How To Prevent Cavities

Cavities occur when bacteria in your mouth start eating the tooth, leading to permanent damage. When left untreated, this tiny hole can expand so much that the bacteria can reach the tooth nerves, causing an infection.

Cavities are one of the most common dental health problems both adults and children face. Luckily, there are some ways you can greatly reduce the risk of cavities:

1. Have Good Oral Hygiene Habits

When you brush your teeth and floss, you’re actually removing unwanted bacteria and food particles from your mouth, which significantly reduces the risk for cavities.

For even better protection, opt for fluoride toothpaste to help revitalize the teeth and make them stronger!

2. Rinse the Mouth

There are times when you likely cannot brush your teeth, such as after having lunch at work. However, you can gently rinse the mouth with water to remove some of the food that gets left in your mouth.

This is especially important if you eat a lot of snacks between your main meals because you’re essentially leaving a lot of food for bacteria to accumulate on your teeth.

3. Eat Fresh Foods and Veggies

While fresh fruits and vegetables don’t have tooth-protecting abilities per se, they can increase your saliva production.

Saliva is a rockstar when it comes to oral health because it can also cleanse the mouth. So with every meal, consider adding something fresh to your plate to protect your teeth!

4. Quit Smoking

The nicotine found in cigarettes can reduce a person’s saliva production and lead to dry mouth. As stated above, saliva is very important to your oral health, and when in low quantities, it can increase your risk of cavities, on top of the other known health risks of smoking.

5. See the Dentist Regularly

Unfortunately, even with good oral habits you still need routine dentist appointments for preventive dental treatments. For one thing, professional dental cleaning is the only way to thoroughly clean the mouth of unwanted food and bacteria, especially from areas where you usually can’t reach with your toothbrush.

The dentist can also offer you fluoride treatments to strengthen your teeth and inspect your mouth to uncover any signs that something might be wrong because they cause any problems.

In the case of cavities, if the dentist sees it right away, they can apply a dental sealant to prevent it from growing, meaning you won’t need to get a filling.

Let Us Take Care of Your Oral Health Needs

If it’s time to see a dentist in Forest Lake, Dr. Jonathan Siverson is ready to see you. Let us help you stay on top of all your oral health needs and make sure your smile is happy and healthy in the long run!

Book an appointment at Forest Lake Smiles online to get started, or call our office at (651) 464-8207 for more information about our services!