You've probably been told since you were a kid to do everything you can to avoid cavities. But if you're like most of us, you may still be a bit hazy on the facts about tooth decay. Learn how to separate truth from fiction and you'll be on your way to a trouble-free smile. 1. Myth: Sugar Is the Only Thing That Causes Cavities "The truth is, acid produced by bacteria in your mouth is the cause of cavities," says Kimberly A. Harms, DDS, an American Dental Association spokeswoma

Prevention Good oral and dental hygiene can help you avoid cavities and tooth decay. Below are some tips to help prevent cavities. Ask your dentist which tips are best for you. Brush with fluoride toothpaste after eating or drinking. Brush your teeth at least twice a day and ideally after every meal, using fluoride-containing toothpaste. To clean between your teeth, floss or use an interdental cleaner. If you can't brush after eating, at least try to rinse your mouth with wat

From our friends at the ADA (American Dental Association) Adding fluoride to public water supplies is a safe and effective way to prevent tooth decay and has played a major role in in improving the public’s dental health for 70 years. "Fluoride’s effectiveness in preventing tooth decay extends throughout one’s life, resulting in fewer—and less severe̵—cavities," says Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy. Read on to learn more about what the Centers for Disease Control and Preventi

From our friends at the AAPD (American Academy of Pediatric Dentists) Question: Can cavities be spread through saliva? Answer: It’s likely common knowledge that illnesses such as the flu and the common cold are contagious. But many parents might be surprised to find out the bacteria that causes cavities is also contagious, and can be passed along through saliva! As a parent or caregiver, this is important to keep in mind when going about your day with your little one. It’s be

From the Washington Post By Ariana Eunjung cha American kids consume an insane amount of sugar — often double or triple the federal recommended dietary guidelines — and these empty calories are often blamed for everything from obesity to hyperactivity in the schools. What happens when we take it away? Researchers at the University of California-San Francisco and Touro University decided to find out by recruiting 43 volunteers, ages 9 to 18, and putting them on low-sugar diets

Back’n’forth, back’n’forth – scrubba’ scrubba’ scrubba! Get those teeth clean! Yes, get ‘em clean … but, if your child’s method of brushing more resembles a lumberjack sawing trees in half than it does a gentle massage, they might be in for a lifetime of sensitive teeth, bonding treatments and receding gums. With this in mind, we thought we’d offer our top four tips for avoiding enamel loss when brushing. And the best part is, even parents can benefit from these tips as well!

Cavities – they're not just for adults. Streptococcus mutans, the bacterium that contributes to tooth decay, is a rather indiscriminate little purple menace, and is quite fond of teeth no matter if they're in your mouth or the mouth of your baby. Keeping their mouth as clean as you keep your own can help you stay ahead of early childhood cavities, and only read about baby bottle tooth decay instead of experiencing it firsthand. With that in mind, here are seven tips that ca

Tooth decay is all about chemistry. The process of enamel erosion that leads to eventual caries or what we would call a cavity can be traced back to the chemistry of the human mouth. The chemistry begins with the bacteria that is commonly carried in our mouths. This bacteria must feed on carbohydrates in order to exist and thrive. The byproduct of the bacteria digesting the carbohydrates that we have in our mouth, is acid. The acid that is left behind by these bacterias can e