Ever wondered why your teeth ache? More often than not, this pain is caused by cavities; they’re small holes that form within a tooth.
Using dental fillings, your dentist can remove decayed material and replace it with a composite or metal filling. This stops tooth decay in its tracks and restores the structure of your teeth.
When you have fewer cavities, you’ll enjoy the following benefits:
- Less expensive dental visits. Getting a cavity filled is a relatively minor expense. But if tooth decay progresses, you may require more complicated (and costly) treatments such as a root canal, crown, or extraction.
- A healthy, functional smile. Decayed teeth often cause pain and sensitivity. A tooth with a cavity may change in appearance and turn yellow, grey, or black. This can make you feel insecure about your smile.
- Teeth that last a lifetime. You want your natural smile to last as long as possible. The best way to do that is to take excellent care of your teeth—and that starts with preventing cavities.
So, what can you do to keep your teeth cavity-free? Check out these tooth care tips that will keep your pearly whites pearly white:
Adjust Your Diet
Acidic foods and drinks are some of the biggest culprits for causing cavities. The worst offenders include sports drinks, sodas, sour candies, and tomatoes.
Once you’ve cut out these teeth-eroding foods, replace them with ones that are good for your mouth. Try to drink more water, eat raw vegetables, and consume plenty of calcium.
Finally, if you smoke, try to kick the habit. Tobacco smoke causes extensive tooth decay, along with staining and a higher risk of developing gum disease.
Make An Oral Health Plan
You already know that brushing, flossing, and using mouthwash are good for your teeth. But in your hectic daily life, it’s hard to remember to do these things. What memory tricks can you use to help your habits stick?
Set your morning alarm slightly earlier so you have more time to take care of your teeth (even just 5 minutes will do). If you tend to be forgetful, paste a few sticky notes on your bathroom mirror. Or, place a calendar near the sink; for each day that you brush, floss, and use mouthwash, you can add a checkmark to that date.
Choose Tap Water Over Bottled Water
In Winnipeg, our tap water contains trace amounts of fluoride. This helps to remineralize teeth, strengthen the enamel, and improve the oral health of the general population
But if you don’t like the taste of tap water, you can increase your fluoride intake in a few other ways: Use a toothpaste or mouthwash that’s infused with fluoride. Also, whenever you schedule a teeth cleaning, your dentist will apply a fluoride treatment to your teeth.
Some patients are at a higher risk for developing cavities than others. This includes those who are pregnant, have certain medical conditions, or take medications that cause dry mouth. If you are in the higher risk group, you’ll need to be extra diligent to prevent cavities.
You can’t reverse tooth decay without dental treatment. Is it time for your next teeth cleaning? Our team of experienced dentists can help. Improve your oral health by contacting our dental office in Winnipeg today.