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ARE YOU AT RISK FOR
TOOTH DECAY?
Review the following question to see if you and
your child are at risk of getting tooth decay.
HYGIENE
QUESTIONS:
-
Do you
use toothpaste that contains fluoride?
-
Do you brush
twice a day?
-
Do you have
sealants on your permanent teeth?
-
Do you see your
dentist every 6 months for a cleaning?
-
Do you drink
and cook with water that contains fluoride?
If you answered
YES to all the questions, you are on your way to maintaining
a cavity free mouth. If you answered NO to any of the
questions, then will be more prone to getting cavities.
DIET QUESTIONS:
-
Do you
drink sugar-containing beverages throughout the day?
-
Do you snack
often on sugary foods and drinks?
-
Do you snack on
fruits all day?
-
Do you often
skip brushing before bedtime?
If you answered
YES to all these questions, you are increasing the
probability of getting cavities, or already have cavities. If
you answered NO to all the questions you are helping yourself
maintain a cavity free status. To insure yourself and your
children are less likely to get cavities, avoid doing a-through-d.
REASONS FOR THE
QUESTIONS:
1.
Using fluoridated toothpaste will help strengthen teeth from
the outside. Make sure to brush for at least 1 minute.
For children under 3 years old, please use only a dab of toothpaste
(pea-size or smaller).
2.
Brushing twice a day will reduce the amount of plaque.
Plaque, the white film over your teeth made up of bacteria, builds
up quickly throughout the day. If it is not removed
completely, it will cause gingivitis, cavities and eventually tooth
loss.
3.
Placements of sealants on molars prevent cavities on the top
surfaces. It is non-invasive and easy to do. The deep
grooves and pits on your molars are covered with a thin layer of
resin (sealant), this inhibits food and plaque from destroying your
teeth.
4.
Seeing your dentist every 6 months keeps the plaque and
calculus levels low, in order to keep your gums and teeth healthy.
For children, during their cleaning appointment they get a fluoride
treatment, which strengthens teeth approximately 12 times more than
toothpaste.
5.
Drinking or cooking with liquids containing fluoride allows
the fluoride to be incorporated in developing teeth, and excreted in
the salvia. Both of which help protect teeth from cavities.
6.
Drinking sugar-containing beverages throughout the day will
cause the acid level in your mouth to rise. In an acidic
environment teeth begin to breakdown. It takes your mouth 30
minutes to neutralize itself after either drinking or eating
sugar-containing products. Sip water instead of soda or juice,
and snack on non-cavity causing foods (i.e. cheese, beef jerky,
popcorn, cold cut meat, sugar free gum, ect.).
7.
Even snacking on fruits can be a cause of cavities.
Fruits have natural sugars and natural acids. Stick to
non-cavity causing snacks, and save fruits for desert!
8.
Brushing before bed is important for 2 reasons: one, it
removes any remaining plaque and food from the teeth. Second,
it reduces morning breath. At night you don’t have
saliva as you do during the day, so it would not be available to
wash out remaining food. The left food and plaque will then
begin to break down tooth structure.
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