5 Basic Cavity Prevention Tips

Cavity prevention is vital. Cavities, or dental caries, are not only painful, but they can also cause bad breath and other issues with your health. Dentists and medical health professionals say that caring for your teeth is critical for your overall wellbeing. Next to brushing and flossing, it is important to take daily measures to make sure your oral and dental health is in excellent shape. While many of these measures seem easy enough – it can be hard to turn them into a habit. Once your get into the habit, though, preventing cavities will be much easier and your smile will be much brighter. Here are five basic cavity prevention tips.

1. Brush twice a day. When it comes down to it, many people aren’t brushing their teeth correctly. Not brushing your teeth thoroughly can lead to a proliferation of cavities. If you are scratching your head wondering why you have cavities, it may be that you aren’t brushing your teeth in the correct manner. What you want to do is brush each quadrant of your teeth for approximately thirty seconds. By the time you are done, you will have spent two minutes brushing your teeth and you will have thoroughly brushed every tooth.
2. Floss regularly. Some dentists will tell you to floss twice a day – some say that once a day is enough. Flossing can be the hardest thing to get in the habit of doing. And for some people, flossing can actually be painful. Flossing is important, because you want to be able to get into all the nooks and crannies of your teeth – especially in between your teeth. So, be sure to get into the habit of flossing – you can take baby steps at first, but you want to start building up to the point where you floss daily.
3. Rinse your mouth out with mouthwash. The jury is still out on how often you should rinse your mouth out with mouthwash, but it should be before and after you brush your teeth – either in the morning or before you go to bed. When it comes down to it, you don’t need to rinse your mouth out all the time, but it can help to loosen plaque and other detritus that builds up in your teeth.
4. Go to a dentist twice a year. One of the most vital and basic cavity prevention tips is to visit a dentist twice a year. Visiting a good dental clinic, like Valley Family Dentistry, is important because you will have your teeth professionally cleaned and examined – you may also get x-rays taken too. A dentist will not only make your teeth sparkling white, but he or she will also be able to spot cavities before they become a big problem.
5. Cut down your sugar intake. Not eating or drinking beverages and food with too much sugar can drastically decrease cavities. If you do have a sweet tooth, you may want to think about chewing sugar-free gum afterwards – to reduce bacteria build up. Bacteria can start to cause your enamel to erode within twenty minutes after you eat a sugary meal. So, make sure to do what you can to remove the bacteria and germs before damage occurs.