How to Prevent Cavities

Medically reviewed by Tu Anh Vu, DMD

Last Updated: February 20, 2022 References

When you eat and drink sugary or starchy food and beverages, bacteria in your mouth digests the food and turns it into acid. This becomes plaque on your teeth that eventually demineralizes enamel by creating small holes. These holes are what we know as cavities. Keep sugar off your teeth by cutting down on soda, candy, and junk food. Eat plenty of vitamin and mineral-rich food. Brush and floss regularly, and visit your dentist for checkups and additional help.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Maintaining Good Oral Hygiene

1
Brush your teeth after every meal. Brush your teeth thoroughly about 20 minutes after every meal. If you can't manage that, brush at least twice a day. Brush your teeth for two minutes each time. Play a song that lasts two minutes, set an alarm, or watch the clock while you brush.
- Apply a pea-sized amount of toothpaste to your brush. Rinse with water when finished.
- Brush every part of your teeth in turn. Brush the front and back of each tooth, and brush the tops. Brush along the gumline, and brush your tongue.^{[1]
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- Hold your brush at a 45 degree angle and use small up-and-down or circular strokes.
- When you brush, don't push down really hard with your brush, or you could damage your teeth.^{[2]
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  Joseph Whitehouse, MA, DDS
  Board Certified Dentist
  
  Expert Interview. 9 April 2020.}
- Don't overbrush! Brushing more than three times a day can damage the enamel, making you more prone to cavities.^{[3]
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2
Get the right toothbrush and toothpaste. Get an electric or sonic toothbrush with a circular head that moves up and down and in circles.^{[4]
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Tu Anh Vu, DMD
Board Certified Dentist

Expert Interview. 10 April 2020.} Sonic toothbrushes are thought to be the best at getting your teeth clean, as the high-speed vibrations stimulate fluids into areas where the brush can't reach.^{[5]
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Research source}^{[6]
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Research source} If you don't like electric or sonic toothbrushes, choose any soft-bristled brush with a small head. A half-inch wide and one-inch tall head will allow you to reach around the corners of your mouth.
- Replace your toothbrush (or the head of your electric toothbrush) every three months, or when frayed.
- Carry your toothbrush with you, or keep an extra toothbrush at your desk at work or in your locker at school. Bring a travel tube of toothpaste, too. Make sure you rinse your toothbrush with water after use to reduce the buildup of bacteria on the bristles.
- Brush your teeth using a toothpaste that contains fluoride, a mineral that fortifies your enamel, making your teeth more resistant to bacteria and acid.^{[7]
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  Expert Source
  
  Joseph Whitehouse, MA, DDS
  Board Certified Dentist
  
  Expert Interview. 9 April 2020.}^{[8]
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  Expert Source
  
  Tu Anh Vu, DMD
  Board Certified Dentist
  
  Expert Interview. 10 April 2020.}
- Children cannot have as much fluoride as adults. Consult your dentist if you wish to administer some fluoridated products to your child.^{[9]
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3
Floss. Floss to remove bacteria from hard-to-reach places between your teeth.^{[10]
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Tu Anh Vu, DMD
Board Certified Dentist

Expert Interview. 10 April 2020.} Unwind about 18 inches (46 cm) of floss around your middle fingers, leaving an inch or two to floss with, and hold it tautly between your thumb and index fingers.^{[11]
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Research source} Gently slide it up and down between your teeth. Curve the floss down your tooth, slightly below your gum line.
- Floss daily. ^{[12]
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  Joseph Whitehouse, MA, DDS
  Board Certified Dentist
  
  Expert Interview. 9 April 2020.} Floss after meals that contain stringy, husky, or sticky elements.^{[13]
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- Floss to prevent tooth decay, gingivitis, and heart disease.^{[14]
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  Trustworthy Source
  
  Mayo Clinic
  Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
  
  Go to source}
4
Rinse with mouthwash. Swish a mouthwash containing fluoride and a low percentage of chlorhexidine (0.02 %) around in your mouth for 10–15 seconds. You can do this after brushing. Pick a fluoridated, alcohol-free mouthwash that has been approved by the American Dental Association or your country's equivalent.^{[15]
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Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals

Go to source}
- Do not substitute mouthwash for brushing and flossing. It is a supplement meant to lower the number of oral bacteria, not a replacement for cleaning your teeth.
5
Visit your dentist regularly.^{[16]
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Expert Source

Tu Anh Vu, DMD
Board Certified Dentist

Expert Interview. 10 April 2020.} Your dentist can advise you on best hygiene practices, head off cavities before they hurt, and help you take further action if you are prone to tooth decay. If you have few dental issues, visit your dentist once a year. If you are a young adult with exceptionally good teeth, you can probably visit once every 18 months to two years. Any pain, unusual odor, or changes in your mouth should send you straight to the dentist, however.^{[17]
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Expert Source

Joseph Whitehouse, MA, DDS
Board Certified Dentist

Expert Interview. 9 April 2020.}
- Children's teeth can decay faster than those of adults, so bring your child to the dentist every six months to a year. This is especially important once your child reaches six years of age, when permanent teeth begin to grow.
- Ask your dentist about supplemental fluoride. If your teeth are weak, or if there is no fluoride in the water where you live, it could be helpful.
- Ask about dental sealants. If you are prone to cavities, a composite protective coating can protect your molars. They can last up to ten years, depending on the way you bite, what you eat or how they were bonded. You should also have an annual check of the sealants as sometimes cavities may be found under a sealed tooth.^{[18]
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  Trustworthy Source
  
