Dr. Sunandha Bhatnagar

Dental Health

Your mouth is the breeding place for various bacteria. These bacteria use the sugar in food and turn them into acids. These acids then react with a tooth, gradually drilling a hole in it, which is infamously known as a tooth cavity. 

You might wonder why exactly this happens. When your teeth are subjected to acid frequently, the repeated acid attacks on the enamel, the enamel starts losing its minerals. The first sign of tooth decay is when a white spot appears on the tooth. This white spot is the area from where the enamel has lost its minerals. If not taken care of from the time this early sign of decay makes an appearance, then the decay just gets more serious and the white spot will turn into a cavity.

Here are some tips to avoid tooth decay altogether:

1. Use fluoride based toothpaste and mouthwash: Fluoride prevents tooth decay from maturing. It can even reverse or stop tooth decay, which is in its early stage. It also protects the tooth from further decay and replenishes the lost minerals from the enamel and prevents any further loss. It also reduces the acid making ability of the bacteria present in the mouth.
2. Keep a check on food: Keep a study check on what you are eating. If you eat too much of junk food or food which contains a lot of sugar regularly, then suffering from a tooth decay is inevitable. Try to limit those foods to maybe once or twice a week.
3. Brush your teeth: Brush your teeth regularly, preferably with fluoride toothpaste. Not only will the fluoride toothpaste protect your teeth, the toothbrush will also take out any food particle stuck between two teeth.  Brush at least twice a day or preferably after every meal and before bed.
4. Use dental floss: Clean in between your teeth with a dental floss.
5. Eat cheese: Cheese contains casein which prevents tooth decay or cavity formation.
6. Visit your dentist regularly: Make sure you visit your dentist regularly to keep your teeth healthy.