The time and effort you put into cavity prevention will help you avoid potentially serious threats and generally preserve your smile. At our Mansfield, TX dentist’s office, we can provide important preventive services on a regular basis. Your regular dental exams and cleanings both lower your risk for future problems and update you about the state of your oral health at the time of your appointment. These visits certainly help, but they are not the only means you have of protecting yourself. Between your visits, you should stick to the right diet choices and keep up with your oral hygiene in order to fight the accumulation of bacteria and food particles that can lead to trouble.

1. Make Sure You Floss Every Day

Flossing is an important step in an overall oral hygiene routine. Unfortunately, it is also one that people can feel too comfortable skipping. The spaces between your teeth are vulnerable to the buildup of bacteria as well as food debris. Because they are harder to reach by brushing alone, not flossing means letting these areas stay at risk for decay as well as gum disease. Taking the time to floss once a day—and moving the floss string vertically to remove bacteria at the gumline—will help you stay out of smile trouble.

2. Be Consistent About Preventive Dental Visits

Your regularly scheduled appointments with your dentist provide important preventive care that can lower your cavity risk. One benefit to these visits is that they lead to the removal of tartar deposits during your dental cleanings. Brushing and flossing alone will not remove this substance, making its removal by a professional valuable to your oral health. Another benefit is that you and your dentist can discuss your vulnerability to problems as well as the presence of any active issues that require restorative dental work.

3. Choose Water Over Flavored Beverages During Meals And Snacks

Choosing water as an alternative to flavored drinks, particularly sodas that are high in sugar as well as acidic, can cut down on your risk for smile troubles. What you might not know is that beyond being a smile-friendly alternative to flavored beverages, water can offer additional support by washing away food particles and keeping you hydrated. When you are better hydrated, your body has an easier time producing saliva, which naturally supports your efforts at preventing problems.

Talk To Your Mansfield, TX Dentist About Cavity Prevention

Better cavity prevention protects you from problems with dental decay that do irreversible harm to your tooth structure. If you have questions about how you can protect yourself, concerns about the current state of your oral health, or need to book your next visit, please reach out to Mansfield Dental Associates in Mansfield, TX today at 817-473-6227!