Page Header Page Content Page Footer
For a better experience on Oralb.com, Please enable javascript in your browser.
Australia - English
Please select a location
  • Africa
  • South Africa
  • Asia Pacific
  • Australia
  • Chinese Mainland - Greater China
  • Taiwan - Greater China
  • Hong Kong SAR - Greater China
  • India
  • 日本
  • Korea
  • New Zealand
  • Singapore
  • Europe
  • Belgie
  • Belgique
  • Croatia
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Deutschland
  • Espana
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Greece
  • Ireland
  • Latvija
  • Lithuania
  • Magyar
  • Nederland
  • Norway
  • Österreich
  • Pоссия
  • Polska
  • Portugal
  • Schweiz
  • Sweden
  • Turkey
  • United Kingdom
  • Latin America The Carribean
  • Argentina
  • Brazil
  • Chile
  • Colombia
  • Costa Rica
  • Ecuador
  • El Salvador
  • Guatemala
  • Honduras
  • Mexico
  • Nicaragua
  • Panama
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Uruguay
  • Venezuela
  • Middle East
  • arabia - السعودية
  • ישראל
  • North America
  • Canada - English
  • Canada - French
  • United States United - English English
  • United States - Español
LOGOUT CONFIRMATION
Are you sure you want to logout? Logout
  • Part of the P&G Family:
  • logo
  • DentalCare.com
Contact Us
Oral-B
  • SHOP
    • Electric Toothbrushes
      • Electric Toothbrushes
    • Replacement Brush Heads
      • Replacement Brush Heads
      • Replacement Brush Heads
    • Kids
      • Kids
    • Manual Toothbrushes
      • Manual Toothbrush
      • Manual Toothbrushes
    • Toothpaste & Mouthwash
      • Toothpaste and Mouthwash
      • Toothpaste & Mouthwash
    • Floss
      • Floss
      • Floss
    • SHOP ALL >>
  • LEARN
      • Why Oral-B
      • Why Oral-B
      • Oral-B Floss
      • Oral-B Toothpaste
      • Oral-B Mouthwash
      • Why Electric toothbrush
      • Genius AI
      • Oral-B App
      • Oral-B Genius vs. Sonic
      • Children's Oral Health
      • Disney Magic Timer
      • Conditions
      • Conditions
      • Bad Breath
      • Cavities & Tooth Decay
      • Gum Health
      • Tartar & Plaque
      • Teeth Sensitivity
      • Tooth Enamel
      • Teeth Whitening
      • Life stages
      • Life Stages
      • Infants
      • Kids
      • Braces
      • Adults
      • Life 5
      • VIEW ALL
      • Solutions
      • Solutions
      • Electric Toothbrushes
      • Manual Toothbrushes
      • Floss
      • Toothpaste
      • Mouthwash
  • Home >
  • Oral Care Article Topics >
  • Conditions >
  • Cavities & Tooth Decay >
  • Avoiding Tooth Decay
Print This

Avoiding Tooth Decay

Recommended 3 Times Recommend This
Share: facebook twitter

You're now leaving oralb.com

We recommend you review the third-party site’s privacy policy, as their privacy practices may differ from P&G.

Any personal information you provide on the third-party’s website will be managed in accordance with their privacy policy.

Thank you for visiting oralb.com.

Please click the link below to

Share on

Email Thismail

Share This By E-mail

Avoiding Tooth Decay

There are (#) errors on this page.
Email Service Unavailable
   
   
   
   
SEND
CANCEL

E-mail Sent Successfully

Your email has been successfully sent to the recipient.

Continue

342700x448 Image Component

How To Prevent Tooth Decay

Tooth decay is a process that involves a balance of the mineral loss and replacement in a tooth over time in response to daily acid attacks resulting from food consumption. Cavities and the decay process can be prevented by working closely with your dental professional and following his or her plan for you. Eating the proper foods at the right time during meals and avoiding foods or snacks between meals can also help reduce your risk. And brushing your teeth with a fluoride toothpaste at least twice a day is a critical step toward balancing the "tug-of-war" on your tooth surfaces and preventing the tooth decay process from continuing to become cavities. Let's examine this process.

What Is Tooth Decay?

The formation of dental caries, or "cavities", involves three major factors:

  • Food or beverages consumed (your diet)
  • Bacteria in plaque
  • Your current state of oral health

Bacteria interacts with the food you eat to produce waste products in the form of acids, which cause a breakdown or demineralization of areas underneath the tooth surface. This breakdown of the tooth surface is tooth decay.

Think of it this way: Each time you eat, there's an acid attack on the tooth. A counterattack by your body occurs by rinsing the food and acid away with saliva. The saliva not only buffers or neutralizes the acids, it also contains minerals (calcium and phosphate) that rebuild the areas of the tooth that were demineralized or attacked by the acids. This rebuilding process is known as remineralization. This series of attacking and rebuilding is like a tug-of-war in your mouth. It's your body's way of helping protect your teeth from everyday problems. But by fully understanding the cause of dental cavities, and by looking at each of the three factors more closely, we can look at other ways of preventing tooth decay.

