Dental Care, Healthy Teeth

How to Prevent Dental Caries

BY: cmsmasters

What is Dental Caries?

Dental caries (cavities) are the most common form of oral disease known to man, and the process of getting caries is called tooth decay.

Tooth decay is the destruction of your tooth enamel — the hard, outer layer of your teeth. This issue can affect children, teens and adults. Plaque, a sticky film of bacteria, is constantly forming on your teeth. When you eat or drink foods or beverages containing sugars, the bacteria in plaque produce acids that attack tooth enamel. The stickiness of the plaque keeps these acids in contact with your teeth, and over time the enamel can break down.

Prevention of Dental Caries –

  1. Know your cavity risk level – The first step in taking control of your oral health is knowing what your cavity risk level is. The best way to know this is through a comprehensive dental exam.
  2. Brush your teeth regularly and properly with the right brush.
  3. Avoid sugary and acidic drinks and drink more water.
  4. Get into the habit of flossing.
  5. Avoid smoking

At Hounslow High Street Dental Practice, we help our patients take responsibility for their oral health through regular checkups, treatments, and providing them with the information to make their best decisions. Need help taking control of your oral health? Schedule an appointment today!

Healthy Teeth

Don’t Forget to Brush Your Teeth

BY: cmsmasters

Whenever you go into your dentist’s office it is likely one of the first things that they will ask you is about your brushing habits and the way that you regularly brush your teeth.

Here are some of the top reasons why you should never forget to brush your teeth:

Freshening your breath: Brushing your teeth at least twice a day is an extremely important part of your routine because it can prevent bacteria build up and bad breath problem. Another good practice is chewing sugar-free gum after meals which can help to reduce bacteria that causes bad breath.

Removing stains from your teeth: A good toothpaste will have a mild abrasive that helps to remove food that sticks to teeth as well as stains that can build up on teeth over time. Regularly brushing after a meal can prevent the buildup of unwanted stains, leaving your with a whiter and brighter smile.

Prevention of gum disease: You can increase the risk of gum disease if you don’t brush often and accumulation of bacteria can occur. The rate that plaque can accumulate over time is based off of the leftover food and bacteria inside your mouth. Gingivitis can cause bad breath as well as inflammation in the gums with extensive bleeding every time you brush your teeth.

Can save you money: The cost of dental care can increase extensively if you don’t brush your teeth twice a day. Brushing your teeth has been associated with preventing a number of different health concerns and it can prevent the chance for expensive dental work like root canals or multiple fillings.

Reduce the chance of stroke and heart attack: Bacterial buildup in your mouth can actually travel down through the bloodstream increasing your cholesterol and increasing the chance that you could fall victim to a heart attack or stroke.

Protecting your future children: Gum disease can also increase the chance of a premature birth, lower birth, increase the chance for impotence as well as delayed conception. If you are interested in becoming a parent one day you should strongly consider regularly brushing and flossing to maintain your oral health over time.