In our mouth live 20,000 million bacteria and every day that passes without brushing our teeth there are moved millions of new bacteria willing to do their own.
The program “The truth about your teeth” explores how we should maintain good oral hygiene.
Here we present you with nine practical recommendations so that you do not have to visit the dentist ahead of time:
1. Diet, more important than brushing to prevent tooth decay
According to Lane DDS the diet has a more important weight than the brushing of the teeth in the prevention of caries.
“Brushing your teeth is excellent, it is very important and prevents pyorrhea, but the diet factor is key,” he said.
It does not come with brushing the teeth well and more times a day to compensate: that can not reverse the effects of a bad diet.
“When it comes to cavities, cavities and holes in the teeth, the key is in the diet and the frequency of exposure to sugar,” he said.
2. When to eat, as important as what you eat
If you have not eaten or drunk for a while, your mouth is essentially “at rest” and your teeth are safe.
But right after eating it becomes acidic, creating an environment in which your teeth begin to dissolve.
“It takes about 40 minutes for the mouth to return to its safe levels of acidity,” explains Dr. Chris van Tulleken.
So the more you peck between meals, the more periods of acidity there will be in your mouth.
The general advice for the care of the teeth is to avoid eating between meals and eating the sweets after meals.
3. How to “eat well” between meals
But if you can not resist pecking between meals, Van Tulleken recommends “drink water, chew gum without sugar or even eat some cheese” to help the teeth return to that safe level of acidity.
4. Sugar, the great enemy of the teeth
The frequency of exposure to sugar is key to the development of caries.
Van Tulleken recommends taking care with seemingly incocious foods but that they have hidden sugar, such as fruit juices, cereals or some precooked meals.
“There are sugars hidden in foods that you would never expect,” says the researcher.
It is better to eat an orange than to drink a bottled orange juice.
Milk is another food that can betray, particularly in children: although its calcium content makes it advisable for teeth, it also contains sugar.
Some children fall asleep with the bottle in their mouths or do not brush their teeth after drinking milk and this also contributes to the formation of cavities.