Many of our patients buy expensive over-the-counter fluoride mouthwash. We applaud them for their healthy habits, but we have a tip that will leave their wallet and teeth feeling happy!

Changing up the brushing routine

Most of us brush our teeth and rinse our mouths out with water, but what if we left the faucets off? Over the counter fluoride toothpaste much more fluoride than its mouthwash counterpart.

So what's the deal?

Here is a tip that can save you time and money:

After brushing your teeth for 2 minutes spit out the excess tooth paste and DO NOT rinse with water, drink or eat for an hour. This way you will maximize on the fluoride in the toothpaste and save you time and money on using a fluoride mouthwash.

You'll get the most of your fluoride toothpaste, and the earth will thank you for leaving the faucet off and saving water!

We do note however, that children should rinse after brushing until the age of 16.

https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/colgates-super-bowl-ad-is-a-haunting-reminder-of-w/

Cavities

Dental cavities, also known as caries or tooth decay, are by far the most common oral disease affecting the hard structure of the tooth. Cavities are also the most preventable dental disease.

What are cavities?
Cavities are the melting of the hard outer layer of the tooth leading to a hole in that tooth.

What causes cavities?
Bacteria in our mouth feed on the carbohydrates in our diet. These bacteria produce acids which attack the tooth’s hard structure and cause it to erode.

Cavities are also the most preventable dental disease.

How can we prevent cavity formation?
There are three strategies we can use:

Alter our snacking habits. By reducing our carbohydrate intake, the bacteria in our mouths is starved and can no longer produce the harmful acids that corrode our teeth.
Strengthen the tooth structure to make it more resistant to the acid produced by the bacteria.
Reduce the number of bacteria in our mouth so we have less acids produced.

How do we determine which strategy is best for you?
Depending on each individual "risk profile", we choose the strategy that has the best chance of reducing cavities in the future. We call this process "Caries Management By Risk Assessment". To read more about caries management, see our posts on CAMBRA.

Are cavities transmissible?

Cavities aren't contagious, but bacteria is. Cavities are caused by bacteria in the mouth. These bacteria are most often transferred to our mouths as babies from our caregivers. Studies have shown, however, that if we can delay the process and keep the bacteria from babies in the first two years of life, we can significantly reduce the risk of future cavities. We will post more on early prevention and infant dental care in the future.

At Making You Smile we are committed to cavity prevention and each of our patients is presented with a prevention plan that fits their particular needs. Call and book your appointment today. 1-646 484-0197

Cavities

Dental cavities, also known as caries or tooth decay, are by far the most common oral disease affecting the hard structure of the tooth. Cavities are also the most preventable dental disease.

What are cavities?
Cavities are the melting of the hard outer layer of the tooth leading to a hole in that tooth.

What causes cavities?
Bacteria in our mouth feed on the carbohydrates in our diet. These bacteria produce acids which attack the tooth’s hard structure and cause it to erode.

Cavities are also the most preventable dental disease.

How can we prevent cavity formation?
There are three strategies we can use:

Alter our snacking habits. By reducing our carbohydrate intake, the bacteria in our mouths is starved and can no longer produce the harmful acids that corrode our teeth.
Strengthen the tooth structure to make it more resistant to the acid produced by the bacteria.
Reduce the number of bacteria in our mouth so we have less acids produced.

Are cavities transmissible?

Cavities

Dental cavities, also known as caries or tooth decay, are by far the most common oral disease affecting the hard structure of the tooth. Cavities are also the most preventable dental disease.

What are cavities?
Cavities are the melting of the hard outer layer of the tooth leading to a hole in that tooth.

What causes cavities?
Bacteria in our mouth feed on the carbohydrates in our diet. These bacteria produce acids which attack the tooth’s hard structure and cause it to erode.

Cavities are also the most preventable dental disease.

How can we prevent cavity formation?
There are three strategies we can use:

Alter our snacking habits. By reducing our carbohydrate intake, the bacteria in our mouths is starved and can no longer produce the harmful acids that corrode our teeth.
Strengthen the tooth structure to make it more resistant to the acid produced by the bacteria.
Reduce the number of bacteria in our mouth so we have less acids produced.

Are cavities transmissible?

In the previous post, we introduced you to CAMBRA, Caries Management by Risk Assessment, which evaluates the possibility of developing certain diseases in the future. Now we'll go into further detail on how it all works.

How is Caries Risk Assessment done?

We meet with patients and collect information about their dental history and current condition and make projections for future risk. Once we establish a risk level, we can develop and appropriate plan to reduce future risk.

Some of the information we collect for cavities includes:

History of cavities in the past 3 years
Type of previous dental work
Frequency, duration and type of snacks per day
Medication and other conditions which affect your saliva and cause mouth dryness
Quality and type of home care such as brushing and flossing and whether any visible dental plaque is present on teeth
For babies, we assess the care giver history of cavities

The American Dental Association and the California Dental Association developed extensive lists of items to be evaluated. After we review of all the information, we determine the Risk Level as either Low, Moderate or High.

At Making You Smile, everyone gets a risk assessment for caries and a customized caries management plan for a future free of cavities.

Reduce your chance of developing cavities with a regular checkup at Making You Smile Cosmetic Dental Studio - call 1-646-484-0197 in Manhattan or book an appointment via ZocDoc.