Tooth decay is preventable, but everyone needs help from their dentist to keep this problem from taking over their oral health or developing into more serious dental problems. There are plenty of preventive dentistry treatments that turn weak teeth into strong teeth. Rely on the dental team at Beachside Smiles in Manhattan Beach, CA, to help you eliminate cavities through preventive care and maintain a decay-free smile.
Common Causes of Tooth Decay
There are many potential causes of tooth decay, including:
- Weak or thin tooth enamel: Sometimes your DNA is your worst enemy, especially if you have thin or weak tooth enamel. You may be great at cleaning your smile, but if you have weak teeth, you’re always at a bigger risk for tooth decay.
- Lifestyle: What you eat and drink absolutely impacts the condition of your teeth. For example, people who rely on sugary energy drinks or sports drinks might be giving their body what it wants or needs, but their teeth suffer in the process. Snacking all day long might be better for your waistline, but it keeps your teeth bathed in acids, wearing away at them.
- Misalignment: Crooked or overlapping teeth are far more difficult to clean thoroughly, allowing more opportunities for food particles, bacteria, and plaque to get caught in tight spaces, fester, and cause cavities.
- Composition and position: If you have teeth that are bumpy and oddly shaped, they are much harder to clean and far more susceptible to decay. If these teeth are molars in the very back of your mouth they’re even more difficult to reach for a thorough cleansing every day.
As you can see, there are shades of gray when it comes to tooth decay. Some circumstances you are responsible for – other circumstances are simply part of your DNA or environment. You might be an excellent brusher and flosser but if your teeth are built in such a way that they invite problems, you will not be able to win on your own.
Ways to Prevent Tooth Decay
There are many choices you can make to prevent your teeth from suffering with cavities, but there are also some genetic factors that simply set you up for tooth decay. No matter how your oral health fits into the equation, here are just some of the options for preventing tooth decay:
- Professional teeth cleanings: It is recommended that everyone get their teeth professionally cleaned every six months. The dental hygienist with their eagle eye and powerful tools can get to all the hard-to-reach areas and identify early cavities. Some patients even go to the dentist more than twice a year to keep their teeth extra clean and healthy.
- Porcelain crowns: When a tooth is misshapen and attracting cavities because of extra ruts and bumps on the enamel, a porcelain crown can be customized to cover the tooth completely, smooth it out, and minimize the likelihood of cavities developing.
- Sealants: Typically reserved for children and their newly erupted molars, sealants can also be used on adults who need extra help keeping cavities at bay. The sealant is painted on the chewing surface of a tooth, covering bumpy areas and protecting the tooth from decay.
Fix Cavities in Manhattan Beach
Tooth-colored fillings are the most common way to fix cavities. They are customized in color and size and applied to the cleaned-out tooth so they look natural. Porcelain crowns can be used to treat a tooth with an extremely large cavity too that is not strong enough to handle a filling. Some patients have tooth decay that goes so deep it causes an infection and the need for a root canal.
No matter what’s happening with your oral health, the right preventive dentistry and restorative dentistry can give you back an amazing, healthy smile. Schedule your appointment with Beachside Smiles today.
