–Keep up on oral hygiene: One of the best ways to avoid tooth decay is by cleaning your smile twice each day. Make sure you brush your teeth every morning and night for two minutes each time. Try to scrub each tooth in your smile and brush for two minutes each time. To complete the cleaning job, make sure to floss and rinse at night before you go to bed. Doing these things will help you keep your smile in pristine condition.

–Visit your dentist: It’s very important that you visit Dr. Edmon R. Hutchison every six months for a routine cleaning and checkup. This treatment will clean the harmful particles away, which will help you prevent tooth decay. The treatment will also involve a fluoride treatment, which will strengthen your tooth enamel and give it the ability to fight tooth decay-causing substances.

–Consider dental sealants: Dental sealants are beneficial shells that protect your back teeth from tooth decay and other dental issues. They are wafer-thin shells that are painted onto your teeth and then hardened. They will keep the bacteria in your mouth from having direct access to your tooth enamel.

–Take advantage of fluoride: Fluoride is a beneficial mineral that strengthens your teeth. This is why you need to take advantage of it as much as possible. In addition to the fluoride treatment provided at our office, you should brush with fluoride toothpaste and drink fluoridated water as much as possible.

–Eat tooth-healthy foods: It’s best to have a balanced and healthy diet and avoid consuming sugary products as much as possible. Sugar can attack your smile and create tooth decay. It’s also helpful if you avoid eating acidic foods and beverages. Acid can wear away your tooth enamel, which is called enamel erosion.

If you do these things, you’ll be on the right track toward a strong and successful smile free from tooth decay. To learn more about tooth decay in Royse City, Texas, please call Royse City Dental Care at 972-636-2417 at your earliest convenience. We are more than happy to give you the information you need so you can be more successful in preventing cavities!

The post How Can I Prevent Tooth Decay? first appeared on Royse City Dental Care.

The first factor is the quality of the oral hygiene products you use. You should only purchase products that have earned ADA Seal of Acceptance, for safety and effectiveness.

The second factor is brushing and flossing your teeth twice each day. When brushing your teeth each day the ADA recommends that you use with a soft bristled toothbrush and abrasive toothpaste. A toothpaste with fluoride will also help to fortify the strength of your tooth enamel.

When you are done brushing, you should floss between your teeth and along the gum line. Flossing is the most effective to remove plaque and trapped food particles to prevent them from hardening into tartar. Waxed dental floss can help you more easily work the floss into hard to reach places. The waxy coating makes it easier to slip the strain of floss into tight spaces without accidentally forcing it into your gums.

The final and yet equally critical factor to maintain good oral health is to attend your regular dental checkup with Dr. Edmon R. Hutchison. This checkup includes a cleaning procedure to remove hardened tartar while also detecting early signs of tooth decay, gum disease and oral cancer.

If you have questions about how to improve your oral hygiene routine, or to schedule your next dental checkup, you should call Dr. Edmon R. Hutchison at 972-636-2417 to schedule an appointment.

The post Understanding the Aspects of an Effective Oral Hygiene Routine first appeared on Royse City Dental Care.

Streptococcus is a type of bacteria which lives in your mouth, and every time you eat a piece of food, or drink something, it feeds on the sugars and starches left behind. Then it reacts with the sugars and starches and creates acid. Eventually this acid turns into a sticky film—plaque—that coats your teeth and if left untreated, hardens into tartar.

Tooth decay happens in stages. As the bacterial acid breaks down your tooth enamel, it exposes the softer, sensitive dentin layer underneath. As it strips the minerals from your enamel it causes holes. The dentin, because it is soft, is even more vulnerable to acid erosion. If it is allowed to continue unchecked, it wears down the tooth’s structure until it reaches the pulp, which houses the nerves and blood vessels. Here the bacteria irritate the pulp until is swells, which means you can experience severe toothache and sensitivity, and pain when you chew. If your becomes abscessed, you will have an infection, which is the creation of a pocket of pus as your body sends white blood cells to fight the infection.

To avoid the damaging effects of plaque and the resulting cavities, there are some things you can do:

–Brush and floss at least twice a day.
–Drink water to stay well hydrated by maintaining saliva production to protect your teeth and gums.
–Eat a healthy balanced diet, avoiding excess sugars and starches.
–Visit your dentist at least once a year to remove hardened plaque.

Our dental team at Royse City Dental Care is here to help you keep cavities at bay. Call us at 972-636-2417 if you have any questions or to schedule your next appointment!

The post Plaque and Your Oral Health first appeared on Royse City Dental Care.