How to prevent the development of caries: effective methods of prevention

Caries is a common cause for the loss of teeth. It develops due to the action of bacteria on the hard tissues of the tooth.

In the course of the progression of this disease, enamel is first destroyed, then the dentin - hard tissue of the tooth and pulp - soft tissue. This will inevitably lead to damage to the nerve, which in time will need to be removed, and the tooth without the living nerve serves much less time.

Almost all people face the manifestation of this disease. A major role in the prevention of caries is played by high-quality oral hygiene, which should be performed both independently at home and through special dental methods.

The first step - understanding the causes of tooth decay

The reasons for which there is a lot of caries, and here are the main ones:

1. Incorrect nutrition .A great role for the health of the teeth is played by the balance of proteins, minerals and vitamins in consumed food. Carbohydrates contained in sweets create a favorable environment for the reproduction of cariogenic bacteria. Also of great importance is the consumption of water containing fluoride in the composition.
2. Bad immunity of the oral cavity .With weakened immunity, the bacteria multiply very quickly. Factors that reduce immunity, may be acute respiratory or viral diseases.
3. Poor mouth hygiene .Many people neglect the rules of hygiene, not thinking about how important it is to thoroughly brush your teeth. Due to insufficient purification in the area of ​​the neck of the tooth and between the teeth, a soft dental plaque accumulates, and over time, dental stones arise which can only be removed with medical care.
4. Metabolic disorders of .Because of this, the enamel becomes vulnerable and loses its minerals, which leads to instability before exposure to bacteria.
5. Bad genetics .In this case, a person is born with a poor chemical composition and structure of the tooth tissues.

In most cases, the disease can be recognized by itself only if caries is in the middle or deep stage, i.e. when a black speck or hole clearly becomes visible on the tooth.

However, caries begins to develop much earlier and goes through such stages:

1. At the initial stage of , a grayish or yellowish-brown spot appears on the surface of the enamel. It can be detected with a thorough self-examination.
2. The surface stage of only affects the enamel limits.
3. On the , the average is damaged by dentin, which causes discomfort and pain when taking hot and cold food, water, sweet, and when cold air enters your mouth.
4. On the deep stage, pulpitis occurs. Obvious pains begin, which quickly subside, if the irritant is eliminated.

It is much easier to prevent the occurrence of tooth decay than to carry out expensive, painful and sometimes quite long treatment, but how to do it correctly and most effectively?

Primary prevention

How to protect teeth from caries in the home:

1. You should learn how to properly brush your teeth .This is the main rule of prevention. Removal of bacteria with thorough cleaning of the teeth reduces the risk of calculus and gingival inflammation. Teeth must be read constantly, at least twice a day for several minutes, or better, each time immediately after eating. The brush should reach all hard-to-reach places and make circular, vertical and horizontal movements. In weak gums, do not use a too hard brush that causes bleeding gums and inflammation. Also it is worth remembering that the surface of the tongue contains a lot of germs, so you need to do not only brush your teeth, but also cleanse the tongue. Use dental floss that eliminates the remains of food that have accumulated between the teeth. This is especially important when the teeth are closely adjacent to each other, and it is simply impossible to clean the remains of food perfectly. You should also use a mouth rinse aid.
2. To fill the deficiency of fluoride in the body .The presence of fluoride in the body will help not only to avoid caries, but also diseases of the musculoskeletal system. To do this, use fluoridated water and fluoride-containing products.
3. Do not use temperature contrasting food .Too hot or cold food can cause the formation of microcracks on the enamel, and as a result, the infection will go unhindered into the inside of the dental cavity.
4. Do a dental check with the systematic procedure .You should visit the dental office at least once every six months. This will help to identify the development of the disease in the primary stages, as well as to prevent its development. As for children, the examination in this case should be done every few months, because the caries in children develops much faster than in adults and has an acute course. Treatment of dental caries is mandatory because otherwise damage to the rudiments of the constants may occur.

Secondary prophylaxis

Prophylaxis is performed by a dentist.

