Many have asked me “what can I do to prevent cavities in my children and myself”. There is definitely a genetic component to the risk of getting a cavity. But there ARE things you can do to help prevent dental treatment. Even though I really love doing dentistry, I totally understand that most patients absolutely hate getting numb, listening to my bad jokes and having expensive medical bills. So here are a few things I help my family do to prevent cavities.
- Cut down on the soda and sugar. Soda is bad for our teeth for two reasons: first, the sugar content of the soda which can be eliminated by diet drinks. Second is the acidity of the carbonation. This acidity can cause demineralization of your enamel by itself. Another bad drink is Gatorade or Powerade drinks. So if you have to have a soda but you are “high risk” for cavities try switching to a diet drink or only drink your Coke at a meal time and try not to sip it throughout the day.
- Dry mouth can cause rampant decay. Saliva helps mouths stay clean. When we take certain medications, have certain disease, or even just age our saliva can decrease in volume. We have many ways to solve this if you feel you have dry mouth. We can increase saliva flow by medications, specific mouthwashes, sugar free gum, and other ways I would love to discuss with you
- Many of my patients are genetically prone to getting cavities. For those we have Fluoride. There are prescription strength toothpastes, mouthwashes, and chewable vitamins to help deliver higher contents of fluoride to your teeth. I find prescription strengths toothpastes tend to work great. I recommend brushing your teeth at night with this toothpaste after you brush spit out the excess and go straight to bed. Do not worry about rinsing or trying to get all the toothpaste off. It is better for it to stay on your teeth as much as possible while sleeping.
- The biggest and best method to avoid cavities is brushing and flossing your teeth. It is best to brush your teeth in the morning and night. I highly recommend flossing at night. This helps get the food out of teeth before you go to sleep. Our dental hygienists and myself believe flossing is even more important than brushing your teeth.
- Lastly, regular visits to the dentist. We can get those tough to clean areas, help you refocus and catch things while they are small and easy to fix.
Hopefully, these tips will help you have the cavity free visit. And as your dentist I promise I will do everything in my power to make your visits as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. My hygienists and I are very gentle, on time, and treat you like family. If you need a Chandler Dentist, please give us call!
Sincerely,
Chase D Davis DDS