

Certain health conditions. Individuals with complex health conditions like diabetes and heart disease have a high likelihood of developing cavities. Therefore, if you fall into this category, you must be extra cautious. This is done by ensuring your condition is treated appropriately, and you control your blood sugar levels.
Harmful habits. Habits like grinding teeth increase the risk of enamel damage and tooth cavities. Many people grind their teeth due to stress or subconscious habits. Recognizing and quitting these habits could help you reduce your risk of developing cavities.
Poor oral hygiene. An adequate brushing and flossing technique removes plaque from your teeth before it causes decay. Individuals with poor oral hygiene practices have an increased risk of developing cavities and other dental complications, like gum disease.

Brush Your Teeth Regularly and With the Right Technique

Brushing your teeth is the primary dental hygiene routine. Dentists recommend brushing teeth as soon as the first tooth appears for young children and continuing even after receiving dental restorations. Residue food particles cause dental cavities to stick to the surface of your teeth and gums. Therefore, brushing helps to remove these particles and reduces your risk of developing cavities.

While brushing your teeth appears simple and basic, you must follow the proper technique to ensure your teeth are free of food particles and bacteria. According to Webmed, brushing tips that help you prevent cavities are as follows:

Select a Good Toothbrush

Your choice of toothbrush can significantly affect how well you clean your teeth. Types of toothbrushes range from simple ones with plastic handles to fancy electric ones. Your dentist can recommend choosing an electric toothbrush instead of a simple manual one. This is because the powered toothbrush is more effective in removing plaque and tartar, improving focus when brushing. Additionally, you should use a toothbrush with soft bristles to avoid hurting your gums while you brush.

You should replace your toothbrush every few months to ensure the bristles can remove food particles from your teeth. Additionally, changing your toothbrush after a flu or cold helps avoid the transfer of bacteria.

Use Fluoridated Toothpaste

Fluoride reduces your risk of developing cavities by up to 25%. For many decades, fluoride has been added to their drinking water. Additionally, fluoride is added to most toothpaste brands and is essential in preventing dental complications. Fluoride prevents cavities by:

Strengthening your teeth and increasing their resistance to acid.
Interfering with the ability of bacteria to produce acids in your mouth.
Preventing the progression of tooth decay and the worsening of cavities by putting back minerals into the tooth.

Brush at Least Twice Daily

The number of times and minutes you spend brushing your teeth daily can significantly affect oral health. Brushing at least two times daily and spending at least two minutes on the task is essential to ensure that no residue from food particles and bacteria could cause cavities and other dental complications.

Use the Right Brushing Technique

After picking the right toothbrush, using the proper brushing technique is essential. Brushing your teeth harder does not mean that you are doing it correctly. Dentists recommend that you place your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle and brush it in circular motions to ensure that you remove the plaque and tartar stuck to your tooth enamel and gums.

Additionally, you should brush the inner surfaces and sides of your molars. You should not leave out the tongue when brushing. Your tongue harbors bacteria that can transfer to the teeth and gums, causing cavities.

Floss your Teeth Regularly

Although brushing is one of the best techniques to prevent cavities, brushing is only one part of the equation. Flossing helps remove food particles that are lodged between your teeth. Mostly, brushing alone removes the plaque on the tooth surface and tongue. However, flossing is necessary to reach the parts between your gums that the toothbrush bristles cannot.

Flossing involves grinding the dental floss against the sides and between your teeth. Dentists recommend that you floss at least once a day. During routine dental visits, your dentist will advise you on good flossing techniques, which include:

Wind up to 18 inches of the floss around the middle fingers of each hand.
Pinch the floss with your thumb and leave 1 to 2 inches between them.
Use your thumbs to direct the floss between your teeth.
Use a zigzag motion to clean between the teeth properly.
Make a C shape around each tooth using the floss.
Slide the floss up and down the tooth to remove the plaque from the tooth surface and gumline.

Adequate and regular flossing helps prevent cavities by removing plaque that harbors bacteria.

Watch your diet.

According to the American Dental Association, your diet is critical to oral health. You should be able to recognize the foods that are harmful to your teeth and those that benefit your oral health. Your dentist can recommend avoiding the following foods, which increase your risk of cavities:

Sugary snacks. The sugar in these snacks, such as candy and chocolate, creates a conducive environment for the growth and multiplication of bacteria. Some bacteria are left in your mouth even after brushing and can produce acids that erode your tooth enamel.
Starchy foods. The end product of starch digestion is glucose. Since starch digestion begins in the mouth, foods like these will affect oral health similarly to sugary foods.
Acidic foods. While most acidic foods benefit your overall health, they can cause substantial harm to your oral health. Foods like citrus fruits lower your mouth's pH, causing acidic conditions. The acid can erode your enamel and cause or worsen cavities.
Dried fruits. Dried fruits have a high concentration of sugars and acids. Therefore, they make it conducive for bacteria to multiply in your mouth and cause cavities. Additionally, these fruits can stick to your teeth and gums, making it challenging to remove them through brushing and flossing.

