3 Ways To Protect Your Teeth From Bacterial Acid When A Toothbrush And Floss Is Not Around

Dentist Blog

If you are currently having a difficult time keeping your teeth free of cavities, your dental hygiene regimen may not be well rounded. People often brush and floss at home, but these measures may not be enough to protect the teeth from the ravages of bacterial acid.

Bacterial acid is produced by oral microbes as a byproduct of the process that they use to digest food. The acid dissolves tooth enamel, and the weakened areas begin to decay.

Nevertheless, there are things that you can do to help protect the health of your teeth even when a toothbrush and dental floss are not available. Here are a few of them:

Drink water that contains fluoride.

By regularly drinking water that contains fluoride, you expose your teeth to the protective properties of the element repeatedly throughout the day. Fluoride is able to reinforce weakened areas of your tooth enamel.

The element coats your teeth and attracts other tooth minerals, such as phosphorous and calcium, to the teeth. It is able to combine with these substances to create a tooth material that is able to resist the detriments of acid more readily than the original tooth enamel.

You can also use the water as a mouth rinse after meals and snacks. The water helps clean your mouth of debris, such as food particles and plaque, and dilutes acid that may have become concentrated in your mouth.

Swish with a healthy oil.

You can also swish with a healthy oil, such as coconut oil or sesame oil, before you brush. This practice, which is often referred to as oil pulling, is used to remove large numbers of oral bacteria from the mouth.

As the oil comes in contact with the surfaces of the teeth and soft tissues of the oral cavity, it traps bacteria. The microbes remain trapped in the oil until the liquid is released from your mouth.

As an added bonus, many healthy oils contain anti-inflammatory properties that help soothe inflamed gums.

Chew sugarless gum between meals.

As long as you do not have a medical condition, such as lockjaw, that could prevent you from safely chewing gum, you can enjoy a stick of sugarless gum between meals to keep your teeth clean. The gum pulls decay-causing debris from your teeth and increases the release of saliva. The saliva dilutes oral acids to minimize its damaging effects.

To learn more ways to keep your teeth healthy, schedule an appointment with a dentist from a clinic like C. James Goodwin, DDS, PLLC. in your area.

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21 September 2016

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