How Better Hygiene Can Help You Prevent Cavities

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Good hygiene isn’t necessarily difficult to maintain, but brushing and flossing your teeth every day can become so monotonous that you don’t always pay close attention to what you’re doing. You might miss a spot or two, or a whole section of teeth, leaving behind the plaque and harmful oral bacteria that you meant to brush away. When this happens, the bacteria have time until your next brushing and flossing to multiply and the plaque to calcify into tartar, which is the driving factor behind cavity development. With better hygiene, you can prevent cavities and other oral bacteria-related issues from forming, and avoid the need for extensive treatment to address them.

How Cavities Form

A cavity, or hole in your tooth, is the result of tooth decay spreading through your tooth. Tooth decay, or infection, is caused by oral bacteria weakening your tooth enamel and slipping past it to infect your main tooth structure (called dentin). Once decay sets in, removing it and repairing your tooth is the only way to stop it. However, you can largely prevent decay by controlling oral bacteria with consistently good hygiene and help from your dentist.

What Better Hygiene Means

Brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing at least once are the basics of good hygiene, but there’s a little more to keeping your teeth healthy for life. For instance, be sure to use toothpaste with fluoride to help bolster your tooth enamel, especially if it is already weak. Refrain from eating too much sugar, which fuels bacteria to create acids that target your tooth enamel. Also, be sure to attend regular dental checkup and cleaning appointments as often as your dentist recommends to remove traces of tartar that may have developed.

Learn More About Preventing Cavities with Better Hygiene

With an improved hygiene routine and regular checkups and cleanings with your dentist, you have a much better chance at successfully preventing cavities for life. To learn more, or to schedule a consultation, call Gentle Smiles in Dallas, TX, today at 972-329-7645 (972-329-SMILE).