  Mayo Clinic
  Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
  
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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Eating to Protect Your Teeth

1
Cut down on sweets. Cut down on sugars. Avoid soda, candy and carbohydrates. Junk food, which is high in carbohydrates and added sugars, should be avoided. Save chips, candy, cake, cookies, and white bread for special occasions. Sugar on your teeth will attract bacteria, causing plaque buildup and cavities.
- When you do eat sugar, brush your teeth immediately afterwards.
- When you eat candy or other sweets, pick ones that spend less time in your mouth. Sucking on a lollipop exposes your teeth to sugar for a longer time than gobbling a piece of chocolate does.
2
Drink cavity-fighting beverages. Drink water, and rinse with water after eating, especially if it will be a moment before you get a chance to brush. Drink water frequently, as it will clean your teeth and, in many cases, fortify them with fluoride. In many areas, fluoride is added to public water supplies. Check to see if your area uses it, and consider supplementing if not.
- Drink black and green teas instead of coffee. They are less acidic, and can fight plaque.^{[19]
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- Rinse or brush after drinking alcohol, which is high in sugar.
- Eliminate soda from your diet completely if possible.^{[20]
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  Research source} The phosphoric acid found in soda rapidly dissolves the enamel of your teeth and carries no benefits for any other part of your body.
- Minimize the damage done to your teeth by drinking through a straw. You won't protect your teeth from sugar exposure entirely by using a straw, but it will help a little.^{[21]
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Calcium is excellent for your teeth, so eat dairy products, fortified soy products, almonds, and dark leafy vegetables. Vitamin D, found in sunlight, milk products and in fatty fish such as salmon, is also desirable. Meat, fish, and eggs will give you phosphorous, while whole grains, spinach, and bananas will give you magnesium. Eat orange fruits and vegetables as well as dark leafy greens for vitamin A.^{[22]
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Raw food is especially rich in vitamins and minerals. Eating crunchy vegetables like carrots or celery can actually help clean your teeth. The crunchy plant fiber acts as a mild abrasive. When they say that "an apple a day keeps the doctor away," that's because chewing a crunchy apple or vegetable encourages your mouth to produce more saliva, which restores the pH balance in your mouth, preventing plaque.^{[23]
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5
Chew sugar-free gum. While ordinary gum contains tooth-decaying sugar, sugar-free gum that contains xylitol can help you fight plaque. Xylitol fights bacteria, and chewing gum can stimulate saliva that will help you clean your teeth. Try chewing a stick of sugar-free gum after a meal if you don't have a chance to brush your teeth right away.^{[24]
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- Don't go crazy with chewing gum — chewing too much can produce stomach problems or increased volume of your masseter muscle.
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Question

How do you prevent cavities naturally?

Joseph Whitehouse, MA, DDS
Board Certified Dentist
Dr. Joseph Whitehouse is a retired Board-Certified Dentist and the Former President of the World Congress on Minimally Invasive Dentistry (WCMID). Based in Castro Valley, California, Dr. Whitehouse was a dentist for 47 years. He has held fellowships with the International Congress of Oral Implantology and with the WCMID. Published over 20 times in medical journals, Dr. Whitehouse's research focused on mitigating fear and apprehension for patients associated with dental care. Dr. Whitehouse earned a DDS from the University of Iowa in 1970. He also earned an MA in Counseling Psychology from California State University Hayward in 1988.

Joseph Whitehouse, MA, DDS

Board Certified Dentist

Expert Answer

Brush your teeth regularly and don't brush extremely hard when you do brush. Floss daily to remove anything stuck in between your teeth. Quit smoking if you're a smoker and cut back on sugary drinks and candy. See your dentist for regular checkups and cleanings to ensure that your teeth stay healthy and clean!

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Question

What is the proper way to floss?

Cristian Macau, DDS
Doctor of Dental Surgery
Dr. Macau is a Doctor of Dental Surgery based in London, England. Dr. Macau is an oral surgeon, periodontist, and aesthetician at Favero Dental Clinic where he is known for his cosmetic dentistry and facial aesthetics work. He is actively involved in scientific research in the field of dentistry and he received his DDS from Carol Davila University of Medicine in 2015.

Cristian Macau, DDS

Doctor of Dental Surgery

Expert Answer

Floss daily, especially after eating food that is sticky, gets in between your teeth, and is hard to get out. Use about 18 inches of floss. Wrap the floss around your thumb or index fingers on each hand and go gently between teeth four to five times using up and down movements. You can also go back and forth, but clean the surface of each tooth without pushing too hard towards your gums.

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Question

My teeth are already damaged. How can I protect them?

Cristian Macau, DDS
Doctor of Dental Surgery
Dr. Macau is a Doctor of Dental Surgery based in London, England. Dr. Macau is an oral surgeon, periodontist, and aesthetician at Favero Dental Clinic where he is known for his cosmetic dentistry and facial aesthetics work. He is actively involved in scientific research in the field of dentistry and he received his DDS from Carol Davila University of Medicine in 2015.

Cristian Macau, DDS

Doctor of Dental Surgery

Expert Answer

First you should change your diet and exclude processed foods by starting to eat mostly vegetables and fruits. Brush your teeth twice a day using the correct method and use mouthwash along with fluoride toothpaste. Go see your dentist in order to get some professional advice and treatment.

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Tips

Brush and floss frequently to help keep bacteria off your teeth.

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Check with your city to see if your water is supplied with fluoride.

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Check your local drugstore for fluoridated toothpaste.

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