Learning to Take Better Care of Your Family's Teeth

3 Tips For Keeping The Cavity In Your Tooth From Getting Worse

During your last dental checkup, your dentist may have informed you that you have a cavity. While you know you need to have it filled, you may have reasons why you have to delay the procedure and want to know if there is anything you can do to keep the cavity from growing. If so, use the following tips for keeping the cavity in your tooth from getting worse until you can get it filled.

Avoid Foods Containing Sugar

One thing you can do while you are waiting to have your cavity filled is to avoid foods containing high amounts of sugar. Whether its a piece of candy or a sweet dessert, try to pass on indulging yourself whenever possible.

However, simple sugars are not the only things from which you should try to stay away. Simple carbohydrates such as white bread, pasta or potatoes start to break down into sugar in your mouth when they mix with your saliva while chewing.

While it may be difficult to completely avoid these types of food, just make sure you brush your teeth as soon as possible after eating them. If you are out and unable to brush your teeth, at least rinse your mouth with water to remove the excess sugars.

Rinse Your Mouth With Salt Water

Even if you meticulously brush your teeth after every meal and snack, expand your oral routine to include a pre-rinse with salt water while you are nursing an open cavity. The salt not only adds extra cleansing power around the cavity, but it also serves as an anti-bacterial that helps kill germs which may invade the opening and lead to an infected tooth.

Before you brush your teeth, mix together a tablespoon of salt with a quarter of a cup of warm water. After letting the salt dissolve for about five minutes, rinse your mouth between a half minute to a minute to penetrate any residual food particles and tartar. After rinsing your mouth, brush your teeth using a fluoride toothpaste to help strengthen the enamel.

Keep Your Mouth Moist

Another way to take care of your cavity and keep it from getting worse is to keep your mouth moist at all times. If your mouth becomes dry, the natural immune bodies found in your saliva are unable to keep the bacteria population in check. The germs could then start to grow at a rapid rate, allowing them to eat away at your enamel and possibly infect your tooth.

You can keep your mouth moist by staying properly hydrated during the day and drinking a glass of water or sugar-free juice whenever you become thirsty. If you are unable to keep a drink with you at work, rinse your mouth with water whenever you go to the restroom, or keep sugar-free gum with you to chew whenever your mouth becomes dry.

If you do decide to chew sugar-free gum as a way to keep your mouth moist, you can add an extra layer of defense while taking care of your cavity by choosing the right one. Whenever possible, chew gum that contains xylitol. This sweetener not only replaces sugar in the gum so that you are introducing a harmful substance to your tooth, but it is derived from a plant alcohol that has anti-bacterial properties so it can kill the germs surrounding the cavity.

While using the above tips may slow down the growth of your cavity, you will not be able to get rid of it entirely on your own. As soon as you are able, make an appointment at an office like ComfortCare  Dental to discuss your options for having the cavity filled.


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