More Tips To Prevent Tooth Decay In Children

Avoid Snacks Between Meals, And Rinse After Eating

Every time we eat something, the pH of our oral cavity drops due to the production of acids from the sugars in the food. The longer this pH remains acidic, the more likely it is the child will develop caries.

The simple habit of rinsing out your mouth with water after eating helps remove any pieces of food that get stuck between the teeth, removes the sticky layer of sugar from the teeth and helps bring the pH back up to normal. This is something that should be taught to children from a young age.

Pit And Fissure Sealants

This is an excellent option for children who have demonstrated a tendency to develop caries early in life, children who are suffering from a condition that makes it difficult to maintain optimum oral hygiene or have morphological characteristics that make it likely for them to develop caries.

The process of application is also quite simple, requiring only a few minutes and without the need for any sort of anesthesia. It is just due to a lack of awareness that more people do not get this treatment done.

Xylitol Chewing Gum

There are a number of commercially available chewing gums that have xylitol as the sweetener in them. This does not get metabolized by the decay organisms and hence does not produce the acid which lowers the pH of the oral cavity. It also helps in raising the level of pH back to normal levels after a meal or a snack.

Regular Scaling Appointments

It is imperative that children get used to visiting the dentist and the inherent fear of the dental office be removed. A scaling (teeth cleaning) appointment is probably one of the most harmless things you can get done at the dental office. There is no pain or discomfort associated with it.

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This is also the best possible thing that you can do to prevent decay. Even after brushing properly and trying to maintain strict oral hygiene, some amount of plaque and calculus keeps getting accumulated on the surface of the teeth. Once this accumulation has taken place, it cannot be removed by your brush and requires a professional cleaning.

Conclusion

Preventing dental decay through these simple tips is much more preferable than getting extractions or root canals done. It is also a lot less expensive. It is often the lack of knowledge rather than a lack of will that leads to the development of poor oral hygiene. Nothing too fancy or complicated is required to be done. The teeth need to be cleaned regularly, and anything that puts the teeth at risk needs to be eliminated.