Why Some People Visit the Dentist More Often Than Others
Do you feel as if you're always planning a visit to the dentist even though you already look after your teeth properly and wonder why your happy-go-lucky friend isn't affected like this? The truth is that no two people are alike and there are many different factors that may determine dental health through a lifetime. What are some of the factors that contribute to this variation?
Managing the Bacteria
Essentially, it can be boiled down to one thing — oral bacteria. Cavities are a result of a buildup of certain types of bacteria, resulting in decay. The extent to which bacteria can develop into an infection depends on a wide variety of circumstances. In other words, different conditions need to be in place for an infection to progress and require action by the dentist. While there may be many factors that are not under your control, others are. If you focus on the ones that you can contain, then your visits to the dentist for special treatment will be far fewer.
Plaque Is the Enemy
Remember that the bacteria that builds up on your teeth starts off in the form of plaque. This is a sticky film that attracts sugar and carbohydrate and converts it into acid. This can dissolve some of the tooth enamel, which is the protective layer, and allows the ever present bacteria to get inside the tooth.
There are millions of different bacteria in your mouth and the make-up (or the variety of different strains) varies from person to person. Some people have a microbiome that is more disposed to allow for dental damage, as some bacteria is more aggressive than its counterpart.
Control What You Can Control
As you've got no say in the make-up of your microbiome and don't really know if you're more vulnerable to dental problems than average, then you have to pay attention to what you can control. Flossing and brushing every day will help to contain that plaque and get rid of the food particles, which are the raw material for damage. Make sure that the plaque is removed by professional cleaning whenever necessary so that it doesn't harden and become even more volatile.
Diet Restrictions
By restricting the amount of sugary food and the carbohydrates in your diet you can starve the bacteria of fuel. Any food or drink that is acidic in nature will tend to erode the enamel. They'll make sure that your body's natural defences have to work overtime in order to try and rebalance the pH level of your mouth. Talk with your dentist about specific foods that seem to affect your dental health more acutely than others. Together you can determine what foods are really hurting your teeth and mouth.
Dry Mouth
Try and avoid the development of a condition known as dry mouth. This can especially occur at night, if you have a tendency to snore or breathe through your mouth instead of your nose. Without saliva, the ability to prevent overnight tooth decay is minimised. Drink lots of water and see if you can get some support to break you of your snoring habit.
As always, make sure that you visit a dentist like The Happy Tooth Kurri Kurri as recommended so that any early warning signs can be identified and an action plan developed.
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