by Leona Ash

Created on: May 27, 2007

Tooth decay, although not life threatening is a disease we'd be happy to do without. Unfortunately, all of us, at one point or another in our lives, are bound to experience it. However, we can help minimize the number of tooth decay occurrences in our teeth.

Here are some tips on how:

Time your snack habits
Food is the major culprit for tooth decay. It's extremely crucial to time when you eat your snacks to prevent any cavities. The acid that is produced by bacteria is neutralized by saliva, and after that, the minerals in saliva crystallize on your tooth's enamel and begin the repair process on areas damaged by the acid.

Long intervals between meals will give more time for the acid to be neutralized and the damage to be repaired. However, if you snack constantly, it would mean a constant acid attack as well, giving less time for your saliva to repair all the acid damage.

Fluoride usage
Thanks to the invention of Fluoride, your tooth enamel can be strengthen and more resistant toward acid attacks. One of the fluoride sources is in toothpastes, so it's important to brush your teeth regularly to get the fluoride working.

Visit your dentist regularly
We only discover tooth decay when our teeth begin to hurt. However, that may be too late. By making regular visits to the dentist, we can prevent potentially disastrous decay occurrences. Also the dentist is able to advice on the areas of your teeth that you need to concentrate more on.

Good oral routine
One of the most common method of preventing tooth day is good oral hygiene. It's important to brush your teeth when you wake up and just before you go to bed. It's also good to make it a habit to brush and floss your teeth after every meal. This way, you can have a healthy intake of fluoride onto your teeth as well.

Learn more about this author, Leona Ash.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.