Do you want to visit the dentist and get a clean bill of health each time? Learning how to prevent cavities will go a long way towards ensuring you don’t need to come back and get a filling.
The tooth decay that leads to cavities occurs when the bacteria in your mouth form a sticky plaque on your teeth.
1:36Watch Now: 7 Tips for Preventing Cavities
1:36
Watch Now: 7 Tips for Preventing Cavities
1Brush Your TeethJGI/Tom Gril/Getty ImagesIn the fight against cavities, it is essential that youbrush your teeth properlyat least twice a day with atoothpaste containing fluoride.You can use a regular toothbrush or an electric toothbrush. Be sure to brush all sides of your teeth: front, back, and top. Brushing your teeth removes the plaque, but it will form again in a few hours, so you have to brush at least twice a day.
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Brush Your TeethJGI/Tom Gril/Getty ImagesIn the fight against cavities, it is essential that youbrush your teeth properlyat least twice a day with atoothpaste containing fluoride.You can use a regular toothbrush or an electric toothbrush. Be sure to brush all sides of your teeth: front, back, and top. Brushing your teeth removes the plaque, but it will form again in a few hours, so you have to brush at least twice a day.
Brush Your Teeth
JGI/Tom Gril/Getty Images
In the fight against cavities, it is essential that youbrush your teeth properlyat least twice a day with atoothpaste containing fluoride.You can use a regular toothbrush or an electric toothbrush. Be sure to brush all sides of your teeth: front, back, and top. Brushing your teeth removes the plaque, but it will form again in a few hours, so you have to brush at least twice a day.
2Floss or Clean Between Your Teeth DailyDylan Ellis/Getty ImagesFood debris gets caught in between your teeth when you eat. If the debris is not removed, it can lead to cavities.Flossingor using an interdental cleaner every day is the best way to remove food debris from in between the teeth.
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Floss or Clean Between Your Teeth DailyDylan Ellis/Getty ImagesFood debris gets caught in between your teeth when you eat. If the debris is not removed, it can lead to cavities.Flossingor using an interdental cleaner every day is the best way to remove food debris from in between the teeth.
Floss or Clean Between Your Teeth Daily
Dylan Ellis/Getty Images
Food debris gets caught in between your teeth when you eat. If the debris is not removed, it can lead to cavities.Flossingor using an interdental cleaner every day is the best way to remove food debris from in between the teeth.
3Eat HealthyHinterhaus Productions/Getty ImagesProper nutritionplays an important role in good dental health.Eating nutritional snacks and limiting the amount of sugary drinks will help to prevent plaque from forming on your teeth. Drink water instead.Don’t make a habit of having frequent sugary snacks, including hard candy and other snacks that contain sugar.
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Eat HealthyHinterhaus Productions/Getty ImagesProper nutritionplays an important role in good dental health.Eating nutritional snacks and limiting the amount of sugary drinks will help to prevent plaque from forming on your teeth. Drink water instead.Don’t make a habit of having frequent sugary snacks, including hard candy and other snacks that contain sugar.
Eat Healthy
Hinterhaus Productions/Getty Images
Proper nutritionplays an important role in good dental health.
Eating nutritional snacks and limiting the amount of sugary drinks will help to prevent plaque from forming on your teeth. Drink water instead.
Don’t make a habit of having frequent sugary snacks, including hard candy and other snacks that contain sugar.
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Visit Your Dentist and Dental Hygienist
M_a_y_a/Getty Images
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Have Sealants Placed
Emir Memedovsk/Getty Images
What to Do When Your Child Has a Cavity
6Use a MouthrinseLea Paterson/Getty ImagesThere are several antimicrobial mouth rinses on the market that have been clinically proven to reduce plaque, such as Crest Pro Health.Rinsing with one of these mouth rinses after brushing or eating can aid in cavity prevention.
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Use a MouthrinseLea Paterson/Getty ImagesThere are several antimicrobial mouth rinses on the market that have been clinically proven to reduce plaque, such as Crest Pro Health.Rinsing with one of these mouth rinses after brushing or eating can aid in cavity prevention.
Use a Mouthrinse
Lea Paterson/Getty Images
There are several antimicrobial mouth rinses on the market that have been clinically proven to reduce plaque, such as Crest Pro Health.Rinsing with one of these mouth rinses after brushing or eating can aid in cavity prevention.
