Taking Care of Your Dental Fillings

Tooth decay (aka cavities or dental caries) is second only to colds as the most common disease for Americans. This is the consequence of families and schools not understanding the need for better education on prevention, which is clearly the less expensive and less painful solution.

Cavities result from not knowing how to thoroughly remove food particles after meals or snacks. Prevention means ideally spending two full minutes after breakfast and again after dinner brushing on the front and back of every tooth. In many cases with overcrowded teeth, using a small bristled interdental brush or a water pick will help. Using a dentist-approved toothpaste and mouthwash can also prevent decay. At the end of the day, floss by scraping both sides of each tooth.

But dental caries also occur because diets rich in simple carbohydrates like sugar, candy, and refined flour products such as pasta, cookies, and cereals emit an acid that eats away at the protective outer layer of enamel and even the softer dentin layer below that. The inner pulp can eventually become infected and cause a cavity or kill a tooth’s root. Having a semi-annual professional dental cleaning by a hygienist and a full dental exam can catch this process early. 

But if for whatever reason you do end up with a cavity, Soothing Dental can provide the two best ways to remedy this before it becomes worse. The most popular filling is a liquid plastic known as a composite, which is safer than the old mercury fillings and suitable for small cavities and cracks. However, it wears down over time as you chew, especially if it is covering a large area. The best solution in that case is to have a filling made of dental porcelain, which is as hard as enamel and can last 10-15 years with proper care, making it more cost-effective in the long run.

That means you need to be more dedicated to prevention, treating the tooth that had the cavity like every other one, making sure every food particle is cleaned off thoroughly twice a day and not making excuses to take a break. It’s easy to skip this if you’re rushing to work or really tired at night and then the excuses become more frequent. But the bacteria can begin to form sticky plaque around the particles that can harden into tartar if not removed immediately – which will require a dental hygienist to scrape it off with special tools. Cavities are only the most obvious result of neglect: periodontal disease that infects the gums can lead to the loss of teeth. 

An ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure when it comes to taking care of your oral health.