By now, you should know how cavities form and how to cut your risk for developing tooth decay. You know these holes on the enamel layer form whenever you don’t brush your teeth after each meal, and if you subsist on a diet that consists primarily of sugars. But dental caries are trickier than you think, and they can form because of these less known yet still very much possible reasons:
Lack of Fluoride
With the dawn of water fluoridation, it seems rather absurd that some people would be deficient in fluoride. However, the rising trend of drinking from the bottle, which is devoid of fluoride, has had dentists rather worried for the dental health of their patients.
Luckily though, you can get all the fluoride which you need by using dental hygiene products such as toothpastes and mouthwashes. But be wary about which products you pick from the shelf though; some dental hygiene products do not contain any fluoride and are thought of as cosmetic. And if you still need more fluoride, you can ask your dentist about fluoride rinses.
Botched Porcelain Veneers and Crowns
Porcelain veneers and crowns can help to improve the appearance of your teeth but when these procedures are not done correctly, they can leave tiny spaces in between these dental works and the tooth which can serve as a sweet spot for where oral pathogens proliferate and do sorts of havoc, including creating cavities. It is possible for you to have your crowns and veneers redone though but before the dental works can be put into place, the cavity will have to be filled in first.
Eating Disorders
People suffer from bulimia have eroded enamels and increased risks for cavities. In fact, one telling sign that a person may be dealing with an eating disorder is the extent of the person’s dental enamel erosion. The reason for this is because of the melting of the dental enamel due to the action of the regurgitated acids when one vomits.
In order to put a definite halt on the accelerated rate of dental enamel erosion, one has to get over the eating disorder. However, the irreversible enamel destruction can be repaired with the help of dental bonding, crowns or veneers. The entire point of these procedures is to re-inforce the worn out enamel layer of the teeth in order to keep bacteria and other pathogens from invading the sensitive pulp layer.
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