How can I keep my teeth cavity-free?

Question

I brush and floss every day.

My diet isn't high in sugar or acidic foods/drinks.

I take a multivitamin, includes everything plus D3, so I'm getting plenty of calcium between that and milk and yogurt.

I use ProNamel from Sensodyne, thinking maybe I had weak enamel.

I don't have any disease that would cause these issues, no dry mouth or gingivitis, etc.

None of that seems to matter. My teeth are still CONSTANTLY riddled with cavities. I'm so tired of tooth pain and even more tired of having to come up with hundreds of dollars (that I never have) every time I visit a dentist.

Do you have any tips?

Anyone else have this issue?

Any help will be greatly appreciated :-)

Thanks!

ketfoen · Accepted Answer

I haven't had a single cavity since I was 12 years old and I'm 34 now. So I think you can take it from me I know what I'm talking about.

Brush normally 1-3 times a day, I brush in the morning, afternoon and at night, it's just a rhythm of mine, I guess you can only brush in the mornings and at night.

I hope you like chewing gum, because that's all you need to do. Chew a lot of sugar free gum.

I have been a chewaholic since my pre-teens, I was even called a cow by my teachers because I even chewed during class which was forbidden hahaha, all those times being called to the head office for chewing have been well worth it.

I go through an 18 pack a day of Trident sugar free gum and continuously chew until I go to bed at night.

I don't think you'll get the results you want right away, but all that saliva in your mouth while chewing strengthens your teeth better than any toothpaste or mouth wash on the planet.

I honestly didn't know it since the beginning, I guess it was just dumb luck and my stupid addiction to chewing gum that made me, the dentist most unfavored patient.

I still go for oral hygiene every 6 months, because it's impossible to get rid of all the plaque, but I usually only have a little here and there, plus my new oral hygienist is very pretty which is nice. It's not everyday you can get a pretty woman to clean the recesses and crevices of your mouth, hahahaha.

I honestly never in a million years want to be a dentist even if you think the pay is awesome, it's such a dirty job, maybe even worse than that of a garbageman.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Yeah, I had several years ago. I've done tons of research on this. You can research all these on your own if you want to learn more.

-Eliminate ALL acidic drinks and juices.

-Only drink water and more to stay salivated, dry mouth causes cavities, if you sleep with your mouth open, try not to. Reduce refined sugar even more.

-Reduce grains.

-Eat more butter.

-Reduce or eliminate milk, it actually causes osteoporosis and is bad for bones and teeth.

-Alkalize your mouth. Rinse your mouth with a teaspoon of baking soda in water a couple times a day.

-Read the book 'cure tooth decay - ramiel nagel' It's controversial, but you never know.

The most important thing you can do is:

-Take vitamin D3, does your multi only have 200-400 IU? Not enough. Take about 2000-4000IU/day to prevent and reverse cavities. Has to be taken with a meal containing fat.

-Take vitamin K2, 100-200MG/day of Mk7 form, or 5MG of MK4 form. K2 could be one of the most important new vitamins for bones and teeth. Keeps calcium out of arteries, and in bones.

-Take vitamin A.

-Chew xylitol gum, must have at least 5mg per piece and no aspartame, chew 3 pieces per day after each meal. Regular gum is not the same, don't chew it. Xylitol can also be bought in powder form to be used as a sugar substitute.

- If you also have gum problems, take extra Vitamin C. Rinse with a little bit of hydrogen peroxide in water each night.

musicbrain5 · Accepted Answer

I've never had a cavity. I must be really lucky because as a kid I had really bad dental care habits and I ate candy and chocolate all the time.

But I'm all grown up now and I brush after every meal (I have braces so that's required anyways), and instead of flossing (which is really hard with all that metal), I use something called a Waterpik water flosser, which is kind of like that water jet that dentists use to clean your teeth, but stronger. Here's a link ( link ) to their flossers. I have the Ultra one which has a hose but they have cordless ones too. It gets into all the crevices that normal floss can't reach, like the entire space between your gums and the tooth. I use that at least once a day and it's great. You can purchase them at Walmart.

Chewing sugarless gum used to help me keep my teeth clean and produced more saliva too which will fight bacteria that causes plaque and tartar. I can't chew gum anymore, but I still recommend it.

Do you know if your community tap water is treated with fluoride? Most municipal water is, but not well water. Fluoride helps strengthen the enamel on the teeth. If your tap water has it, drink some of that everyday. If not, then you can find mouthwashes that contain it. Listerine is the best for that - link

pickledxtofu · Accepted Answer

Have you tried ACT? This is weird but last year I had a check up and the dentist said I would need fillings because my enamel was weak, I think on like, 4 teeth

This year I came back (just recently as well since my braces were removed) and he said everything was fine. No cavities, no weakened enamel.

