by Shen-Li Lee

Created on: July 08, 2009   Last Updated: July 09, 2009

The occurrence of tooth cavities can be prevented by ensuring that one follows a simple set of oral hygiene practices. The commonly recommended oral hygiene regimen is as follows:

1. Brush your teeth twice a day with fluoridated toothpaste and a soft bristled toothbrush.

2. Floss in between your teeth.

3. Use a fluoride mouth rinse.

4. Visit your dentist for a dental check up every six months.

However, it is important to be aware, just as it is with other diseases, that certain individuals have a higher predisposition for developing tooth cavities. For these individuals, it is sometimes necessary to take extra precautions in addition to those cited above. In order to understand what other preventative measures can be adopted, we must first examine the disease process involved in the development of tooth cavities.

How Tooth Cavities are Formed

Tooth cavities and tooth decay both refer to the holes that form in your teeth caused by certain bacteria in your mouth called Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacilli. The disease process by which tooth cavities are formed is called dental caries.

Dental caries occurs when you eat food containing simple, fermentable sugars, such as glucose, fructose or sucrose. The bacteria in the mouth decompose the sugars and produce a lactic acid by-product that demineralises (decalcifies or breaks down) tooth enamel and dentine. If this acid attack is allowed to continue unchecked, it will eventually undermine tooth structure sufficiently for a hole to be formed.

Protecting Teeth from the Acid Attack

In the early stages of caries formation, a tooth can still be protected from cavitation (formation of cavities) through a remineralisation process. Remineralisation of tooth structure can be encouraged by the presence of saliva and fluoride in the mouth.

Saliva protects the teeth in two ways:

1. It contains minerals that help to remineralise teeth.

2. It also acts as a buffer to neutralise acids in the mouth produced by bacteria after a sugary meal.

Therefore, anything that increases the production of saliva in the mouth, such as chewing sugar-free gum, will assist to reverse the process of caries formation.

Fluoride also protects teeth in two ways:

1. The presence of an optimum level of fluoride in the mouth encourages remineralisation of the teeth.

2. The remineralised tooth structure takes on fluoride ions into its structure to form a substance called fluoroapatite.

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