Toothache and dental decay are the primary reasons why people walk into the dentist’s office. Pain, infection, reduced biting power, stress, and the requirement of dental restoration are the results of every dental decay.
Importantly, dental decay also brings down the patient’s oral health, and the infection can also spread to neighboring teeth. Here, dentists in Toorak analyse the primary reasons for dental decay to help you safeguard yourself from infection and pain.
Poor Dental Hygiene
Poor dental hygiene leads to dental decay and is also one of the primary reasons for deteriorating oral health and gum disease. It doesn’t mean that the patient is not brushing and flossing but not correctly or adequately.
You may be thinking that you brush and floss daily, and it can assure you good oral hygiene. However, the reality may be different. You should brush at least two times a day, and you must ensure that your brush is covering all the areas of your mouth for efficient removal of bacteria build-up and food residue. While brushing, ensure that you do it for at least two minutes.
Additionally, try to rinse your mouth thoroughly after every meal to ensure a clean mouth always.
Sugary And Acidic Foods
The type of food an individual eats has a significant role in tooth decay and developing dental cavities. Especially, sugary and acidic foods and drinks can promote the growth of oral bacteria and affect your teeth enamel. Importantly, some types of candies can stick onto your teeth and gums to make things worse.
The acids in these foods also can damage your teeth enamel. Here, you can do two things. First, minimise the consumption of acidic and sugary foods. Second, when you eat such foods, brush your mouth immediately. If brushing is not possible, rinse your mouth thoroughly.
Improper Nutrition
While minimising the consumption of sugary and acidic foods, you also need to ensure proper nutrition for oral health. Therefore, you should have a balanced diet with servings containing calcium, phosphorous, and vitamin C. While calcium and phosphorous are important to remineralise your teeth, vitamin C helps you ensure the health and development of gums.
By including dairy products, leafy vegetables, soybean, and more, you can ensure that your teeth get the supplement. While coming to vitamin C, you can include citrus fruits, broccoli, pepper, and potatoes in your diet to support your gum health and development.
Tooth Crevices And Other Enamel Issues
If you have deep tooth crevices or other enamel issues, you are at higher risks of developing dental decay. It is mainly due to crevices and enamel issues that allow bacteria to go deep into your tooth – not just on the tooth’s surface. Since such crevices are mostly inaccessible while brushing your teeth, bacteria can comfortably multiply and lead to dental decay.
To counter this type of dental decay, you can get a dental sealant coating for your tooth. Remember that dental sealants can only give you results if the crevices haven’t resulted in dental decay.
Dry Mouth Issues
Do you know the impact of a dry mouth on your oral health? A dry mouth always helps bacteria multiply and lead to plaque formation. If you have enough saliva, it generally washes out bacteria and neutralises the acids from food to safeguard your teeth enamel. Therefore, it is essential not to keep your mouth dry.
One of the primary reasons for dry mouth is the use of specific medications. Additionally, certain health conditions such as diabetes can make your mouth dry. You can communicate dry mouth issues to your dentist as they can work with you and help you get out of the issue that can imperil your oral health.
Final Thoughts
While knowing these five leading reasons for dental decay can help you minimise most tooth infection issues, you should also note the other issues that lead to dental decay. Issues such as teeth grinding, genetics, and age can also disintegrate your enamel. The essence is that most dental infection issues can be prevented with an oral-health focused lifestyle.