Preventing tooth decay can largely depend on your daily tooth care routine, your total nutritional intake, and the diet you eat on a regular basis. If you're in the habit of doing things such as consuming a large amount of high-sugar foods, ignoring an ongoing deficiency of a vital nutrient, or failing to keep your mouth clean through daily brushing and flossing habits, then this can negatively impact your oral health and lead to tooth decay.
What commonly happens is that when tartar, plaque and bacteria build-up the enamel of your teeth can begin to be severely weakened. Harmful and invasive microbes can then begin to work into their way into the tooth, invading it's softened the surface and causing cavities. These cavities and holes into your teeth may eventually lead to an infection of the inner tooth. This can further spread into the roots, the jaw, and even other teeth if left untreated.
If you take care to supply your body with the vitamins and minerals that support the formation of dentin and enamel, such as vitamin A, vitamin D, and calcium, you can help to strengthen your tooth enamel and resist bacteria invasions. This is like helping build the "armor" of your teeth and repels the invaders that want to cause infections.
It's also important to take care of your gums on a regular basis. Healthy blood flow to your teeth helps them to stay strong and fight off infection. Treating conditions such as thrush, yeast overgrowth, gingivitis, periodontal disease, and upper respiratory infections can help your body to keep your mouth healthy and prevent tooth decay from taking place.
Foods that contain carbohydrates, which include sugars and starchy foods, can stick to the teeth. This includes soft drinks or sodas, sweetened foods, cereals and bread, cakes, and candies. These carbohydrates can then be broken down by the bacteria living in your mouth and turned into acids which then contribute to forming the plaque on your teeth. The plaque promotes an environment for bacteria to thrive and the acids weaken the enamel. Together, they can create cavities and tooth decay.
Preventing the build-up of plaque and subsequent decay of your teeth requires a routine of caring for your oral health. Cutting back on activities and foods which are known to be harmful to your teeth, such as smoking and drinking soft drinks, brushing two or three times a day, flossing your teeth on a daily basis, rinsing with an antiseptic mouthwash, utilizing fluoride toothpaste to strengthen teeth, eating a balanced diet on a daily basis, and visiting Gage Dental Care regularly in East Los Angeles are all great ways to prevent tooth decay.
It's recommended to visit your dentist every 6 months to have your teeth cleaned, which removes the tartar and plaque that builds-up. This can go a long way to preventing gingivitis and other oral health conditions. Visit Gage Dental Care in East Los Angeles and schedule your consultation today. This time at the dentist is also an ideal way to watch out for any developing issues and take care of cavities before they become problematic. By having a preventative oral health plan, you can work to ensure your teeth stay healthy for a long time.