There are also everyday actions that you can take at home to help look after your teeth and lower the risk of tooth decay. One of the things you can do is cut down on sugar. Here are some handy hits for how to do so:
Try and limit sugary food and drink to meal times
Eating any kind of food or drink which contains sugar leads to teeth being under attack from acid for up to one hour afterwards. You can reduce the number of times that this happens by limiting anything sugary to meal times.
Savoury snacks are best
Ideally, it is best to have three meals each day without any snacks before or after them. If you do need to eat in between then try to choose snacks without sugar in them. Examples of suitable savoury snacks include raw vegetables such as cucumber or carrot sticks, nuts and breadsticks.
Know which foods can cause decay
Tooth decay can be caused by all kinds of sugar. A lot of processed foods have high sugar content, which is something to be aware of when buying these items. Fruit contains acid, which can damage your teeth, but normally only if you consume a great amount. On the other hand, dried fruit does have high sugar content so try to limit how much you eat.
Brush your teeth at the correct times
As consuming sugary food weakens enamel, brushing your teeth immediately after eating means that small bits of the enamel may be brushed away too. To reduce the risk of this happening it is important to wait at least one hour before brushing your teeth.
Horbury Dental Care provides a range of dental services across Horbury, Ossett, Netherton, Wakefield and the surrounding areas. To make an appointment or to find out more information give our office a ring on 01924 211 234.
