Tooth decay is a serious and dangerous dental issue that can severely harm your smile. This is why it’s important to do everything you can to prevent it. Tooth decay prevention isn’t as tricky as it sounds. At Dental Associates of Manchester, we recommend the following for your smile:
–Keep up on oral hygiene: It’s important to clean your smile each day. So, make sure you brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes each time. Many prefer to brush in the morning when they wake up and at night before they go to bed. After you brush your teeth for the second time, make sure to floss and rinse. As you do these things, use a soft-bristled toothbrush, fluoride toothpaste, easy-to-use floss that won’t harm your gums, and fluoride or antibacterial mouthwash.
–Visit your dentist: Your regular dental cleaning and checkup with Dr. Timothy Collier is vital when preventing tooth decay. The treatment provided will deeply clean your smile and eliminate the tooth decay-causing particles that live on your smile. A fluoride treatment is also provided, which will help you strengthen your tooth enamel, giving it the ability to fight tooth decay and other dental issues on a regular basis.
–Consider dental sealants: Dental sealants are perfect tools if you want to keep cavities away. They are wafer-thin shells that are painted onto your back teeth and hardened. They are unnoticeable and they are extremely strong. They protect your back teeth and keep bacteria from having direct access to your tooth enamel, preventing tooth decay.
–Take advantage of fluoride: Like mentioned earlier, fluoride is a beneficial mineral that strengthens your teeth and prevents tooth decay. So, it’s important to take advantage of fluoride as much as possible. You can do so by brushing your teeth with fluoride toothpaste each day and drinking fluoridated water often.
–Eat tooth-healthy foods: Eating tooth-healthy foods and avoiding sugary products helps you avoid cavities on a regular basis. It’s also important to avoid eating acidic foods and drinking acidic drinks. Acid tends to wear away your teeth and cause enamel erosion, giving the bacteria in your mouth a chance to create tooth decay.
Doing these things can keep your smile free from tooth decay. This is extremely beneficial because tooth decay could result in toothaches and even tooth loss. So, if you have any questions or if you would like to learn more about tooth decay in Manchester, Iowa, please call our office today at 563-927-4746 and schedule an appointment with your dentist. We are happy to help you!