I used ACT as recommended and it worked for me. I use the one with the ADA seal, I think it's the green one

Levin · Answer

I'm sure an ex of mine used to blather on about getting cavities because her teeth were weakened due to braces. I've never had braces (have naturally straight teeth), and never had any fillings. Then again, when we brushed our teeth together, I'd take twice as long as she did, I'm not sure how long, but it seems longer than five minutes. That's the only thing I do differently. I like my sugary food (though I cut down recently), and I certainly don't floss every spare moment of the day, as is the American obsession. I also suspect some dentists do 'pre-emptive' work, put euphemistically. For example, my dentist doesn't think I need my wisdom teeth removed. They probably would have gone at the age of 12 at your practice.

Anonymous · Answer

How many cavities have you had throughout your entire life? Iv had over a dozen. It sucks.

Everyone is different. But what has helped me is drinking a lot more water instead of juice, soda, or other drinks, and adjusting my brushing technique.

Instead of going in a back forth motion. I brush in a circular motion along my gums and teeth. A spin brush helps with this too. They usually aren't too expensive.

Also try arm and hammer toothpaste with baking soda. Has really made the difference for me.

Anonymous · Answer

Rinse your mouth out with water after every meal. Brush after every meal too if you want, but make sure its been more than 30min-1hr after you eat because your enamel gets soft when you eat and brushing it will cause more damage.

Don't use mouthwash with alcohol in it, since it kills the good bacteria that protects your teeth from cavities along with the bad.

Chew sugar-free gum.

Avoid foods that can give you heart-burn.

Drink lots of water. You need to stay well hydrated to protect your teeth.

Use a water pik or one of these link and use it in addition to brushing and flossing.

I've also heard its better to floss before brushing so that might help.

Littletad · Answer

Get rid of sugar in your diet. One can of coke is already more than enough for your sugary needs. Consider that is just 12 ounces and how many more you might have throughout the day. If you can avoid sugar for 4 days straight, and only get your sugar from fruits and veggies, you'll notice a chance in teeth, literally. That includes fresher breath, whiter teeth, and less gum pain. Don't take my word for it, look it up :).

MeAndAHalf · Answer

Add a good mouth wash to the routine, I have a friend with the same problem she said she started excusing herself, using mouth wash every time she ate, or drank something other tan water.  she would just carry around those travel sized bottles and go to the bathroom and after a few months she noticed they had started to reduce in size and number, at the very least you might prevent more from forming.

aMuse · Answer

Pull them out with pliers and store them in a safe place.

heyyodude · Answer

Some people are just naturally more prone to cavities, sometimes due to genetics. Did you ask your dentist what the causes were?

Michaelmwm19 · Answer

Do you eat a lot of candy or sugary things? Or have any habits like chewing on something that will break your teeth? Or drink a lot of pop or anything like that?

RedThread · Answer

Some people have naturally weak teeth. My sister and dad have the same problem. My dad has had half his teeth in the back pulled at one point due to rotting even though he takes care of them. My sister takes care of her teeth more than anyone I know and she routinely has cavities. Some people just have naturally soft teeth that are more prone to cavities. I suggest just doing the best you can to try to prevent it.

candyaurora · Answer

I have suffered from this issue since childhood :( But now I have started brushing teeth more frequently and carefully- yes the method of brushing is as important as the frequency ! But I think some people are prone to cavities as I have noticed that my siblings don't clean their teeth as frequently as I do but still seem to have almost the same whiteness and hygiene as me which is unfair :(

The-Dude-Next-Door · Answer

You can get white sealants on your teeth. They cost about $18.00 per tooth, and insurance won't cover that cost. The sealants will guard your teeth against cavities for the rest of your life. Ask your dentist about sealants on your next visit.

Anonymous · Answer

Your diet and health seems better than mine and I haven't had a cavity before. I think some people are just different. Maybe drinking a lot of water. I drink water ALL THE TIME. I get dehydrated fast due to a illness so water is mostly all I drink. I'm not a soda drinker like that and I drink juice but I always mix it with water because I don't like really sweet juice. I take folic acid with no iron also due to my illness. But other than that I don't use any special toothpaste or mouth wash.

abundantlyrich · Answer

can't really give you an answer unless I know more about your diet. if you have to drink soft drinks or beer, sip with a straw.

Luv2run · Answer

I used to have lots of cavities until I started using sonic care tooth brush , expensive but worth it . I haven't had a cavity since.

stevo1 · Answer

I've just stuck to anti-cavity toothpastes and mouthwash. I've only had two. But to counter sensitivity, use Sensodyne. It works.

samtheman93 · Answer

Sounds strange that you still get cavities even when you look after your teeth so well. I know for a fact that I have poor enamel on my teeth and have only ever had one cavity in my life. Have you talked to your dentist about it?

Anonymous · Answer

Go to the dentist regularly and avoid acids (vinegar, lemons, ect)

red324 · Answer

Have your teeth sealed by the dentist. they fill in all the crevices that cavities form in.

tiredofwaiting · Answer

Floss after every meal

Brush after every meal

Cut out sugary food that means coke or super sweet drinks like juice eg drink water or milk instead

Use mouthwash when you don't have time to brush your teeth

JamielovesKU · Answer

Ask your dentist for sealins. its like a protective coating that goes over the teeth and it helps to keep your teeth cavity free.

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