Four Ways To Prevent Cavities

Dental caries, aka cavities or tooth decay, is considered the most common chronic disease in adults and children.  Statistics show that 92% of adults aged 20-64 have had a cavity in one or more of their permanent teeth(1).  

With this being such a common issue, what are some ways we can reduce our risk for getting cavities?  Below are four things you can do to help prevent cavities.

The benefits of fluoride for your teeth have been proven for years and years.  Fluoride is important for both children and adults as it helps to make stronger enamel.

 Most common sources for it are:

1. Water (be careful if you have a well, as it is likely not fluoridated and fluoride will need to be added to the water)
2. Toothpaste (make sure has fluoride in it)
3. At your dental visits- we recommend fluoride varnish to our children and adult patients to help strengthen enamel and prevent cavities.

I know this is going to sound self-serving coming from a dentist but I have seen patients over the years that have lapsed on coming in to have an exam and cleaning and they have dental issues that are more serious because they were left untreated. If we can catch cavities early, then we can treat them with less expensive and less extensive dental work. But if they get bad enough, the cavity can reach the nerve of the tooth causing the tooth to need a root canal in some cases.  Or worst case scenario, the cavity gets so large that we can no longer save the tooth and it has to be extracted.