Have you ever wondered exactly what it is you could be doing that will help prevent your teeth from decaying? Well fear not because we the team at Wickham Dental have put together a little list of all the small things you can be doing to keep that dental decay at bay!!
why do teeth decay?
Teeth can decay for lots of different reasons but the most common is that they’ve been neglected either through poor oral hygiene or an inconsiderate diet. Your dentist in Wickham can shine a little bit more light on this.
“Lots of patients I see come in thinking they are cleaning their teeth well and eating a low sugar diet but their teeth tell a totally different story. From the look of their teeth I’m able to see if the cleaning they’re doing is effective and if their diet is doing them any favours”.
Now your dentist in Wickham isn’t trying to embarrass patients through telling them they’re wrong, it’s just that unfortunately ignorance is bliss, and until our current ways are challenged humans by nature will continue to do whatever thing it is they’re doing out of habit.
What To Look Out For
If you’re worried about the health of your teeth but aren’t sure what you should be looking for then first of all you should be booking in to see your dentist in Wickham anyway, however in the meantime have a look at the inside of your bottom teeth and if you are a build up of a yellow/white substance then your current cleaning routine isn’t doing enough and could be about to cause you decaying issues!
If your teeth have become sensitive to foods or temperatures then this could also be a sign that you’re losing enamel and that perhaps there is too much sugar in your diet after all!
How To To Prevent Decay
Now, we want to normalise decay first of all and take away any shame or embarrassment that patients might be feeling surrounding it, because it does happen and it doesn’t mean you don’t clean your teeth at all or that you’re in any way a bad person!!
There are ways that you can help with decay forming though and for the most part they’re pretty simple steps.
Firstly make sure you’re cleaning for long enough and across the whole tooth, and that you’re paying attention to the gum line as this is where lots of the bacteria is stored!
Second make sure you are flossing everyday as floss is the only way to get between the teeth which is where lots of decay begins.
Another top tip is to put a little bit of toothpaste onto an interdental brush and use this between the back teeth as this is a very common area for decay to start as naturally it’s much harder for us to clean.
Checks Ups
If you want to avoid decay the best thing you can be doing is to come and see us at the practice! We have all the tools needed to monitor the health of your teeth and advise you on your particular circumstances!