Illustration by Travis Foster
Brush your teeth twice a day. Floss at night. Don’t drink soda. Everyone has heard these suggestions before. But even after those simple tasks, better oral health is not a guarantee. Dr. Jennifer DeCota, of DeCo Dental in Fenton, says that education is the key element. She developed a program for patients that emphasizes preventive care. “The number-one thing that people need to do is become educated on what causes cavities,” she says. “About 99 percent of oral health problems are preventable.”
DeCota says the three most important things for dentists to look for, as indicators of oral health, are cavities, gum disease and misaligned jaw joints. Cavities are formed by too much exposure of the tooth to acids, which are contained in anything with carbohydrates. Because it takes saliva 45 minutes to neutralize acid, DeCota recommends eating or drinking within short periods of time as opposed to snacking or sipping throughout the day. Drinking lots of water, brushing and flossing every night, using fluoride rinses and chewing xylitol gum—a gum that inhibits bacteria—also aid in preventing cavities and gum disease.
Making sure to brush and floss correctly is another important element of better oral health. Dr. Lawrence Hoffman, who has a practice in Clayton, recommends that dentists watch their patients brush and floss to ensure they’re doing it properly. He says that power toothbrushes are very effective in improving oral health and reversing the early stages of gum disease, while other products such as mouthwash (containing alcohol) do very little.
Good oral health may be more critical than people think. Studies are being done to determine whether there is a link between gum disease and a person’s overall health. “So far there’s no certainty,” Hoffman says. “But it may have some validity that the healthier your mouth and gums are, the less of a risk you have of getting heart disease.”
With these things in mind, finding a dentist who emphasizes education and preventive care will save you trips to the dentist—and save you money. Making these tasks part of your normal routine will help prevent cavities and gum disease, giving you a healthier mouth.
