Comments on: What Every Human Needs to Know About Plaque

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 16:39:28 +0000

Hi Claire - Congratulations on not having a cavity before 31, that's pretty impressive! It all depends on the size of the cavity. More conservative dentists may recommend using a fluoride mouth rinse and avoiding eating sugar multiple times throughout the day. More aggressive dentists may recommend filling small cavities.

Depending on how large it is, you may be able to allow the cavity to "heal" (remineralize) by using a fluoride mouth wash and brushing for two minutes when you brush so that the fluoride spends more time in contact with your teeth. You can always get a second opinion as well.

I hope that helps - let me know if you hav any other questions. Have a great day!

By: Cliare

Cliare — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 13:26:20 +0000

I have a small cavity and it is my first aged 31! I am not keen on having a filling so is there anyway I can treat this naturally? More brushing and flossing? My dentist said its very small hole but still wants to fill it? I would rather wait until its absolutlry neccesary before having any work done which may make things worse...

Cheers Claire

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 20:13:41 +0000

Thanks for your kind words, Tatyania. When I was little, my mom told me that little bugs lived in my mouth and I had to brush them off. I think that's what motivated me to keep my teeth clean as a kid. I'm glad I encouraged you to keep your teeth clean. We only get one set of permanent teeth and if we don't take care of them, we will lose them.

Your dad could have unfilled cavities and tartar on his teeth. This could be why they appear darker. Try to get him to go see a dentist, it will be worth it in the long run.

Thanks for the comment!

By: tatyania

tatyania — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 00:52:32 +0000

Thanks for writing all that info.Now all i want to do is brush my teeth.I never knew this until my best friend went to a dentist and they told her this and she told me.And i thought eww gross I'm going to have to check that up.And i did and i found this.This was a lot of help.I never knew why my dads teeth were so black and broken.But know i relized that when you eat sugary food and dont brush you teeth they end up like that.And like i said know all i wanna do is brush my teeth.:)

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 02:51:53 +0000

Thanks for the comment, Julie! It is a good idea to avoid foods high in sugar, or that have a high percentage of sugar. For example, it is better to eat an orange, than drink orange juice, since the juice has a higher concentration of sugar. Other carbohydrates are also problematic. Oral bacteria can easily digest potato chips. Potato chips also have the disadvantage that they are easy to get caught in the chewing surface of our molars, greatly increasing the amount of acid that the bacteria can produce.

I will try to cover the "good foods" in a future article. Pretty much all foods give the bacteria nutrition. The key is to find the foods that give them the least amount of nutrition as possible. Some good ones are vegetables and cheese. The best drink, is simply pure water.

By: Julie

Julie — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:46:58 +0000

Wow... That really made me want to brush my teeth a LOT!

You mentioned that the bacteria like sugary drinks a lot. Are there any other foods to avoid? What are some good foods that won't feed the bacteria?