Happy Teeth
With my recent visits to the dentist for cleaning and filling, I felt encouraged to know more about cavities. While I love to eat and there are no food restrictions, I am aware that this set of teeth deserves good care so I can keep it for life.
It's general knowledge that we should brush our teeth, ideally, after every meal or 3 times a day. We are also told early in life that sweets and coffee should be avoided to maintain our pearly whites. Despite having the routine of brushing, flossing, and gargling with mouthwash (Bactidol seems to be the best so far), I wanted to learn more. Certain factors may make others more susceptible to tooth decay.
For instance, my dentist said that even if one practices proper hygiene, if the saliva is too acidic, he or she may experience more cavities. But beware, "early decay doesn't always mean you need a filling. In fact, the decay often can be reversed. A tooth starts to decay because acid in your mouth causes minerals to leach out of the enamel, and the enamel breaks down. Fluoride therapy, dietary changes and better oral hygiene habits can reverse this process by causing minerals to build up in the tooth again, making the enamel stronger." Click here for the article that I found helpful.
For now, I would want to focus on dietary modification to consume more milk. Alright, I'm guilty! While I regularly drank milk during my childhood and teenage years, I let go of the habit when I reached college. This might compromise not just my dental, but bone health as well.
It's general knowledge that we should brush our teeth, ideally, after every meal or 3 times a day. We are also told early in life that sweets and coffee should be avoided to maintain our pearly whites. Despite having the routine of brushing, flossing, and gargling with mouthwash (Bactidol seems to be the best so far), I wanted to learn more. Certain factors may make others more susceptible to tooth decay.
For instance, my dentist said that even if one practices proper hygiene, if the saliva is too acidic, he or she may experience more cavities. But beware, "early decay doesn't always mean you need a filling. In fact, the decay often can be reversed. A tooth starts to decay because acid in your mouth causes minerals to leach out of the enamel, and the enamel breaks down. Fluoride therapy, dietary changes and better oral hygiene habits can reverse this process by causing minerals to build up in the tooth again, making the enamel stronger." Click here for the article that I found helpful.
For now, I would want to focus on dietary modification to consume more milk. Alright, I'm guilty! While I regularly drank milk during my childhood and teenage years, I let go of the habit when I reached college. This might compromise not just my dental, but bone health as well.
