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How To Assess Your Risk for Tooth Decay

Talking about tooth decay it is the most common oral problem found in people. It is caused due to damage in tooth’s enamel. This happens when harmful bacteria create acid in your mouth that can attack the tooth’s surface. These bacteria attack the tooth’s enamel and dentin by softening them and causing small holes called the cavity. If these cavities are not treated on time can lead to tooth loss.

Tooth decay at an early stage will show no symptoms but as soon as it will increase can cause pain, toothache, sensitivity to sweets, and temperature of food.

Cause of tooth decay:

The main causes of tooth decay are food, drinks, and bacteria. A clear sticky liquid called plaque is always formed on your teeth. The plaque contains bacteria that feed on the sugar present in food and drinks.

The bacteria present on teeth form the acid that attacks tooth enamel’s making it lose its minerals. Drinking beverages that contain sugar can expose teeth to acid which causes enamel to continue mineral loss. Sugary foods and drinks should be consumed with other healthy meals that can clean your teeth of acids. Chocolate, toffee that can stick on teeth for a long time can increase your risk of developing tooth decay.

A risk factor in tooth decay:  

Anyone with teeth has a risk of getting tooth decay. Some factors which you can control while some factors you cannot control.

Things you can control could be limiting sugar intake, alcohol, following good oral hygiene, using fluoride toothpaste, and avoiding tobacco.  

Factors that are not in your control are age, using medicines that contain sugar, and respiratory problems that dry out your mouth like asthma.

Infants and toddlers are at higher risk as they drink milk only with a bottle which occurs when a child is put on the bed with a bottle filled with juice, milk, or formula. The sugar in these liquids feeds bacteria that can cause tooth decay. Teeth in young children are still growing so the minerals in these teeth are not stable making it easier for acids to attack them and eat away the teeth’ enamel.

Diagnosis and prevention of tooth decay:

In the early stage of tooth decay, it may appear as white spot-on teeth, more advanced stage will appear as black spot or hole in the tooth. A dentist can go for an x-ray report to detect decay, while your dentist can also check if a sensitive tooth is soft or sticky.

To prevent tooth decay start brushing twice a day, flossing, and using mouthwash once a day to improve your oral health. Regular dental checkups will help the dentist in spotting early stages of tooth decay by removing all plaque from the tooth.

Treatment of tooth decay:

A small amount of tooth decay on your enamel may be treated by using medicated mouthwash or toothpaste that contains a high level of fluoride.  A small cavity is repaired by performing filling while a large cavity may require Inlay or Onlay or even a crown to protect its structure.

To save the decayed tooth with an abscess, a root canal treatment needs to be done. Once the infection is removed from a tooth, the chamber is sealed and the tooth is restored with a crown.

If the tooth cannot be saved, your dentist will go for extraction but the dentist will treat this as a last resort.

Tips When Looking For The Perfect Dentist

It’s a very important decision to make while selecting a dentist as you need to be sure you find the right dentist. However, making a selection is not simple as it sounds. It could take a good amount of time and effort, here are some tips to find the perfect dentist.

Get referrals: you can start by listing down potential dentists. To do this you can ask your friends, family, and other healthcare providers you know for recommendations. Take time and research on the internet, social media about the reviews patients have mentioned about dentists in your list. After the list narrows down, you call each dentist to book an appointment to make face-to-face interaction.

Aim for convenience: this does not mean that you should select a dentist based on proximity to your home. You should also consider working hours so that it should be easy to schedule an appointment without affecting your job. You might consider that dentist who provides late hours on working days or even a few odd hours on weekends.

Be sure if a dentist can handle emergency visits: the dentist whom you are selecting can handle any emergency dental situation reason being some refer emergencies elsewhere. You should ask them how they will manage dental emergencies that occur after office hours and how to reach the dentist in that case.

Go through dentist credentials: to verify dentist education and credential’s the most important factor can be board certified. It tells you about the necessary training, skills and experience dentist has pursued in general dentistry. Also, to confirm that dentist has no history of malpractice or disciplinary actions.

Ask about telehealth capabilities: dentists can diagnose and can even treat some patients using technology like two-way video calls, email it’s called telehealth. Telehealth can never replace hand-on in-person office visits but for some patients, it can lower down their trips to the dentist’s clinic. Some dental conditions can also be managed by sending symptoms and vital signs collected at home and can have a virtual clinic visit. Telehealth can be used for minor complaints as well as for routine follow-ups making it a convenient option.

Communication style: try to choose a dentist with whom you are comfortable talking and who answers the information you need. When you first make an appearance with a dentist ask a question and notice how he or she reacts to your question. Does he or she welcomes your question and provides an answer which you can understand. Find a dentist who shows interest in your question and understands your treatment preference.

Know about insurance benefits:  if you want to take benefits of your insurance, then you want to find a dentist who is part of your provider’s network. This will save you a lot of expense and make dental care convenient, especially if the office submits the insurance claims for you.

Check if the office is clean and organized:  check for safety if staff is wearing gloves, how rooms are like, and technology they use during treatment. Try to go through the entire clinic for a look before making an appointment with the dentist.

Tips For Keeping Teeth And Gums Healthy

Nowadays oral health is also important to live a happy life. Good oral hygiene is needed to keep gums and teeth healthy. For doing this you need to follow few tips like brushing twice a day and having regular dental checkups. Without proper oral hygiene, you can face gum diseases and tooth decay. Tooth decay or gum problem can even lead to tooth loss or problems with self-confidence.

Following are some tips which you should try to follow to keep gums and teeth healthy:

Brushing twice a day but not aggressively: most people are aware that to keep teeth and gums healthy brushing twice a day in the morning and at night is very important. Brushing them properly removes bacteria, plaque, and food items that are stuck between the teeth.

However, brushing daily is important if it is done with proper technique. Try to brush in a small circular motion, taking care to brush the front, back, and top of every tooth. This process will take almost 2 to 3minutes. People should try to avoid back-and-forth motions.

Brushing using hard bristles toothbrushes and even brushing aggressively can damage your tooth enamel and gums. This can lead to gum erosion, tooth sensitivity, and permanent damage to the enamel of teeth. People should change their brush every 3months or even when brush ends start to frayed, whichever comes first.

Floss once a day: the main aim of doing flossing is small pieces of food particles get stuck between the teeth where sometimes teeth do not reach. Flossing can remove such food particles, bacteria, plaque between the teeth and prevent bad breath which is caused by them.

The dental professional recommends gently push the floss all the down in between the gum line before hugging the side of the tooth in an up and down motion.

Use fluoride: fluoride is a common ingredient that is found in toothpaste and mouthwash to prevent tooth cavities. However, it is found that some of the dental products do not contain fluoride. Lack of fluoride can lead to teeth decay, even if the person is taking care of their teeth on daily basis.

It is found from a study that even brushing and flossing regularly cannot avoid cavities in teeth due to lack of fluoride.

Visit the dentist regularly: dental professionals recommend that people should visit the dentist every 6month for a regular check-up. During your regular checkup, he will clean teeth, remove cavities and hardened tartar.

The dentist will check visual signs of mouth cancer, gum disease, cavities, or any other oral issue. It is recommended that children and adolescents should visit the dentist every 6months while adults who practice proper oral hygiene can go to the dentist less frequently.

Eat the right food: brushing and flossing help to maintain your teeth healthy for a long time but many foods can damage your teeth. Consuming a lot of sugar in your diet can lead to teeth cavities. Common culprits for teeth decay in kids are chocolates, candy, and desserts but many of the processed foods contain sugar.  Try to eat plenty of fiber-rich vegetables and fruits as well as dairy products without adding sugar to them.