How To Prevent Your Teeth from Rotting
You cannot take your oral health for granted. At any particular time, you may have to battle health problems like the rotting of your teeth. Have you noticed that your teeth are rotting? Even though they aren’t, the fact that you are suspecting it means you need to get started on a regiment to make things better.
The thing with dental health is that there is always a solution for all the dental issues you may have. Before you need to get started on drastic surgical dental works, you must be proactive about protecting your teeth.
What Is Teeth Rotting?
It is a term used to refer to the process of dental decay. Ideally, the process begins with cavities and then progresses into severe tooth infection that completely rots the tooth and infects the roots thereof.
Understanding the Process of Dental Decay
The process of dental decay happens when there are acids trapped in your teeth. Technically, the foods you eat are broken down in your mouth before they go to your stomach. When the food residues mix with saliva and bacteria in your mouth, they form plaque and start to release acids. These acids begin to corrode the enamel of your teeth, depriving them of necessary minerals. Once the enamel is weak, it is easy to breach, and that is when you will first notice a dental cavity.
A dental cavity is a hole that slowly forms on the enamel of your teeth. It becomes the entry point of bacteria into the insides of your teeth. This means that the rotting will no longer just affect the enamel of your teeth, but also the subsequent layers. The infection gets to the pulp cavity of your tooth, the central region that houses the nerve endings, blood vessels, and other soft tissues. This is the instance you start to experience tooth sensitivity and toothaches.
Eventually, the infection will travel to the roots of your teeth, causing abscessed teeth. This will result in swelling and spreading of the infection to other parts of your teeth.
Signs and Symptoms of Cavities
While they may be common among children and teenagers, dental cavities can happen to anyone, even infants, as long as they have teeth. Finding out you have cavities is the best way to know whether you need to take the measure to seek dental help, or whether lifestyle adjustment will suffice. Some of the common signs and symptoms include:
- Tooth sensitivity to cold or hot foods.
- Toothaches – this could mean that dental decay has breached the external layers of your tooth and gotten to the central region.
- Black, white or brown patches on teeth – this is particularly common in the pits and grooves of the back teeth’s chewing surfaces.
- Discomfort when you bite down.
How To Protect Your Teeth from Rotting
The earlier you get intentional about protecting your teeth, the safer you can keep them from rotting. Some of the tips to help you get by include:
- Avoid sugary foods – they are the main contributors to acids in the mouth, which quickly damages your teeth.
- Reduce snacking during the day – this is more so for people who snack on sugary foods. Snacking a lot continually creates an acidic environment in your mouth, which contributes to teeth rotting.
- Avoid crushing candies – the particles of the candies get stuck in the pits and grooves of the back teeth, allowing them ample time to damage your teeth.
- Brush teeth properly – twice a day should suffice. However, make sure you are doing it correctly, leaving no room for plaque to settle on your teeth. While at it, choose a fluoride toothpaste that will have better outcomes on your teeth.
- Floss daily – plaque in between your teeth can still result in dental cavities.
- Get fluoride treatments – they enrich your teeth with fluoride, a natural mineral useful for strengthening teeth. The treatment is also great for fighting dental caries.
- Eat healthily – nutrients from foods will still be needed by your body and teeth. Vegetables and fruits will continually be the most recommended food items in the food chart.