Skip to main content

Natural Ways To Help Prevent Cavities!

Beyond good oral hygiene (brushing 2 minutes both in am & pm + flossing BEFORE the bedtime tooth-brushing), these 5 things can keep you decay free!

* Xylitol is a natural sweetener that tastes similar to sugar.  6-10g/day can help prevent decay by fooling decay causing bacteria into thinking it is fruit sugar, and essentially starving the bacteria.  These bacteria also become less virulent with continued use over time.  

*Water (and other carbohydrate-free beverages) should be your beverage of choice between meals. Enjoy your juices, milks, and even the occasional soda pop with your meal, when your teeth are already dirty.  If you are unable to brush your teeth after a meal, you should minimally rinse your mouth with water. 

* Limit your frequency of eating to 3 meals a day plus 2-3 protein snacks like nuts and cheeses; these are anti- decay foods (nuts may be raw or roasted, but not honey - or sugar coasted).

* Brush with baking soda and help the alkalinity of your mouth encouraging remineralization of teeth.  Despite its gritty texture, baking soda is actually about 10x less abrasive than the average fluoride toothpaste. 

* MI Paste is a tooth remineralization product that is a great fluoride alternative.  After meals, snacks, and sugary beverages, simply apply a pea-sized amount to your teeth with a swipe of your finger and allow the minerals to join forces with those naturally occurring in your saliva to store tooth structure.

Dr. Cindy has created a No Decay Diet to prevent future cavities!

Meals: 3x per day
Drink: Whatever you want!
Eat: Whatever you want!
Meals should last ~ 45 minutes, then give your teeth a break for the saliva to work its magic.  Brushing teeth after a meal is ideal - minimally, rinse with water.

Snacks: 2-3x per day
* Drink - Water! (No added fruits)
             - Coffee or tea without cream, milk, sugar, or lemon.
* Eat: - Only proteins and fats (no carbohydrates)
          - Hard boiled eggs ( or prepared scrambled, poached, friend, etc.)
          - Nuts (raw or roasted, salt ok, but not honey - or sugar coated)
          - Cheeses (The harder the cheese the better)
          - Chopped up meats (chicken, steak, pork, etc.)
          - Organic Coconut Oil

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Bottle Rot

Sometimes bedtime can be a really struggle, and a bottle might seem like an easy solution. Unfortunately, putting a baby to bed with a bottle of milk or juice does more harm than good, because the easier bedtime comes at the expense of the baby’s oral health. Keeping those baby teeth healthy is crucial so that the adult teeth will have a better chance of coming in straight. In previous blogs we've highlighted the importance of limiting carbohydrate intake to meals to prevent adult teeth decay.  This idea is just as important for children as it is for adults!  Good oral health starts at a  young age, and it’s important we do everything possible to prevent tooth decay from the moment those baby teeth emerge.  What Is Bottle Rot? Prolonged exposure to the sugars in milk or juice  erodes the enamel on a baby or toddler’s teeth , particularly the central incisors. If you’ve ever heard of the phrase “baby bottle tooth decay” or the more sinister-...

Genetics vs Environment Article by Dr. Cindy

“I Have Soft Teeth Like My Mom” Are your teeth susceptible to tooth decay due to your genetic makeup or to your environmental influences? Let’s take a quick look at both sides: Genetics It is well known that you are made up of DNA from both of your parents, and as a result you inherit certain traits from each of them! Perhaps you have your mom’s eyes and your dad’s chin…and perhaps one of your parent’s genes dominates what your teeth are shaped like from the outside, and the other how they are constructed from the inside. But how does that really affect you? Let’s take a look at the anatomy of a tooth. Your teeth are made up of layers:  Enamel is the hard, outer shell; Dentin is the yellow, middle layer; the Pulp chamber is the pink and red inner core of your teeth where the nerve and blood supply reside. The mineral-rich enamel is the first and outer line of defense against decay, protecting your teeth from the surrounding acids. Teeth resist deca...