Food And Beverages

Foods and beverages that are consumed for prolonged periods of time between meals can tip the balance of remineralization/demineralization in favor of the decay process. Sticky foods, such as caramels and raisins, should be avoided as between-meal snacks, because the acid attack becomes too much for the saliva to prevent and repair. Eating these same foods during a meal, however, allows for the tug-of-war to be a winning situation for a person and their teeth.

If children are allowed to fall asleep with a baby bottle, or if they're given the bottle to carry around with them, and the liquid, whether it be milk, fruit juices or other drinks, can be used by the bacteria to produce acids, and tooth decay can rapidly occur. This is often known as "baby bottle tooth decay".

To help prevent tooth decay, limit your intake of sugary, sticky foods and sweetened beverages between meals.

Bacteria In Plaque

The plaque bacteria on your teeth should be removed by brushing at least twice a day and flossing once a day. Usually, a clean tooth can stay healthy. Certain bacteria are more likely to cause decay because they can use the sugars and starches you eat better than others. Bacteria called streptococci mutans and lactobacillus are two types of these culprits. We all have small amounts of these types of bacteria in our mouths, but sometimes they may be present in higher levels. In those situations, you would be at higher risk for tooth decay or more likely to lose the tug-of-war. Your dental team may use a sample of your saliva to measure levels of these bacteria.

Your Current State Of Oral Health

The third primary part of the tooth decay situation is your teeth and mouth. This includes everything from the way the teeth are shaped, formed and positioned, to your saliva, dental treatment and oral health habits. Your saliva is very important in many ways, including slowing the loss of mineral from the teeth and replacing it in the remineralization process. But sometimes, certain conditions or medication change the amount and type of saliva in your mouth, allowing the tooth decay process to progress all the way to cavities.

Ways To Help Prevent Tooth Decay

Fluoride Toothpaste: One of the best ways to prevent mineral loss from the tooth or demineralization and help the replacement process or remineralization is by using toothpaste that contains fluoride. A small amount used daily helps balance the tug-of-war situation in your favor. Many scientific studies over a long period of time have proven this to be one of the most effective ways to prevent tooth decay. Brand new advances in toothpaste technology have made this even better by including antibacterial components, such as the tin in stannous fluoride.

Sealants: The deep grooves and pits in some teeth, such as molars, can also be trouble spots for decay. One way to prevent this type of decay is to have your dental team paint a shaded plastic material called a pit and fissure sealant on these areas. Once the sealant hardens, it acts as a barrier protecting the tooth surface from plaque and acids.

Fluoride Supplements: Fluorides also play a significant role in preventing decay. By adding fluoride to your water or including a fluoride rinse in your daily oral routine, you can help better protect your teeth from cavities and bacteria. Fluoride supplements are also available and can help keep your mouth clean and healthy.

Related Products

  • Genius 9000 Black Product
    QUICK VIEW

    Oral-B GENIUS 9000 Black

  • Oral-BCrossActionBrushHeadRefills
    QUICK VIEW

    Oral-B CrossAction Brush Heads

    Removes up to 100% more plaque vs. a regular manual toothbrush

    rating
    ( 691 )
  • Pro-Health Enamel Strong
    QUICK VIEW

    Pro-Health Enamel Strong Toothpaste

    Strengthens enamel and protects your teeth from acids in everyday food

  • Connect With Us
  • Visit Oral-B's YouTube Channel

Consumer Notice: This is a notice to inform any consumer who has recently purchased an Oral B Star Wars Kids Gift Pack (82321745) from participating retailers, that there is an on pack discrepancy regarding the number of brush head refills offered in the pack. Namely, three (3) refills are stated to be offered, however it should state this pack includes one (1) refill. Please note, this does not affect the value of the pack ($RRP 49.99). In line with your consumer guarantees under Australian Consumer Law, please direct any consumer complaints regarding the purchase of this product to our P&G consumer AU hotline 1800 614 820 to receive a full refund or receive the correct # of refills in pack.

Explore

  • PRODUCTS
  • Electric Toothbrushes
  • Replacement Brush Heads
  • Manual Toothbrushes
  • Kids
  • Battery Powered
  • Floss
  • Toothpaste & Mouthwash
  • BY NEED
  • Cavities
  • Tartar
  • Plaque
  • Gum Protection
  • Sensitivity
  • Whitening
  • Ortho Care
  • Bad Breath

GET HELP

  • Contact Us
  • Questions?
  • 180 Day Money Back Guarantee
  • FAQs

RELATED SITES

  • P&G Brands
  • dentalcare-aus.com.au
  • Braun
    • Better Business Bureau
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy
  • AdChoices ad_choices_icon
  • Site Map
  • © 2021 Procter & Gamble