Doesn’t it feel like a nice achievement when you visit the dentist and they tell you that you don’t have any cavities? We want you to always enjoy that feeling and a cavity-free smile! To help guide you to a future without dental decay, here are some cavity-prevention tips you can keep in mind:
1. Brush & Floss Daily
Seem like an obvious one? Maybe so, but it works. Brushing and flossing your teeth on a regular basis is really the best thing you can do to reduce your chance of developing tooth decay and cavities. To take it a step further, make sure you're using proper technique with your brushing and flossing. That means brushing twice a day for two minutes each time using a soft-bristled toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to your gums and making gentle, short strokes across your teeth. For flossing, wrap at least 18 inches of string floss around your fingers. Curve a new section of floss around each tooth to scrape its surface. Or you could invest in a water flosser, a device that utilizes a stream of pressured water to dislodge food particles and bacteria from between your teeth and under your gumline, all while stimulating circulation in your gums.
2. Get Sealants
Sealants are little protective coatings applied into the crevices of your teeth to protect them from damage. Depending on your situation, they could be the right choice for helping you avoid cavities. Children generally get sealants more often than adults, but adults can still receive them, too.
3. Maintain Routine Dental Visits
You don’t need to plan extra trips to the dentist to keep cavities at bay—just keeping up with regular biannual visits is usually sufficient, if they're in conjunction with superb at-home oral healthcare habits. During these appointments, your teeth will get a professional cleaning to set you up for success, and the dental team will be able to identify and treat any signs of cavities.
Preventive & Restorative Dental Care in Fredericksburg, VA
If you need a little bit more help making sure you’re using great brushing and flossing techniques, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at North River Dental Care. And if you have a cavity that needs treatment, we can help with that too. Contact us today to book your next appointment!
