Cavity Prevention
What causes a cavity?
Sugar? Well….that’s only part of the answer. We all have the bacteria to cause cavities in our mouths. Like the rest of our body, it’s about keeping the bad bacteria in check and boosting the good bacteria. An acidic oral environment, allows tooth eating bacteria to populate. So drinking and eating acidic things will not only melt away your enamel, but it causes cavities. Things like:
- Water with lemon
- Sodas
- Sipping on coffee or tea (even unsweetened) throughout the day
- Energy drinks
- Sports drinks
- Candies
- Sugary, sticky foods are worse than those that melt quickly (i.e. M&Ms are better than hard candies)
- Gummy vitamins, gummy bears, taffy, carmels
The Good News
You can still enjoy the above so long as you get the pH of your mouth back to neutral quickly. Simple. Just rinse with water! Although….water alone won’t get sticky foods out of the grooves of your teeth. Good flossing and brushing techniques are an absolute must! Karen, our beloved hygienist, is awesome at helping learn the right tricks and techniques to stay cavity free!
Xylitol
Xylitol inhibits the growth of the bacteria that cause cavities. It does this because these bacteria (Streptococcus mutans) cannot utilize xylitol to grow.
Over time with xylitol use, the quality of the bacteria in the mouth changes and fewer and fewer decay-causing bacteria survive on tooth surfaces. Less plaque forms and the level of acids attacking the tooth surface is lowered.
However, if you already have a cavity, xylitol will not reverse the decayed tooth structure. A filling, or other treatment by a dentist, will still be needed to avoid the decay from continuing to progress eating away at the tooth.
Xylitol is a naturally occurring sugar from birch tree bark. it’s also been naturally found in some fruits and vegetables.
Regular Use of Xylitol May Reduce Your Risk of Tooth Decay
- Xylitol Defends Your Teeth: Your teeth’s number one enemy is acid. Xylitol’s works against the source of acid – sugar-consuming bacteria. In fact, studies show that as little as 5 grams of xylitol daily will reduce this acid-producing bacteria. By reducing the bacteria, you protect your teeth.
- Xylitol Is Diabetic Friendly Sweetener: Our friends with diabetes have repeatedly thanked us for finding them a wonderful replacement to sugar. In fact, xylitol is only an 11 on the glycemic index, and since xylitol contains 40% fewer calories than sugar, you’ll be smiling each time you step on the scale as well.
- Xylitol Soothes & Quenches: Xylitol not only naturally stimulates saliva flow, but also fights the cause of the acid production. Both xylitol gum and mints are ideal ways produce additional saliva.
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentists recommends daily use of xylitol for patients with moderate or high risk for tooth decay.
Of course, everything in moderation. Too much Xylitol may kill good bacteria and have an adverse affect. We recommend to sticking to 5grams per day.
We carry Epic toothpaste and gum in office for your convenience. You can also purchase it on Amazon. Spry is another good brand to consider.
Sensitivity
Help my teeth are sensitive!
There are a number of different reasons for sensitivity, some of which are:
- Cavity/decay
- Exposed root surface
- Cracked tooth
- Dying nerve inside a tooth
- Grinding or clenching teeth
- Worn enamel
- Brushing too hard
- Acidic foods or drinks having melted away enamel leaving soft part of tooth exposed
- Whitening with over the counter toothpastes and products
These reasons all require Dr. Boesch or Dr. Shah’s intervention. We can help! Sometimes it’s a simple, no shots, no drilling procedure to allow you to eat ice cream again. However, some people do experience unrelated sensitivity in which an increase in fluoride on the teeth or sensitivity toothpaste can help. We carry Fluoridex toothpaste in our office, which is a prescription strength fluoride toothpaste and MI Paste One, which is a fluoride free formula. Dr. Boesch also recommends Sensodyne without whitening to some patients, depending on the cause of their sensitivity. The key to these toothpastes is to brush and spit. Do not rinse! It usually takes about 2 weeks of consistent use to notice any improvement in sensitivity. Please leave the dentistry to us, the pros, and we will happily guide you as to what will work best in your situation!
Toothbrush
Toothbrush: It’s more about technique than product!
At Christina Boesch, DMD, P.A. we specialize in teaching you how to take better care of your teeth. We are not a fast paced corporate office. We take the time to help you achieve your goals….huhmmm, which should be being Cavity Free!
We do strongly recommend power toothbrushes. Dr. Boesch loves Oral B powered toothbrushes and Karen, our hygienist, loves Sonicare. The battle is still on! Either way, you will be headed on a healthier path. Most drugstores, Walmart, and Amazon carry both toothbrushes. Changes in models have basically been for marketing purposes. The actual mechanics haven’t really changed in years. So, we don’t care what the model is…just so long as it is new and unused by anyone other than you. We recommend that you bring your powered toothbrush with you to your cleaning appointment and have Karen give you some tips.
Toothpaste
We are in love with the research and promise Xylitol, a naturally occurring cavity fighting sugar, brings. We highly recommend Epic or Spry toothpaste, which contain high quanties of xylitol in their toothpaste. They also taste great! We carry Epic toothpaste in office for your convenience. They can also be found on Amazon.
Please avoid whitening toothpastes!
Whitening toothpastes are very abrasive. Over time they will wear away your enamel. The inside of your tooth is called dentin, which is 400 times softer than enamel and yellow. If you are abrading your teeth with whitening toothpaste, over time the yellow of your teeth will start showing through. Exactly the opposite of what you are trying to achieve!
To whiten teeth please only use gels, not pastes. We offer in office professional strength whitening and we will be happy to discuss over the counter options as well. Schedule a whitening consult today!
Gum
Chew gum?
I am sure you already knew that we were going to say sugar-free gum, but did you know about the benefits of Xylitol?
Xylitol inhibits the growth of the bacteria that cause cavities. It does this because these bacteria (Streptococcus mutans) cannot utilize xylitol to grow.
Over time with xylitol use, the quality of the bacteria in the mouth changes and fewer and fewer decay-causing bacteria survive on tooth surfaces. Less plaque forms and the level of acids attacking the tooth surface is lowered.
Xylitol can’t reverse already decayed teeth, but along with good flossing and brushing, it will reduce your risk of new cavities. We recommend Epic or Spry gum and mints. We carry Epic gum in office for your convenience.