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Chew (Sugarless) Gum
Hero Images/Getty Images
11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.U.S. Library of Medicine MedlinePlus.Tooth Decay.The Nemours Foundation/Kidshealth.org.Taking Care of Your Teeth.American Dental Association.Fluoride: topical and systemic supplements.Badrasawi MMH, Hijjeh NH, Amer RS, Allan RM, Altamimi M.Nutrition awareness and oral health among dental patients in palestine: a cross-sectional study.International Journal of Dentistry. 2020;2020:e3472753. doi: 10.1155/20203472753Erdelyi RA, Duma VF, Dobre G, Bradu A, Podoleanu A.Investigations of dental cavities: between x-ray radiography and OCT.In: Kovačičinová J, ed.Optics and Measurement International Conference 2019. SPIE; 2019:19. doi: 10.1117/12.2542904Prathibha B, Reddy PP, Anjum MS, Monica M, Praveen BH.Sealants revisited: An efficacy battle between the two major types of sealants - A randomized controlled clinical trial.Dent Res J (Isfahan). 2019;16(1):36-41.American Dental Association.Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste.American Dental Association.Orbit Sugarfree Gum.American Dental Association.Trident Sugarfree Gum.American Dental Association.quip Sugarfree Chewing Gum.American Dental Association.Bazooka Sugarfree Chewing Gum.Additional ReadingCavities. American Dental Association.
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.U.S. Library of Medicine MedlinePlus.Tooth Decay.The Nemours Foundation/Kidshealth.org.Taking Care of Your Teeth.American Dental Association.Fluoride: topical and systemic supplements.Badrasawi MMH, Hijjeh NH, Amer RS, Allan RM, Altamimi M.Nutrition awareness and oral health among dental patients in palestine: a cross-sectional study.International Journal of Dentistry. 2020;2020:e3472753. doi: 10.1155/20203472753Erdelyi RA, Duma VF, Dobre G, Bradu A, Podoleanu A.Investigations of dental cavities: between x-ray radiography and OCT.In: Kovačičinová J, ed.Optics and Measurement International Conference 2019. SPIE; 2019:19. doi: 10.1117/12.2542904Prathibha B, Reddy PP, Anjum MS, Monica M, Praveen BH.Sealants revisited: An efficacy battle between the two major types of sealants - A randomized controlled clinical trial.Dent Res J (Isfahan). 2019;16(1):36-41.American Dental Association.Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste.American Dental Association.Orbit Sugarfree Gum.American Dental Association.Trident Sugarfree Gum.American Dental Association.quip Sugarfree Chewing Gum.American Dental Association.Bazooka Sugarfree Chewing Gum.Additional ReadingCavities. American Dental Association.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
U.S. Library of Medicine MedlinePlus.Tooth Decay.The Nemours Foundation/Kidshealth.org.Taking Care of Your Teeth.American Dental Association.Fluoride: topical and systemic supplements.Badrasawi MMH, Hijjeh NH, Amer RS, Allan RM, Altamimi M.Nutrition awareness and oral health among dental patients in palestine: a cross-sectional study.International Journal of Dentistry. 2020;2020:e3472753. doi: 10.1155/20203472753Erdelyi RA, Duma VF, Dobre G, Bradu A, Podoleanu A.Investigations of dental cavities: between x-ray radiography and OCT.In: Kovačičinová J, ed.Optics and Measurement International Conference 2019. SPIE; 2019:19. doi: 10.1117/12.2542904Prathibha B, Reddy PP, Anjum MS, Monica M, Praveen BH.Sealants revisited: An efficacy battle between the two major types of sealants - A randomized controlled clinical trial.Dent Res J (Isfahan). 2019;16(1):36-41.American Dental Association.Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste.American Dental Association.Orbit Sugarfree Gum.American Dental Association.Trident Sugarfree Gum.American Dental Association.quip Sugarfree Chewing Gum.American Dental Association.Bazooka Sugarfree Chewing Gum.
U.S. Library of Medicine MedlinePlus.Tooth Decay.
The Nemours Foundation/Kidshealth.org.Taking Care of Your Teeth.
American Dental Association.Fluoride: topical and systemic supplements.
Badrasawi MMH, Hijjeh NH, Amer RS, Allan RM, Altamimi M.Nutrition awareness and oral health among dental patients in palestine: a cross-sectional study.International Journal of Dentistry. 2020;2020:e3472753. doi: 10.1155/20203472753
Erdelyi RA, Duma VF, Dobre G, Bradu A, Podoleanu A.Investigations of dental cavities: between x-ray radiography and OCT.In: Kovačičinová J, ed.Optics and Measurement International Conference 2019. SPIE; 2019:19. doi: 10.1117/12.2542904
Prathibha B, Reddy PP, Anjum MS, Monica M, Praveen BH.Sealants revisited: An efficacy battle between the two major types of sealants - A randomized controlled clinical trial.Dent Res J (Isfahan). 2019;16(1):36-41.
American Dental Association.Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste.
American Dental Association.Orbit Sugarfree Gum.
American Dental Association.Trident Sugarfree Gum.
American Dental Association.quip Sugarfree Chewing Gum.
American Dental Association.Bazooka Sugarfree Chewing Gum.
Cavities. American Dental Association.
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