How to Prevent Cavities

At Children’s Dentistry of Amarillo, it’s our aim to help children achieve all of their dental goals. One of these main dental goals that many patients have is to prevent cavities. As your Amarillo pediatric dentist and dental team, we want to do what we can to help our patients combat the development of cavities. To first do that though, we’d like to talk about how cavities occur.

Why Do Cavities Form?

Cavities will generally form when a child’s teeth are exposed to sugary foods or liquids on a regular basis. After eating, these sugars will collect on and around the teeth. When this happens, a sticky film, known as plaque, will then form on the tooth enamel. Plaque will constantly expel acid, damaging the tooth enamel and leaving it vulnerable to tooth decay. Even though baby teeth will eventually fall out, they perform many critical functions, which makes it vital to keep them healthy and free of cavities.

What Are the Symptoms of a Cavity?

Unfortunately, many smaller cavities aren’t noticeable and don’t have any symptoms. However, if there are symptoms, they’ll generally include toothaches and sensitivity to hot or cold foods. If your child is experiencing these symptoms, it’s important for you to visit your Amarillo pediatric dentist as soon as possible.

Tips on How to Prevent Cavities

Some of our recommendations for preventing cavities include the following:

• Brush twice a day – Brushing is the foundation of keeping a healthy smile and avoiding cavities.
• Floss – Because food particles can get trapped between teeth easily, it’s best to remove them by flossing.
• Limit sugary foods – Sugary foods are one of the top causes of cavities; limiting the consumption of these foods will go a long way toward preventing cavities.
• Drink more water – Water acts as a natural way to wash a mouth clean.
• Apply fluoride – Fluoride can strengthen tooth enamel and help prevent cavities.
• Schedule dental cleanings – Regular dental cleanings and visits to a kids dentist will help ensure that a patient’s teeth are healthy year-round.

Visit Your Amarillo Children’s Dentistry Providers!

If you’re looking to schedule an appointment for your child for a checkup and dental cleaning, we encourage you to give us a call at (806) 351-0008. Alternatively, you can fill out our online appointment request form to schedule a visit with your Amarillo kids dentist. We look forward to seeing you and your child!