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How to Prevent and Avoid Tooth Decay

Updated on November 4, 2019
Uzochukwu Mike profile image

He is a writer on youths, challenges, engineering, computer and insurance. He is certified by Young African Leaders Initiative on Workforce.

Picture showing parts of a tooth. It is used in explaining how to avoid tooth decay.
Picture showing parts of a tooth. It is used in explaining how to avoid tooth decay. | Source

Introduction

This is a topic on health. There are many ways through which tooth decay in both adults and children can be prevented and avoided. Tooth decay is said to occur when acids in the mouth of any person dissolves the outer layers of the teeth. It is a problem being suffered by many people all over the globe. Tooth decay can also be called dental decay and dental caries.

Statistically, the population of people that suffers from tooth decay keeps increasing every year. A one-time survey in England in the year 2012 shows that the number of adults and children that suffer from this problem is not encouraging in any way. In that survey, one out of every three adults in England suffers from tooth decay. In terms of percentage, that is to say that estimated 33% adults in the major English speaking country, England, suffer from the problem of tooth decay. From the same research conducted, it was found that more than one out of every four children in the country has elements of tooth decay in them.

According to Vanguard news report on April 4, 2015, not less than five billion people (nearly 80 percent of the world population) suffer from tooth decay. Worldwide, 60-90 percent of school children and nearly all adults have dental cavities. This statistics shows how the planet we live in is badly treated by tooth decay.

Tooth decay as a challenge which many adults all over the world are facing comes with many symptoms. Among the symptoms of tooth decay are toothache, mouth odour, tooth loss, difficulty in eating, and bad breath. So, when you start having any of the stated symptoms in your teeth, it is advisable to go and meet dentist to help you out in sorting the challenge out.

Tooth decay does not just come on its own as it has many causes. Causes of tooth decay are bacteria, sugary foods, not rinsing of mouth after meal, poor teeth brushing, teeth injury, and so many others.

How can Tooth decay be prevented?

Some persons feel ashamed to speak in public meetings because of what tooth decay has caused them. This makes their mouths to smell so bad. Among the ways through which tooth decay/dental decay can be prevented are:

  • Reduction in intake of refined sugary foods;
  • Brushing teeth regularly;
  • Use of healthy toothpaste; and
  • Rinsing of mouth with clean water.

Taking sugar can cause tooth decay. So, avoid taking of much sugar.
Taking sugar can cause tooth decay. So, avoid taking of much sugar. | Source

Reduction in Intake of refined Sugary Foods

Refined sugary foods have really contributed to the high statistics of tooth decay being reported by various health organizations. Any who takes highly refined foods whose contents are mainly sucrose and glucose is indirectly calling on tooth decay problem. So, it is better to take natural foods than to consume foods which have been processed by industries with high sugar contents to avoid and prevent the risk of tooth decay.

Most companies that manufacture foods which are sugary are more concerned of the profits they will make at the end without considering the negative effects it will have on the human systems. Consumption of sugary refined foods does not only result to tooth decay but can cause cancer, diabetes and other diseases.

People are to avoid the consumption of sweets and candy sold in shops. It is true that children like to eat these kinds of foods, but they should not be given that always. Dishing out sweets and sugary candy to them any time they make demand will affect their teeth. Parents should reduce the rate at which they give such foods to their children.

Brushing Teeth regularly

Teeth-brushing is one of the major topics studied in health education. One of the reasons why the topic is taken serious is because of the need for teeth maintenance. So, in a nutshell, brushing of teeth regularly is a way of giving red card to teeth decaying bacteria. Neat and cleaned teeth do not give room for the growth of bacterial of any type. When bacteria are hungry and need a play to grow and find out that the teeth they visit is a neat one, they have no other option left rather than to leave the neat environment.

How many times should one brush his or her teeth to avoid tooth decay? This is the question that most people usually ask to know how to prevent their teeth from the danger of tooth decay. In a straightforward answer, it is medically advisable to brush your teeth 2 or 3 times a day. When you brush the teeth after meal, it removes food particles on the teeth which can attract bacteria to the teeth.

Decaying tooth.
Decaying tooth. | Source

Use of healthy Toothpaste

The kind of toothpaste you make use of when brushing your teeth determines whether your teeth will be vulnerable to infection by bacteria which in turn cause tooth decay. All toothpastes are not toothpastes. Because of this, be selective when choosing toothpaste for brushing your teeth. All the toothpastes you see being sold in market places are not of good standard. Some toothpaste industries are just there to make money without having protection of the teeth of their customers as their priority. It is very vital to open your eyes wide before choosing any paste for your teeth so that it helps you against tooth decay.

Which type of toothpaste is approved by health organizations for brushing of teeth? In every country, the health organizations have some toothpaste they mark as among the best that are good for the teeth. These toothpastes mostly win national awards. In Nigeria for instance, Oral B is marked as the best toothpaste among others to be used for brushing of teeth. In the year 2014, Oral B was awarded the best quality toothpaste of the year by the African Quality Brands Endorsement Award (AFRIQBA). This kind of toothpaste has the good ingredients for protection of teeth. In your country, there are also some approved ones which you can find out by searching through Google, other search engines, or through newspapers.

Rinsing of mouth with clean Water

Rinsing teeth with clean water is a good contributor in preventing human teeth from tooth decay. So many people are ignorant of this important approach. Do not be in a haste to eat all the food in the house and at the end forget to rinse your mouth properly.

People have been asking on whether it is hygienic to swallow the water one use to rinse the mouth after meal or not. The answer is dependent on the person that ate the food. So, it depends on whether your mouth is neat enough or not. In summary, rinse your mouth after every meal.

Why should people rinse their mouth after every meal? The reason why people should rinse their mouth after each meal is for removal of the food particles that stick in-between their teeth. If these particles are left there, it can attract bacteria to the teeth. Because of proper rinsing of mouth after every meal, bacteria will have no position.

Conclusion

This article is on health. Be careful with anything you take into your system because that can cause you pains if you do not take certain precautions. Save yourself the insult of teeth smell by learning how to prevent tooth decay.This topic has done justice to teeth maintenance by preventing it from decay. In the other words, the topic is on how to prevent and avoid tooth decay in human beings. As explained in the individual subheadings, how to prevent and avoid tooth decay are through reduction in intake of refined sugary foods, brushing teeth regularly, the use of healthy toothpaste, and through rinsing of teeth with clean water.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2015 Uzochukwu Mike

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