1. products are used, such as: toothpastes, rinses, gels and varnishes, which contain calcium and fluoride .Gels and varnishes create a special protective film on the surface of the enamel. Very effective procedure for rubbing in the enamel of fluoride-containing discs, which are worn on the tip of the drill.
2. Procedure for fissure sealing is being carried out. These are depressions between the tubercles on the surface of the chewing teeth. It is in these places that carious lesions are most often localized. The process is the filling of fissures with special sealants. The effect of this procedure can last up to five years.

Secondary prevention also includes methods for sanitizing the oral cavity and mineralizing teeth.

Oral sanitation

Oral sanitation is performed to eliminate foci of infection and involves the following stages:

• procedures are performed to remove teeth that can not be restored, caries treatment, replacement of old fillings with new ones;
• prosthetics;
• detection of diseases of the peri-toothed tissues and treatment;
• removal of tartar and carrying out professional cleaning of teeth.

Tooth mineralization

Mineralization of teeth helps to restore the mineral composition of tooth enamel, as well as to increase its density. Mineralization is carried out in this way:

• tooth is opened with artificial enamel for barrier protection;
• enamel reinforcement and restoration of the tooth structure is achieved by coating the tooth with a varnish containing fluoride;
• performs the procedure of fluoridation and dental coating with active calcium;
• the final stage will be the procedure of electrophoresis, with which weak discharges of current deliver a therapeutic preparation to the layers of the tooth.

How to eat properly to avoid tooth decay

To avoid tooth decay, it is important to build the right food system. If the diet is designed in such a way that a person receives the necessary amount of useful vitamins, the risk of the disease will be reduced:

1. Eat foods rich in all the necessary proteins and minerals , as well as solid foods that contribute to self-cleaning teeth and reflex improvement of blood supply. Also, reduce the intake of food containing a large amount of carbohydrates.
2. Refuse small snacks between the main meals of , which contribute to the consumption of excess carbohydrates.
3. Take vitamins .Very effective in the prevention of caries are vitamins B1 and B6.
4. To consume products that have a beneficial effect on the health of the teeth .Among them: seafood;nuts;solid vegetables and fruits - apples, beets, carrots, cucumbers;greenery;berries, in particular - currants, grapes, cranberries;dairy;eggs;honey.

How to protect children from caries?

To monitor the child's teeth, it is necessary to carefully monitor, without neglecting any of the rules of prevention:

1. During pregnancy, take pills containing fluoride , then the embryo will form strong and healthy teeth. Also, you need to eat foods rich in calcium.
2. After the birth of the child , strictly follow the hygiene rules of to prevent the transmission of bacteria causing caries to the child. Therefore, in no case can not eat with a child a spoon, as well as give him food from his mouth.
3. It is necessary to properly organize the diet in the family .The child should receive a sufficient amount of calcium contained in dairy products, and again, fluoride, which is contained in fish, nuts, citrus fruits. Meals must be balanced.
4. It is very important not to allow the child to eat a lot of sweet, and drink sweet drinks .This is the main reason, because of which caries can develop in childhood. Disease bacteria multiply on the surface of the enamel in the presence of sugar. Recycling it, they secrete acid, which is destructive for the tooth. But the sugar contained in fruits and vegetables is not a danger. Therefore instead of the usual sweets it is better to give the baby more fruit.
5. Use only high-quality toothbrush and good paste. As soon as the baby's teeth appear, they need to be cleaned.
6. Every few months the baby is led for inspection to an specialist. If caries begins to develop to avoid further damage to the tooth, a fluoride varnish or silver fluoride solution is used. This procedure will take only a few minutes and the child will not feel any discomfort or pain, but the result will be preserved for a very long time.

Baby teeth also undergo caries and break down very quickly. Such a process can prevent the correct and timely germination of permanent teeth.

Another danger is that the tooth lesions affected by caries are almost never maintained, and this leads to the fact that the constants will grow crookedly, and with the multiple removal of teeth, the formation of an incorrect occlusion is possible.

It is also necessary to inform the child about the importance of oral hygiene, and also to instill in him the understanding about the need for daily brushing of teeth, so that he consciously performed this daily procedure.