A few years ago, I started thinking carefully about what I could do to improve my smile. I had lived with crooked, yellowed teeth for most of my adult life, and honestly, I just wanted to feel beautiful. I started thinking about working with a cosmetic dentist, and before I knew it, I was in an office getting a complimentary consultation. I learned about a variety of different procedures that could improve my look, and it was really fun. I wanted to create a blog all about making smiles more beautiful, which is why I made this website. Check out this blog for great information about dentistry.
If you have recently been incurring more dental cavities than usual, it could be due to your current habits. Here are a few things that you may be doing to incite tooth decay.
Drinking Too Many Sodas
Sodas can be especially corrosive to the teeth. Although the sugar content of a regular soda can help promote tooth decay by providing food for oral bacteria, the low pH of the beverage is also a problem. Consequently, even sodas that are labeled as diet or sugar-free can also promote decay. When your tooth enamel is exposed to acid, it starts to dissolve. This dissolution causes breaches in the enamel surface that cause cavities to form.
Instead of sodas, drink water throughout your day. Water can help neutralize acid within the mouth and is an effective way to rinse away plaque, bacteria and food debris. Additionally, if the water has been fluoridated, it can help make your teeth more resistant to the ravages of oral acid.
When the fluoride enters your mouth, it coats the surface of your teeth and draws minerals, such as calcium and phosphorous, back to the enamel. The fluoride then combines with the other elements to produce a new enamel material that can resist damage from acid even better than the original enamel.
Eating Sugared Mints
If you interact with lots of other people during the day, you may be concerned about the state of your breath. This could encourage you to ingest mints repeatedly as your day progresses. This may not be a problem if the mints are sugar-free. However, if the mints are flavored with sugar, they help promote tooth decay.
Simple carbohydrates are used by oral bacteria as food. As the microbes feed, they excrete acid that is harmful to your tooth enamel. In fact, the acid actually corrodes the enamel, eating holes within the outer layer of the teeth.
Instead of sugared mints, chew sugarless gum. The gum can promote the secretion of more saliva to neutralize acid that may already be in the mouth. Additionally, it can help clean the teeth of plaque and leftover food particles to discourage decay. If the gum's ingredients include cinnamon or xylitol, the gum may even help kill oral bacteria. As an added bonus, gum that includes polishing agents, such as baking soda or titanium dioxide, may also whiten your teeth.
To learn more about avoiding dental decay, schedule an appointment with a dental office in your area, such as Sun City Dental.
Share11 August 2016
