It is important to keep your teeth healthy and cavity-free with regular maintenance. Here are some tips to help you do so.

Get Regular Dental Cleanings

Each day bacteria collects on your teeth in the form of sticky plaque, which you can brush off with your toothbrush each morning and night. Unfortunately, it can be easy to miss some of the plaque with your brush and it can remain on your teeth. The acids in the bacteria and plaque stuck on your teeth demineralize and pull minerals from the enamel of your teeth, forming holes in this protective layer. Once the bacteria gets to the softer dentin layer of your teeth, a cavity forms and decay begins.

One of the easiest ways you can help prevent cavities forming on your teeth is with regular dental check-ups and professional cleanings. During your dental cleaning, your hygienist will scrape to remove any plaque you may have missed and also any that has hardened into tarter on your teeth. Plaque can begin to harden into tartar within 24 to 48 hours and at that point you can't brush it to remove it from your teeth. Your dentist will check for any soft spots of enamel on your teeth so they can treat and strengthen them to prevent a cavity from forming.

Improve Your Diet

The foods you eat can also greatly affect the health and condition of your teeth. It has been discovered that a diet high in foods containing phytic acid can cause your body and teeth to lose and also be unable to absorb essential vitamins and minerals, such as calcium, zinc, copper, and iron. Foods high in phytic acid content includes nuts, grains, seeds, and legumes.

Changing your diet to reduce and eliminate foods containing phytic acid and replacing it with teeth-healthy foods can help prevent demineralization of your teeth and cavities. You can also increase your consumption of foods rich in vitamin C, which blocks the effects of phytic acids on your body. Foods high in vitamin C include strawberries, oranges, broccoli, kiwi, tomato, pineapple, and grapefruit.

Also increasing your intake of foods containing fat-soluable vitamins, which are vitamins K, E, A, and D, to help your teeth become strong and replace their essential minerals. Foods high in these important fat-soluable vitamins include dark leafy vegetables and vegetables, cabbage, egg yolks, butter, fish and seafood, liver, and shiitaki mushrooms.

Use Cavity-Fighting Methods

There are several natural ingredients you can use to clean and protect your teeth from cavities and the germs that cause them. Oil pulling is becoming a more popular method to remove toxins and bad bacteria from your mouth to keep your teeth healthy and free of cavities. Use one to two teaspoons of coconut oil to swish around in your mouth for 20 minutes each day. During the swishing, the oil traps the harmful toxins and bacteria, which you spit into the trash when you are finished.

You can also use tea tree oil to help reduce bacteria and keep your teeth strong and healthy. Tea tree oil contains anti-bacteria properties and also helps reduce inflammation of the gums around your teeth. Massage a small amount of tea tree oil onto your teeth and gums for a few minutes, then rinse it with warm water. Practice this each day to help improve the condition of your teeth.

Chewing with sugar free gum, especially after you eat a meal, is a good way to prevent cavities. Sugar free gum contains xylitol, which stimulates saliva production to reduce the chance of cavities. Another sugar free gum contains a different compound, casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate, which reduces the amount of germ-causing bacteria in your mouth when you chew it.

For more tips on keeping your mouth healthy, check out sites like http://www.vanyodentistry.com.

Share