Tips for Cavity Prevention

It's well-known that sugar contributes to the development of tooth decay—and that avoiding sugar helps prevent it—but many people are surprised to learn that there are many other foods and beverages that can boost oral health. While avoiding sugar, and brushing and flossing regularly are still your best bet for preventing cavities, there are other nutrition tips that may help too.

Sugar-Free Gum

Many dentists recommend sugar-free gum for cavity prevention. Chewing sugar-free gum promotes saliva secretion which helps stabilize the pH in the mouth and makes it a less hospitable environment for bacteria. Sugar-free gum with xylitol may be even more beneficial, because xylitol has its own cavity-fighting effects.

Cheese

Cheese contains a protein called casein, which researchers believe may have a protective effect on teeth. Cheese is a great source of calcium and the calcium in saliva helps to prevent cavities by re-mineralizing the enamel of teeth.

Raisins

Although raisins are high in sugar, they're also high in compounds called polyphenols and flavonoids—plant compounds that have all kinds of beneficial health effects. Some of these compounds may actually be able to the kill oral bacteria that cause cavities. When eating dried fruits such as raisins, it is best avoided in large amounts. Because of their high sugar content, it's important to brush thoroughly after eating them.

Sugar-Free Candy

Sugary sweets are definitely on the list of foods to avoid when it comes to oral health, but sugar-free candy is a different story. Like sugar-free gum, the candy can promote saliva production, and if the candy contains xylitol, it has additional cavity-fighting properties.

Sip through a Straw

Drinking beverages through a straw may help protect your teeth, not because the straws contains any bacteria-fighting substances, but because sipping through a straw prevents the beverage from coming into contact with the teeth. This is especially helpful for stain causing beverages like tea and coffee.

Dental Sealants

Less about nutrition and more about lifestyle, dental sealants are applied to the crowns of your back molars, and form a protective coating that helps prevent decay. The biting surface of these teeth is particularly vulnerable to decay because it's the roughest part of the tooth, providing grooves and pits where bacteria can easily grow.

Your dentist can apply sealants to your teeth to provide this all-important protection, helping to reduce your risk of cavities and promote oral health.

Contact Grandon Village Dental Office for more information about prevention and to schedule your next appointment.

What are my Tooth Replacement Options?

Damaged or missing teeth can affect your life in a number of ways including your diet, appearance, and speech, but you don't have to live with these problems. If you have one or more severely damaged or missing teeth, you may benefit from dentures, a bridge, or dental implants.

Fixed Bridge

A fixed bridge is a restoration that fills a gap where a tooth is missing, and is attached to the teeth on each side of the gap. Restorations can be made from ceramic, metal, or a combination of the two. They look, feel, and function very similar to natural teeth, and they're permanently fixed in place, and therefore don't need separate care.

Removable Dentures

Dentures are dental appliances that restore several teeth—part of an arch, or a full arch. Removable dentures are those that can be removed from the mouth for cleaning. Typically made from a combination of ceramic and plastic, they're usually the least expensive option for restoration to offer an affordable way to care for your dentition. Since they're not permanently attached they require the use of grip adhesive to stay in place that may restriction some foods that are difficult to eat.

Dental Implants

Implants—titanium screws placed in the jaw bone—can be used to provide permanent support for a single restoration, a bridge, or even a set of full or partial dentures. Dental implants are a superior choice for restoration in many respects, because they most closely mimic the structure and function of natural teeth, they last a long time, and they prevent long term problems such as tooth “drift”. However, getting implants requires a certain minimum level of jaw bone density, and some people therefore aren't good candidates for the procedure.

Why Get Restorations?

There's always the option to do nothing, of course—to simply not have broken or missing teeth restored. There are some problems with that option, however, and missing teeth can impact on daily life in many ways. Your diet can be affected as well as your long-term oral health because damaged teeth are more vulnerable to infection and decay. Depending on which teeth are damaged or missing, your speech may even be affected, and over time, tooth loss can make you appear older than you really are.

Then there's the big self-confidence boost you get from knowing that your teeth are healthy and look great. When your teeth look good you feel better about smiling, and you do it more often—so getting restorations definitely gives you something to smile about!

Contact Grandon Village Dental Office for more information on tooth restorations or to schedule an appointment.