We all know what causes tooth decay. But what we didn’t know is that it could lead to a lot of secondary complications or diseases. Preventing tooth decay is a must, for our health’s sake.  Bacterias are like us, a living organism. They find a lot of ways inorder to survive. When we consume food and beverages, we create waste products. Bacterias do the same, they consume or utilize sugars as their food source that causes tooth decay. The waste products created from digesting these sugars are the acids (mostly lactic acid) that cause the demineralization of tooth enamel and dentin.

Since the bacteria that live in our mouth eat when we do, as we ingest foods which contain sugars these bacteria get a meal too. And within minutes they start producing the acids that cause tooth decay.

Here are some of alternative treatments for tooth decay:

Exercise

This is the most powerful way to cleanse your body from accumulated toxins. Makes you sweat more and naturally cleanse your body.

Some other examples:

- Sauna

- drink warm tea in a hot room

- walking for 30 minutes

It is known that some modern industrial toxins and pesticides can leave your body only through sweat glands..

Diet

A healthy diet from a dental standpoint is one that keeps the sugar concentration in the mouth at a low level. The worst foods for your teeth contain sugar and also stick to the teeth.

- Discourage yourself from eating foods such as hard candy or all types of white sugar (candies, pastries, cakes, chocolates, etc.) . When a person eats these foods his/her teeth are in contact with sugar for a long time.

- Eat plenty of fruit and drink freshly squeezed natural juice, which are rich in natural sugars and are accompanied by protective substances, such as vitamins and minerals.

- Eat raw vegetables (salads) everyday.

- Use wholegrain creals and bread that contain parts of grain and avoid refined products made with white flour and sugar.

- Ensure you eat enough biological protein by including soy or cereals with pulses, or dairy products in your daily menu, as a protein deficiency can also effect the formation of tooth enamel.

- For children (baby), prevent baby-bottle cavities by not letting your infant sleep with a bottle of milk or juice. It is better to put the child to bed after she is finished with the bottle.

- From early age, teach chidren to chew raw hard vegetables, such as carrots, apples, nuts, etc., as this:

1. stimulates tooth growth

2. strengthens the system that support the teeth

3. helps ensure the jaw and dental arch develop correctly, preventing mispositioned teeth

4. and helps muscles used in chewing develop, which will ensure correct speech.

- Ensure there is an adequate supply of calcium, vit. D, phosphorus, magnesium and fluoride when the teeth are being formed, both before and after they cut the gums, by:

1. breast feeding for as long as possible,

2. following an appropriate diet during pregnancy and when breastfeeding,

3. at 3 or 4 months of age, give babies fresh fruit and vegetable juice, and solid raw food that has been blended or in a puree once they reach ten or twelve months.

- And since no one can keep children away from candy completely, try to teach his/her to brush after eating it. Avoid frequent snacks and offer foods that contain sugar with meals only.

- You do not need to worry about soft drinks because the sugar in these drinks does not bind to the teeth and leaves the mouth rather quickly.

Toothbrushing

The purpose of toothbrushing is to remove plaque from the teeth. Dental plaque is biofilm (usually colorless) that builds up on the teeth. If not removed regularly, it can lead to dental cavities (caries) or periodontal problems (such as gingivitis). Within this plaque, mouth bacteria change sugars to acids, which in turn etches the tooth enamel.

Try to brush after each meal, but especially after the last meal or snack of the day. To prevent mouth bacteria from changing food caught in the teeth into acid, brush the teeth within the first 5 to 10 minutes after meals. If your child is in a setting where she can’t brush her teeth, teach her to rinse her mouth with water after meals instead.

- Brush the molars (back teeth) carefully. Decay usually starts in the pits and crevices in these teeth.

- Use dental floss to remove the pieces of food caught between your teeth. This should begin when your child’s molars start to touch.

- Toothpicks are to be avoided, as they easily break and can leave splinters of wood between the teeth.

The fluoride present in the water would seem to prevent tooth decay.

To prevent tooth decay 100% it is necessary to regularly visit your dentist to have your teeth checked.

Imagine yourself in a blind date with a woman who has the shiniest hair, fairest and clearest complexion, and the nicest pair of blue eyes. Her outfit is marvelous and she wears just the right amount of make-up to highlight her best features. You think she’s simply amazing and the night can’t get any better. Apparently, the moment she flashes her smile, you are instantly turned off. You are all the more frustrated when she started talking. The seemingly perfect date turns out to be a nightmare. Why? The woman, though undeniably gorgeous, has a poor oral hygiene. Some people underestimate the importance of oral hygiene, like proper brushing and flossing, and only realize its significance after a bad case of tooth decay materializes.

As a child, we were already taught the basics of caring for one’s teeth: brush after every meal (or three times a day), floss everyday, and set appointment with the family dentist at least twice a year. But I bet only a few would admit that they religiously stick to these simple guidelines. According to a noted dental hygienist Sylvia Bresciano, who has an article published in the internet, having a great set of teeth is easy to achieve without breaking the bank. The decay of tooth enamel starts when plaque teams up with the sugar sticking in our teeth. It is extremely important to brush one’s teeth after eating to prevent the reinforcement of tartar (the stubborn yellowish deposit coating our teeth). Aside from tartar build-up, poor oral hygiene causes tooth enamel to weaken which results to the dreaded toothache. If one is particularly careless when it comes to tooth care, it wouldn’t take long before he realizes his teeth are slowly loosening and eventually falling. Since the enamel has already been attacked, the tooth is much more vulnerable to bacterial infection and decay.

Needless to say, one should not wait until he losses all his teeth before he does something about it. It is important to note the proper way of brushing teeth. Dentists advise that we should allot at least three minutes for brushing to make sure we thoroughly clean every quadrant of our mouth. Flossing is also vital in maintaining good oral hygiene. Through this process, hard-to-reach morsels stucked in between teeth are removed to prevent wreaking havoc to our teeth. One can also have coffee-stained teeth professionally bleached for that extra clean finish. If the budget is tight, he can opt for teeth whitening products available in groceries. It is wise to invest in oral hygiene paraphernalia that can effectively aid in achieving and maintaining healthy teeth worthy to be featured in toothpaste commercials.