Tooth decay is a severe dental condition that should not be ignored. It is the steady destruction of the tooth structure. Tooth decay may affect your enamel or the dentin within.
What Causes Tooth Decay?
There are several reasons why tooth decay may occur. The most common cause is eating the wrong types of food. Tooth decay usually happens when you consume many sugary foods and carbohydrates and do not clean your teeth properly. Sugary foods and carbohydrates are bread, milk, carbonated drinks, sweets, cakes, desserts, and more. While it is acceptable to consume everything in moderation, tooth decay sets in once the food debris is left in the mouth.
Bacteria in the mouth helps break down and digest these foods. This bacteria also helps turn them into acids. These bacteria, leftover food particles, saliva, and the acid form a plaque layer on the teeth. Since the plaque also contains acid, it breaks down the enamel and causes holes in the teeth. These holes are a result of tooth decay called cavities.
What Can You Do To Safeguard Your Teeth From Decay?
Regularly Visit the Dentist:
You should regularly visit the dentist to ensure no build-up of tartar and plaque in your mouth. Scheduled check-ups and cleaning help prevent bad breath, tartar, plaque, infections, tooth decays, and more. Dentists use specialized equipment to clean the teeth. This equipment is sterilized to clean the teeth and avoid the spread of viruses. The dental hygiene supplies and good quality instruments that they use are cleaned and sanitized for your protection.
Delaying the visits to the dentist can actually harm you in the long term. Tooth decay is quick to clean up if found in its initial stages. Dentists may use X-rays to help determine if you have any cavities, infections or more serious issues with your teeth and gums. X-rays also help to identify previous dental work that you have had such as fillings, crowns and implants.
Brush Twice A Day:
Most of us eat three meals a day – breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It is recommended to brush twice a day, ideally after breakfast and dinner. After lunch, you should use mouthwash and swish all the food debris out of your mouth. Doing this helps keep the plaque at bay and ensures you have fresh breath the entire day.
You should brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristled brush. Using stiff bristles can be harmful to the gums and may cause bleeding. You should make gentle circular motions with the brush, brush both the teeth themselves and along the gum line, and ensure all the food particles are removed.
Avoid Over Brushing:
Overbrushing is as much a threat as not brushing enough. You should avoid brushing for more than four minutes. It is also not advisable to brush more than two or three times a day. Brushing too much for too long can wear down the enamel protecting your teeth and affect the health of your gums.
The absence of tooth enamel exposes a substance called dentin. Dentin contains thousands of tiny holes called “tubules” with nerve endings that connect directly to the pulp inside the tooth. Damage to dentin can cause sensitivity and acute toothache.
Floss Each Day:
While brushing is effective, you should also floss regularly to help clean between the teeth. Fibrous food from oranges, meat fibres, and more tend to stick in the gaps between teeth. The trick to removing the food debris is to use good quality floss and ensure nothing is left behind.
Flossing is also effective at loosening and removing plaque build-up from teeth. Removing the plaque helps avoid tartar. Oral health is wholly dependent upon how you care for your teeth throughout the day. Careful daily tooth care can help you avoid spending thousands of pounds to repair damage at a later date, quite aside from preventing painful teeth and gums.
