Many of us fear getting cavities, especially right before a dental exam. The good news is that cavities are very much preventable with good oral hygiene habits. The natural bacteria that live in your mouth form plaque. When the plaque is in contact with the acids from sugary and starchy foods, it produces acids. These acids can damage the tooth enamel over time, producing cavities. That’s why dentists always recommend staying away from sweets and consume healthy foods. If you’re worried about getting cavities, Dr. Christian Johnson DMD is the best practitioner in the Waldorf area! His office and staff have come up with a list of ways on how you can prevent cavities from appearing!
How to Prevent Cavities
- Use Fluoride- Incorporate fluoride in your dental hygiene regime. Make sure to use fluoride toothpaste and mouthwash to scrub away all the plaque. Fluoride provides teeth with the minerals it needs to combat tooth decay. When fluoride binds with calcium and phosphate on our enamel, it makes our teeth stronger and more resistant to the effects of our diet and acid erosion.
- Dental Sealants- During your dental exam, ask your dentist to apply sealants to your teeth. Sealants are protective coatings that go all over your teeth. Sealants prevent foods and bacteria from settling into crevices that are too narrow for a normal toothbrush to reach.
- Oral Hygiene- Most of the hard work goes on at home during our daily lives. It’s important to keep up your brushing and flossing regime every day. Thankfully, there are a lot of tools on the market you can incorporate into your regimes, such as using an electric toothbrush, a Waterpik, and interdental brushes.
- Dental Exams- No matter how good your oral hygiene habits and dietary choices are, tooth decay can still creep up. Especially in hard-to-reach places such as your molars. Scheduling a regular dental exam and cleaning every six months allows dentists to prevent and treat decay at the earliest stages. Dentists will also be able to diagnose ailments that you might have not noticed.
Get a Cleaning Today!
Get a cleaning today with Dr. Christian Johnson DMD! He and his staff provide extensive dental treatment for those in and around Waldorf, Brandywine, and the La Plata area. Getting a dental check-up is the best way to prevent cavities and other oral health ailments. Contact us if you have any questions or concerns! We are excited to work with you!