No one likes the time and pain associated with cavities, especially children. Even though Dr. Dixon has many great options to help this process go smoother, cavities are still no fun. To help prevent these dreaded cavities here are five helpful tips:
- Brush and Floss Teeth twice daily
- Brushing a flossing regularly prevents sugary and acidic food from sitting on the teeth. When they sit on teeth too long they will start to eat away at the enamel of the tooth and will cause a cavity to form.
- Use Fluoride
- Fluoride is in a couple of common things that you use daily anyway. There is fluoride mouthwash, toothpaste, and even water. Using fluoride will prevent tooth decay by forming new enamel on your teeth, providing even more protection.
- Eat a Balanced Diet
- Everything in moderation is a good standard to eat by. As long as you don’t overindulge on certain foods then your diet shouldn’t harm your teeth. Certain fruits, vegetables, milk, and yogurt are foods that are very good for your teeth and should be included in your diet. Foods that are high in sugar and acid like soda and hard or chewy candy are some of the worst for your teeth. But having the occasional treat will not create a cavity as long as you are keeping up with your daily cleaning regime.
- Sealants
- A sealant is a protective barrier placed on teeth to prevent cavities. Sealants are important for children especially because we all know that it’s not always the easiest task to get kids to brush their teeth. Because of this, sealants add extra protection and peace of mind for parents when the occasional teeth brushing is missed.
- See Your Dentist Regularly
- Making appoints with your dentist on a regular basis is also very important. A lot of the time we will have small issues with our teeth that we never notice until they become an unbearable nuisance. Only a dentist can detect these problems at their early stages and help reverse them or prevent them from developing into a larger, more painful problem. As just mentioned, a fact not everyone knows about cavities is that they can actually be reversed. If a cavity is detected early, there are steps that can be taken to actually reverse it and prevent having to have any dental work done at all.