HOW TO ELIMINATE TOOTH DECAY

How to Eliminate Tooth Decay

What is Tooth Decay?
          This is the breaking down of your tooth enamel. Tooth decay occurs when harmful bacteria cover your teeth with a thin film, known as Plaque, producing acid sugars from food.

         These acids eat away your tooth enamel, eventually leading to a cavity or hole in your tooth. Tooth decay can also be a major cause of mouth odour.

Fighting Tooth Decay
      There are several ways to which a person can retain or regain healthy teeth. If you want to ward off cavities and tackle tooth decay, you have to decrease your intake of sugary and sticky foods.

Harmful bacteria present in your mouth feed on sugar to produce teeth damaging acids. See why sugary foods increase your chances of setting a cavity?

Drinks and foods such as packaged juice, sodas, candy, cakes,cookies(baked meals in general), will help increase enamel destroying acid that promotes tooth decay.

Foods or meals that stick to teeth are also great offenders, they tend to hang around for longer periods in your teeth.

If you want to prevent tooth decay, avoid frequent snacking. This way you don't expose your teeth to  teeth damaging acid that destroy your enamel.

Allow your teeth to 're-mineralize' itself after every meal, snacks can wait!

Good oral hygiene: This can go a long way in stopping tooth decay. Just  rinsing your mouth with plain water after every food, will help reduce mouth bacteria by 40%.
Reason being that the water rinse, dislodges food particles that may be stuck or hiding in your teeth.

However this is not enough, its still relevant to brush 2x a day, advisably, first thing in the morning and at night before you go to bed.

Flossing can be done between meals, during the day. Add flossing to your daily routine to keep your teeth healthy and prevent decay.

Habits that Help

1)Guava: Flavonoids like guaijaverin and quercetin present in guava leaves are also thought to have antibacterial properties and have been found to work against common oral pathogens.

Gently rub the paste of guava leaves on your teeth with your fingers or a toothbrush or chewing stick and rinse, OR you can boil some guava leaves and use as a mouth wash. As a bonus add salt.

2)Lemongrass: lemongrass works effectively against Plaque and gum inflammation. Lemongrass contains Linalool, citronellal, limonene, Citral, and geranoil which works effectively together to prevent the formation of bacterial biofilms on teeth.

Mix 2-3 drops of aromatic lemongrass oil into a cup of warm water, use as an effective antibacterial mouth wash.

3)Aloevera: this is an excellent teeth whitening ingredient, as well as a good mouth deodorizer. Aloe Vera also contains antibacteria and anti inflammatory properties targeted to fight mouth regenerative pathogen bacterias.

Use Aloe Vera powder to brush your teeth, use regularly, preferably twice a day OR apply fresh, after adding five tablespoons of warm water. Do not eat or drink anything until an hour later.

Oil Pulling: This is a method of removing food particles, a teeth deep cleansing method. The method involves swishing edible oils such as Coconut which act against oral pathogens in your mouth.

Take a cap of coconut oil into your mouth, suck and pull it between your teeth for 10 minutes or when the oil turns milky white in color. Do not swallow it, the oil residue now contains germs from your mouth. Instead spit out and rinse.

Fluoride: using a fluoride toothpaste or month wash can help counter tooth decay. Fluoride is a mineral naturally present in our body,  it helps in mineralization of the teeth and makes the enamel hard.

But while fluoride can help keep your teeth healthy, be sure to be cautious, it can be harmful if consumed in excess amount and children below 4 years, as the tendency of swallowing and excessive usage is high.

Yogurt: yogurts are fortified with calcium, a mineral for healthy strong bones and teeth.
Start including yogurt to your meal or diet, so long as its unsweetened.

Chewing Gum: small habits such as chewing a gum, means a lot. Sugar free gums enhance re-mineralization by stimulating saliva flow. Which plays an important role in fighting tooth decay. Saliva helps restore lost or reduced minerals from your teeth as it contains traces of phosphate and calcium

Not to talk about zapping food particles that may be struck between your teeth. Infact gum is best chewed  20 mins after eating. This reduces the effects of acid attacks in your teeth.

Hydrogen Peroxide
This is an odorless, tasteless, colorless liquid disinfectant, safe for both internal and external use.

Add a cap of hydrogen peroxide into half a glass of warm warm. The warm water will help seal the deal in killing those bacteria and in making sure you get fresh breath again.
Swish in your mouth for 5-7 minutes, spit out and rinse.
Do not consume anything for the next 35 minutes to an hour.

You can also use hydrogen peroxide to whiten teeth.