Reverse Tooth Decay: Effective Ways To Prevent Cavities!

Tooth decay is one of the most common dental problems that a dentist usually address. Regardless of age, tooth decay can occur to anyone. In this case, is it possible to reverse tooth decay? Can we prevent cavities from occurring? Well, taking care of your teeth is the best remedy to prevent cavities and other oral health issues. You better have proper oral hygiene to achieve a good, healthy set of teeth and mouth.

What is tooth decay?

Tooth decay can occur if the tooth enamel softens and if there is a damage in your tooth’s structure. This damage is due to acids coming from plaque bacteria. Neglecting this tooth condition, you will develop a cavity or a hole in your tooth. This condition can enlarge over the period you left it untreated. Furthermore, in worse cases, it may eventually wreck the tooth.

Tooth decays often occur from foods trapped between the teeth. The more sugar you consume from these foods, the more acid generated in your mouth. In effect, plaque buildup is highly possible to happen. Sugar combined with plaque will weaken the tooth enamel, making it at high risk of developing tooth decay.

However, it is not only the sugar content in foods we have to look into in this situation. Several more factors can cause tooth decay. We have enlisted them below so that you can closely watch out for them.

Factors causing tooth decay

1. Poor oral hygiene: If you are not observing proper oral hygiene, you should expect plaque buildup, which will attack your tooth enamel.
2. Plaque formation: As a result of the factor in number one, plaque formation can happen rapidly. Brushing and flossing may not completely remove all the plaques that have already built in your teeth. In this case, you have to undergo a dental procedure to work them out.
3. Dry mouth: Saliva is an excellent help to wash plaque from your teeth and even buffers the acid in your mouth. If you have little saliva production, that’s when a rapid build-up of plaque and bacteria can happen.
4. Eating and drinking: If you are not following a well-balanced diet, plus you do not brush your teeth regularly, you are at high risk of developing tooth decay and cavities.
5. Plaque bacteria and acid: Bacteria naturally exists inside our mouth and teeth. If the bacteria continually feed to the carbohydrates stuck in your teeth, it can form acids. These acids will cause tooth decay and cavities.
6. Other health issues: There are health issues that connect to the oral health condition of an individual. In some cases, treatment for these issues affects the teeth, allowing increased bacterial growth.

Can you reverse tooth decay?

Before we proceed with the effective ways to prevent tooth decay, let us first discuss the five tooth decay stages. These stages can turn into cavities if continually neglected.

Stage 1: The first stage is demineralization which occurs when the enamel is already exposed to bacterial acids.

Stage 2: In this stage, the enamel is continuously breaking down. Enamel decay stage is also where holes can start to form in your teeth.

Stage 3: During this stage, the decay already reached your dentin. Dentin is the soft tissue underneath your enamel. A dentin decay will cause the cavity to become painful.

Stage 4: This is the major stage of decay. Your cavity has able to reach your pulp. The pulp is where you can find the tooth’s nerves and blood vessels. Pulp decay can cause extreme inflammation.

Stage 5: Abscesses formation is next in line. The bacteria in your tooth already formed a pocket of pus. Abscesses sometimes go unnoticed, but other cases are harrowing.

These stages can progress sooner or later, at no particular time. Several factors can contribute to the progression of tooth decay. It can determine how fast your tooth decay can develop.

Treatment options to prevent tooth decay

You could reverse cavity if you managed to work on it in the first stage of tooth decay. Oral hygiene plays a big part for you to restore the excellent condition of your tooth. You should maintain regular brushing using toothpaste with fluoride content and flossing even once a day. These can help you strengthen your tooth enamel.

However, there are cases that brushing and flossing alone is not enough. For this reason, dental treatment options are available, including the following:

1. Dental fillings: The procedure is applicable for cracked or broken teeth and worn out teeth due to nail-biting or teeth grinding.
2. Inlays or onlays: It works on cavities that dental fillings can no longer accommodate.
3. Crowns: This will become necessary if there is already damage to the large portion of your tooth.
4. Root canals: In this procedure, the dentist will remove the damaged pulp.
5. Extractions: It is the permanent removal of the affected tooth.

Best preventive measure against cavities

You can do something to prevent decays before they can even occur. Taking good care of your teeth through oral hygiene routine will keep them away from tooth decays and cavities.

1. 1. We usually brush our teeth twice a day. However, it would bring excellent improvement if we can brush more often. Additionally, we should make sure to use toothpaste with fluoride content to strengthen our teeth. Aside from that, flossing and rinsing with mouth wash will also add up to your teeth’s protection.
   2. Sugary foods and drinks are two of the major causes why bacteria survive inside the mouth. As a result, plaque build-up quickens. In other words, you have to limit your intake of these foods to prevent decays and cavities. Moreover, the best foods you should take are those with nutrients that can support your teeth’ health needs.
   3. Most importantly, have a regular visit with your dentist. They are good sources of preventive dental care. Your oral hygiene routine may not be sufficient to address all the issues and potential dental issues you have.

Bottom line

Take care of your teeth, first and foremost. Observe proper dental hygiene. This way, you can ensure that your oral health condition is free from tooth decay or cavities.