Why worry about tooth decay if it can be prevented? This article will tell you about what causes tooth decay and how you can prevent it from happening.

1. Tooth Decay:
What It Is and How It's
Prevented
If you're like most Australians, you don't exactly treasure the time
you've spent in the chair at your dentist's office. You should
consider it a necessary evil, though! Without your dentist's help,
you're vulnerable to a lot of easily preventable dental problems.
Tooth decay is probably the most prominent one.
Read on to learn what the risks are and how you can minimise
them.

2. What Causes Decay
Your teeth are an amazing structure. They're made of extremely dense
bone, and that bone is further protected by a layer of hard enamel.
Tooth enamel is tough, but it's not indestructible. It's particularly
vulnerable to attack from acid.
Acid can wear holes in your tooth enamel over time. This is tooth
decay, and the individual holes it causes are commonly called cavities
or caries. If the problem is severe enough, the enamel can wear away
entirely, exposing the more vulnerable interior parts of the tooth. The
longer tooth decay goes on, the more severe the damage gets. Risks
include tooth loss and severe infection.
How does acid get into your mouth? Your teeth are also home to
plaque, a thin coating of bacteria that is continuously growing and
expanding. These bacteria feed on leftover bits of the food you eat, and
their digestive process converts sugar into acid.
How Tooth Decay Works

3. Plaque is found in everyone's mouth regardless of his/her habits, but
there are certain lifestyle choices that make your mouth a more
welcoming home to plaque. Diets that are rich in sugars and
carbohydrates give plaque more raw material to work with, and using
tobacco also contributes to plaque build-up.
Why Prevention is the Best Form of
Treatment
Once a distinct cavity forms due to tooth decay, the entire process
accelerates significantly. The inner parts of the tooth (the dentin and
pulp) are much more vulnerable to acid than the enamel on the
outside.

4. It's also much more difficult to remove plaque from the interior of a
cavity than from the external enamel. Once tooth decay enters an
advanced stage, it requires extensive dental intervention. Fillings are
required to plug the holes caused by tooth decay, and crowns or root
canals may be necessary to deal with interior damage caused by
infections.
Proper Oral Hygiene at Home
Fortunately, you can do a great deal to fight against tooth decay right
in your own home. The most important step is to commit to brushing
your teeth thoroughly and regularly. Your teeth need to be brushed
twice daily, and each session should last two minutes to ensure
maximum results.

5. You can also avoid eating late-night meals and snacks. Going to bed
with fresh food particles in your mouth gives plaque an ideal overnight
breeding ground. As noted above, sugar plays a crucial role in tooth
decay. You should avoid sugary foods, especially those that linger in the
mouth.
The Role Your Dentist Plays
While you can do the lion's share of the preventative care you need
at home, your dentist is an integral part of the fight against tooth decay.
Everyone needs regular dental check-ups to ensure that decay has not
taken root. The standard schedule is to visit the dentist twice a year.

6. A good dentist like Happy Teeth in the Sydney area
(happyteeth.com.au) will perform a professional cleaning that amplifies
the effects of your own brushing. The dentist will also check for any
signs of tooth decay and perform whatever treatment is necessary to
eliminate it. It's important to stick with a rigorous check-up schedule
because tooth decay is significantly easier to treat when it's detected
and corrected early.
While tooth decay can get truly dreadful if left untreated, the good
news is that it's one of the world's most preventable medical problems.
Entrust your dental care to a good dentist and you'll have nothing to
fear! As long as you get regular check-ups, listen to your dentist, and
brush your teeth diligently, you'll be well protected against tooth
decay.
Happy Teeth which offers a holistic approach in ensuring dental health
that helps in promoting the overall health as well. Happy Teeth truly
values our patients with our gentle and caring treatment thus making
you feel relaxed, comfortable, calm and smiling.
Happy Teeth – Sydney Dentist
Address: Suite 302, Fayworth House 379-383
Pitt Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000
Sydney City, Sydney Metro
Tel: (02) 808 44 942
http://happyteeth.com.au