Undergo Professional Dental Cleaning

Although brushing and flossing regularly helps keep your mouth free of food particles, it may not be enough to prevent cavities. Over time, plaque and tartar could form on areas of your teeth that are difficult to clean.

Undergoing professional dental cleaning is a component of preventive dentistry and helps prevent cavities. Professional dental cleaning involves the removal of plaque and tartar, which cannot be removed through basic oral hygiene practices.

Dentists recommend professional cleaning of your teeth at least once each year. The steps involved in professional dental cleaning include:

A physical exam. Before the cleaning process begins, your dental hygienist will perform an oral examination to check for signs of gum inflammation or infection. If you have significant dental issues, you may need to address them before your teeth are cleaned.
Plaque and tartar removal. After the dental examination, the hygienist will use a scalar to remove the tartar and plaque around your teeth and gum line. The amount of tartar in your mouth will determine the procedure's time.
Scrubbing with gritty toothpaste. When your teeth are free of plaque and tartar, your dental hygienist could use an electric toothbrush and gritty toothpaste on your teeth and gums. This helps smooth the surface of your teeth and remove any residues.
Expert flossing. An expert flossing session beats the regular flossing you perform at home. Your hygienist will use tools deep between your teeth and gums to remove the tartar lodges in these places.
Rinsing. When cleaning, your mouth is rinsed with liquid fluoride to wash off all the debris.

Make Regular Dental Visits

You should not wait for a cavity or dental emergency to seek dental care. Dentists recommend that you schedule dental appointments at least twice a year. Some people view dental appointments as a waste of time or an intimidating experience. However, this is always a part of your oral health care that can save you from tooth decay and cavities.

Scheduling dental appointments is recommended for both children and adults. Your dentist will thoroughly examine your teeth, gums, and oral cavity during routine checkups. This is done to check for signs of tooth decay and cavities. A cavity begins with a small mark on the enamel and can progress to the inner parts of the tooth, causing more damage.

Your dentist can detect early symptoms of dental cavities during routine visits. The dentist will then recommend early intervention and treatment to prevent the progression of the cavities. This will save you from the pain and costs of tooth repair.

During your dental appointment, the dentist can recommend diagnostic tests like X-rays. These can help determine your risk of developing cavities and detect small cracks not visible to the eyes. Your dentist will offer tips on proper hygiene and dental care practices to keep your teeth healthy and complications-free.

Quit Smoking

Tobacco use and smoking can have devastating effects on your oral health. According to the American Dental Association, over 40% of adults aged between 20 and 64 years who smoke cigarettes have untreated cavities. Cigarettes contain nicotine, which prevents your body from producing enough saliva, essential for washing out bacteria from the mouth. Therefore, its low production causes a dry mouth, which is conducive to cavity-causing bacteria.

Smoking also causes cavities by restricting blood flow to the gums, which causes inflammation of the gums, tooth decay, and infections. If you visit your dentist for a regular checkup or treatment of dental complications, you must disclose all your habits, including smoking. This helps the dentist determine whether tobacco contributes to your dental issues. You can reduce your risk of developing cavities and other dental complications by quitting smoking.

Find Expert Dental Services Near Me

A dental cavity is a hole in your teeth caused by bacteria in your mouth. Cavities begin as tiny marks on the tooth enamel and can progress and cause damage to the inner layers of the tooth. Studies show that untreated cavities cause pain, infections, and tooth sensitivity. Prevention of dental cavities is a simple task that does not require any dental procedures. Instead, it involves your oral hygiene routine, diet, and practices.

These practices include brushing and flossing your teeth regularly. Besides your oral hygiene, you may need to watch what you eat and avoid foods harmful to your teeth. Another simple way to prevent dental cavities is by visiting your dentist regularly. During these routine checks, your dentist can determine your risk of developing cavities and catch the early signs of the condition before it worsens.

At Washington Dental, we offer reliable dental care services for patients suffering from cavities and other dental complications in Carson, Los Angeles, Lomita, and Torrance, CA. Contact us at 310-217-1507 today to book an appointment.