With the holidays fast approaching it is easy to overdo it with the candies and the sweets. Whether you like to sink your choppers into some candy or sip on a sweetened beverage (with or without alcohol) here are some tips to help defend your teeth against cavities.
- If given the choice between candies, choose the ones that are easier to bite into. Hard candies can not only crack healthy teeth, but they can also break crowns and fillings.
- Avoid sticky candies. These tend to “stick” to the teeth and the nooks and crannies around the teeth causing more damage to the teeth.
- Avoid candies that are both hard and sticky. See the reasons above.
- Try to consume your candy or chocolate bar within a reasonable period of time. You want to minimize the total time the sugar is in contact with your teeth.
- Drink non-carbonated water afterward. This helps wash away remnants of what you were eating without harming the teeth anymore.
- Avoid candies and sweet drink combinations together. Have some tea with your cake instead of a sweetened Frappuccino for example.
- Don’t brush your teeth immediately after eating or drinking sweets. The healthy tooth structure has had some of its “good” contents sucked away and damaged by the sweets. Brushing now would harm the remaining tooth structure even faster because you can “brush away” these weakened areas of your teeth. Wait at least 30 minutes before you brush.
- Buy some ACT which is sold over the counter and start rinsing daily now. This helps strengthen your teeth against cavities. This is like shoring up your defenses.
- For more protection, you can get a prescription strength fluoride toothpaste or rinse.
- Floss once a day at night time or for those who work at night before you go to bed.
- Brush twice a day, using a soft bristle brush with the correct gentle circular motions pointing the bristles 45 degrees towards your gums. Brush and massage your teeth and gums instead of abrading them.
Cavities can happen despite of your best efforts. But the steps above will help you minimize the risk of developing cavities at a fast rate.
If your teeth become sensitive contact us and we’ll get you in to take a look and see and nip the problem before it becomes a bigger headache.