Tooth cavities aren't uncommon - but with the right dental health know-how, you can help prevent them. It all starts with proper brushing, daily flossing, and fluoride. Get the details right here. What Causes Tooth Cavities? Cavities are holes in the teeth resulting from acid attack. They generally start in the enamel, but can spread to the softer inner layer of the tooth. Tooth cavities are caused by decay that can occur when foods containing carbohydrates become trapped between teeth, and are not completely removed with brushing and flossing. Bacteria living in the mouth digest these foods, generating acidic byproducts that can eat away at tooth enamel. Help Prevent Tooth Cavities Fluoride, which is found in most public drinking supplies, some mouth rinses, and Crest toothpastes, helps prevent tooth cavities by slowing the breakdown of enamel and speeding up the remineralization process. Check with your dental professional to see if your drinking water is fluoridated. If it isn't, he or she may recommend that you use high concentration fluoride treatments.
To help strengthen weak spots in tooth enamel, and help prevent the early stages of tooth decay, brush regularly with a fluoridated toothpaste, floss daily, and visit your dental office regularly for professional cleanings.
Plaque is a sticky, colorless deposit of bacteria that is constantly forming on the tooth surface. Saliva, food and fluids combine to produce these deposits that collect where the teeth and gums meet. Plaque buildup is the primary factor in periodontal (gum) disease, including gingivitis. How to Get Rid of Plaque To help prevent plaque buildup, be sure to brush your teeth at least twice a day with an anti-plaque toothpaste such as Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste for around the clock protection against plaque buildup, and floss once a day.
Adding a mouth rinse such as Crest Pro-Health Multi-Protection Rinse to your routine can help against plaque buildup, without the burning sensation of alcohol. Eating well-balanced meals and brushing after snacks will reduce the formation of plaque. Visit your dental office regularly for oral exams and cleanings, during which your dental professional will scrape away any accumulated plaque with a special instrument.
Tartar is a deposit that forms when plaque hardens on the tooth. Individuals vary greatly in their susceptibility to tartar buildup. For many, these deposits build up faster with age. Tartar is easily noticeable because of its yellow or brown color on teeth. What Causes Tartar Buildup When plaque accumulates and is not removed from teeth, it can harden and turn into tartar. Because tartar buildup bonds strongly to enamel, it can only be removed by a dental professional. Help Prevent Tartar Buildup While tartar can only be removed by a dental professional, you can avoid tartar buildup by removing plaque. To help prevent tartar, be sure to brush your teeth at least twice daily, preferably with a tartar-control fluoride toothpaste like many from Crest, and floss once a day with a product like Glide. And visit your dental office regularly for oral exams and cleanings.
Tooth cavities aren't uncommon - but with the right dental health know-how, you can help prevent them. It all starts with proper brushing, daily flossing, and fluoride. Get the details right here.
