Every dentist will tell you it is a must that you brush your teeth twice a day. This should be part of your daily oral hygiene routine, and following this habit will help you maintain a beautiful smile and healthy teeth.
Many patients, however, experience cavities despite brushing their teeth twice a day and if you’re wondering why and how this could happen, the answer will vary from one person to another. There are general principles that can help with this concern, and the first is to understand how cavities form.
How are cavities formed?
Our teeth are made up of minerals, and whenever you eat or drink sugary or starchy foods, bacteria in the plaque on your teeth will begin to produce acid, which will eat away at the enamel. The acid will affect the protective layer on your teeth, and when your mouth drops below a critical pH and becomes more acidic, your teeth will start to lose their natural minerals. It takes between half an hour to an hour after eating or drinking for the pH in your mouth to return to normal. If you don’t give your mouth enough time to recover after eating or drinking and consume something else that is high in sugars or starch, the process will start all over again, and acid will continue to form from the plaque on your teeth.
Remineralize your teeth.
The next step is to understand how you can remineralize your teeth. Saliva plays a big role in protecting our teeth. It acts as a natural buffer and helps flush out harmful particles. The minerals found in our teeth are also present in saliva, which helps add calcium and phosphate back to your teeth after you eat. Sometimes, however, this is not enough, and fluoride is necessary. Using toothpaste that contains fluoride or drinking tap water with fluoride allows helpful properties to embed themselves in your saliva to help protect your teeth. The next time your teeth recover from sugar and acid, your teeth can use these fluoride minerals embedded in your saliva to form a stronger and more decay-resistant protective layer on your teeth.
Brushing is essential.
The last step is knowing when to brush your teeth. When we sleep, plaque-causing bacteria multiply in our mouths, which is why dentists recommend brushing your teeth first thing in the morning. This will not only help remove plaque and bacteria, but it also helps introduce fluoride in your mouth before you eat breakfast. Brushing every morning will help cleanse your mouth of bacteria that multiplied overnight and lessen the number of particles that turn to acid from your first meal of the day. Brushing before heading to bed is also a must, as this will limit any prolonged acid exposure while you sleep.
Brushing first thing when you wake up and right before you go to sleep is a routine every dentist recommends.
Here at Tavistock Family Dentistry, we will help you maintain your smile and tell you how to avoid cavities. Whether you need a cleaning or dental procedure, we can help and specialize in dental implants and so much more. If you are looking for an emergency dentist near me in Tavistock, contact us today to schedule an appointment!
