Cavities are primarily the product of poor-quality plaque build-up on your teeth. Most of us get our oral bacteria from our mothers, for example, when they taste our food before feeding us as children. Bacteria are really necessary to keep teeth lubricated for chewing and to physically exclude pathogenic bacteria from inhabiting the mouth and causing respiratory and other diseases. Unfortunately, some of these “helpful bacteria” produce acids that demineralize enamel, leading to cavities.
To avoid cavities, you obviously need to keep your teeth clean and also maintain an environment in your mouth that is more hospitable to bacteria that don’t produce acids and less hospitable to those that do. This is how you do it:
-Brush your teeth in the morning before breakfast so there are fewer bacteria in your mouth when you introduce food that bacteria could use to multiply and produce acids. Also brush before bed each night, as during sleep your mouth is drier and there is less saliva to buffer acids in your mouth.
-Use a low-abrasive fluoride toothpaste, such as pronamel, with a soft-bristle toothbrush or better yet, an electric toothbrush. High abrasives can remove the protein film that coats the surface of the teeth to help them resist acids. The film is like the skin of your teeth. If you’re not sure if your toothpaste is very abrasive, rub a little between your fingers, you shouldn’t feel any harshness.
-Avoid, as much as possible, acidic foods and drinks such as candy, soda, kombucha, etc. The enamel on your teeth begins to demineralize below a pH of 5.5
-Rinse before bed with an alcohol-free mouthwash that has a basic pH. Alcohol doesn’t really do much to kill bacteria, notoriously “alcoholic” rinses like Listerine kill bacteria with essential oils. However, alcohol will dry out your mouth, which is counterproductive. Unfortunately most mouthwashes are also acidic pH, low pH stabilizes ingredients and increases shelf life. The only available mouthwash that I have found with a basic pH is Tom’s of Maine Natural Baking Soda Mouthwash. You can always make your own baking soda rinse, but I think it’s easier to buy it from the store.
-If your dentist believes that you are at very high risk of developing cavities, he may recommend that you rinse with a baking soda rinse after meals to reverse any drop in pH that may result from bacterial metabolism of sugars. Swallowing water is a less effective solution, but satisfying for the rest of us.
I hope all this has been useful to you. Happy brushing!
