Statistics have shown that at least 48% of the global population have treated some form of tooth issue at least once in their lifetime. Tooth decay ranks among the most popular tooth problems.

Developing tooth decay is doubly painful since it results in physical pain and expensive financial costs after visiting the orthodontist. Although tooth decay can happen to anyone at any stage of their life, children are more prone to tooth decay since they aren’t careful about their teeth’s health.

Fortunately, tooth decay is easy to prevent. Below, you’ll see the best tips on how to avoid developing painful cavities.

Understand Factors that Trigger Tooth Decay

Before you fix or avoid a problem, you first have to understand the underlying issues that trigger it. You need to identify the habits that diminish your oral health.

For one, if your oral hygiene is poor, you’ll be more prone to tooth decay. People who drink a lot of sodas and sugary foods are also highly susceptible to tooth decay. For some, their family health histories contain oral issues and this translates to genetic triggers.

In essence, once you can pinpoint the factors that make you vulnerable to tooth decay, you can prevent it better.

Maintain Good Oral Hygiene

Food remnants and bacteria are the biggest causes of tooth decay. You can get rid of them both by brushing your teeth with fluoride toothpaste at least twice a day and flossing daily. You also need to meet up with dental experts to clean your teeth at least once a year.

If you’re particularly focused on preventing tooth decay, you can purchase mouthwash to lower your chances of getting tooth decay.

Reduce Your Sugar

Sugary foods and drinks are the biggest factors that trigger tooth decay. When you constantly take in candy, sodas, and other sugary foods, the probability of developing cavities shoots through the roof.

Sugar in the mouth mixes with the bacteria in saliva to form acids. These acids make your teeth weaker over time and this turns into cavities.

Avoid Eating Snacks Just Before You Sleep

Eating just before bed hurts dental health. When there are a lot of food remnants in your mouth just before you sleep, it increases the risk of developing cavities.

Ideally, you need the saliva in your mouth to break down the food you’ve eaten. That’s why you need to eat at least two hours before you get some sleep.