Dr. Jennifer Vitarelli

Why you Should Floss

why-you-should-flossSome people think that flossing is just something extra to do for great oral health, but dentists around the world will always tell you to floss daily. It’s not a substitute for brushing, it’s actually a partner. There are many reasons why you should floss on a daily basis, and here are some of them:

It prevents bacteria

When brushing your teeth, you are mostly touching and cleaning the surface of your teeth. Though the bristles might be able to reach the in-between parts of your teeth, they are unable to properly reach them fully. This is where flossing comes in.

  • The reason why people floss is to reach the spaces in between your teeth. Millions of bacteria and harmful microorganisms live in between your teeth. The only way to reach those parts well is to floss.

Flossing works because it prevents bacteria buildup and can remove leftover food debris in areas where your toothbrush won’t normally be able to reach. It disrupts the buildup of bacteria to prevent them from turning into plaque that could stain and turn your teeth bad if left unchecked.

Prevents tartar from building up

  • The plaque will eventually build up in your teeth. Plaque is s substance that damages and turns your teeth yellow, it can even harden into tartar if left unchecked. If you want to remove plaque that builds up in between your teeth, you need to floss on a daily basis.

Can help freshen your breath up

  • You might be wondering why your breath is bad at times, even after you brushed your teeth a few hours before. You might be dedicated when it comes to brushing your teeth, but you could still have bad breath if you don’t floss. While you may have cleaned and removed any excess bacteria on the surface of your teeth, there are still bacteria and leftover food debris trapped in between them. When they turn bad, they will also turn your breath bad.

You may have pearly white teeth but, at the end of the day, you’ll still have bad breath if you can’t remove the bacteria trapped in between your teeth.

It’s effective together with brushing

  • Brushing alone is never enough. It should be in unison with flossing so that you’ll end up with better dental health. Brushing your teeth alone is like washing only the surface of your drinking glass without trying to clean the inside, which is likely to have more bacteria. In dental health, the bristles of your toothbrush have their limits. They can’t clean hard-to-reach places that only flossing can.

It can help prevent gum disease

  • Plaque doesn’t just turn your teeth bad and unhealthy, plaque can also affect your gums as well. Neglecting to floss or to properly look after your teeth can lead to dangerous gum diseases that could cause your gums to inflame due to infection. This happens when the plaque eats away the ends of the gums that hold your teeth together. This may lead to your teeth falling out and can cause extreme decay in your overall dental health.

At Vitarelli Dental, we’re a dental office based in Madison NJ, get your checkup today!

How to Treat Tooth Decay

tooth decayOne of the biggest misconceptions in people’s minds is that tooth cavities can’t be healed or reversed naturally.

You will normally get a tooth cavity due to an unhealthy diet, and irregular brushing – in this blog we will look at some solutions on how to heal your cavities naturally.

Stop eating sugar

  • Sugar is the biggest reason for tooth decay, if you want to have healthy, cavity-free teeth, then you need to have a good diet. Sugar feeds on oral bacteria that stops a healthy flow of dental fluids. It’s also extremely acidic, it will literally reduce the mineral content in your teeth, which creates tooth decay.
  • Because of this, you should stay away from eating sugar regularly, this means soda, candy, and baked goods that contain a lot of sugar. You should also caution yourself when using honey, syrup, and fruit juices – all of these contain a high amount of sugar, which is why they are so tasty!

You should also watch out for artificial sweeteners, they are sold as ‘the solution’ to sugar but in reality, it’s just as bad as eating sugar due to health implications.

Stop eating food that contains phytic acid

  • Phytic acid is a mineral blocker that’s found in food like nuts, beans, and grains, it can cause serious problems for your teeth and diet If not consumed in moderation. Ironically, the methods of how these foods were produced in the past were much better at eliminating phytic acid, but with modern robotic factories replaced old techniques, the acid has emerged as an issue again.

Phytic acid not only prevents your teeth from absorbing the minerals from other foods, but it also stop minerals flowing to your body and bones! The other negatives of phytic acid is a lack of appetite, nutrient issues, and tooth decay. You should limit the number of nuts and grains you consume because of this.

Eat raw dairy and nutrient-rich food

  • Raw dairy is the best product for your teeth, It contains vitamins and minerals that help maintain a healthy set of teeth, and provides a great dental fluid flow to prevent cavities. Dairy is packed with calcium, magnesium and vitamins like K2, D3, and more. You should have raw dairy products at least weekly, good sources are goat milk, cheeses, and organic butter.

Other solutions to tooth decay

Another solution is to go to your local dentist to see if it can be taken out, Vitarelli Dental is based in Madison, NJ – get in touch or stop by to see how we can help!