I’ve been a dentist for quite a while and seen all variations of tooth decay. It is an increasing problem with our kids and we, as parents, need to learn some simple and basic steps to keeping our childrens teeth as healthy as possible. Before we go into the Six Methods of Controlling Tooth Decay, let’s me first outline how tooth decay happens:

How Tooth Decay Happens

Tooth decay is caused by certain types of bacteria (mutans streptococci and lactobacilli) that live in your mouth. When they attach themselves to the teeth and multiply in dental plaque, they can do damage.

The bacteria feed on what you eat, especially sugars (including fruit sugars) and cooked starch (bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, etc.). Within about five minutes after you eat or drink, the bacteria begin producing acids as a byproduct of their digesting your food. Those acids can penetrate into the hard substance of the tooth and dissolve some of the minerals (calcium and phosphate).

If the acid attacks are infrequent and of short duration, your saliva can help to repair the damage by neutralizing the acids and supplying minerals and fluoride that can replace those lost from the tooth. However, if your mouth is dry (especially at night), you have many of these bacteria, or you snack frequently; then the tooth mineral lost by attacks of acids is too great and cannot be repaired. This is the start of tooth decay and leads to cavities.

Now that you know how tooth decay happens, let’s outline the Six Methods of Controlling Tooth Decay.

Six Methods of Controlling Tooth Decay

1. Diet: Reducing the number of sugary and starchy foods, snacks, drinks, or candies can help reduce the development of tooth decay. That does not mean you can never eat these types of foods, but you should limit their consumption particularly when eaten between main meals. A good rule is three meals per day and no more than three snacks per day.

2. Saliva:Saliva is critical for controlling tooth decay. It neutralizes acids and provides minerals and proteins that protect the teeth. If you cannot brush after a meal or snack, you can chew some sugar-free gum. This will stimulate the flow of saliva to help neutralize acids and bring lost minerals back to the teeth.

3. Plaque removal:Removing the plaque from your teeth on a daily basis is helpful in controlling tooth decay. If you have an appliance such as an orthodontic retainer or partial denture, remove it before brushing your teeth. Brush all surfaces of the appliance also.

4. Antibacterial mouthrinses: Rinses that your dentist can prescribe are able to reduce the number of bacteria that cause tooth decay and can be useful in patients at high risk for tooth decay.

5. Fluorides: Fluorides help make teeth more resistant to being dissolved by bacterial acids. Fluorides are available from a variety of sources such as drinking water, toothpaste, over-the-counter rinses, and products prescribed by your dentist such as brush-on gels used at home or gels and foams applied in the dental office.

6. Sealants: Sealants are plastic coatings bonded to the biting surfaces of back teeth to protect the deep grooves from decay. In some people, the grooves on the surfaces of the teeth are too narrow and deep to clean with a toothbrush, so they may decay in spite of your best efforts. Sealants are an excellent preventive measure for children and young adults at risk for decay.

As you can see, some of those steps are pretty easy and you may do already. Diet is usually the hardest for everyone, but as long as you don’t go overboard and brush your teeth twice a day you will reduce your risk of tooth decay drastically.

If your children have not received Sealants yet, I highly recommend them. Make an appointment with your children’s dentist and have them done as soon as you can. It will save time and money on future visits. Sealants are well worth it.

Later on I will go over in more detail each of the Six Methods of Controlling Tooth Decay. Until then keep your kids healthy and full of good nutrition!
- Andrea Hersh, DDS
Healthy Kids
Charles Dental Group
Todays Dental Recommendation - My recommendation for today is easy…get your kids Sealants!