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Cavity Prevention: A New Way

You brush, floss, limit sugary foods, and visit your dentist regularly...yet you still get cavities. Ever wonder why? Well, now we have new information about how cavities start and this has given us a new way to prevent cavities.

New technology

We have new technological advances that will help keep your teeth strong and healthy. One example being a simple, inexpensive test that will determine your level of tooth decay-causing bacteria. We can treat the problem and its symptoms in order to better reduce your risk of future decay and prevent costly, time-consuming procedures. Your cavities might be a symptom of tooth decay, the bacterial infection we now know is a biofilm disease.

Biofilm disease defined

Biofilm is a very thin, highly sophisticated layer that grips the teeth and can harbor bacteria. After 25 years of scientific research, we know that there can be several destructive bacteria that live and grow in the normal, healthy oral biofilm. When these bacteria reach high levels, they cause a bacterial infection known as biofilm disease. Your tooth decay and cavities are symptoms of diseased biofilm that even your most diligent brushing, flossing and professional cleaning may not remove.

A quick, simple test

During your dental visits, we will perform a fast, pain-free test on your teeth before you brush. (This is why we ask you not to brush 2 hours before arriving.) We’ll swab two of your teeth to determine the levels of the decay causing bacteria, and within 15 seconds, we can determine if treatment is needed. Since your risk factors change over time, we recommend this test once per year for every patient.

The test:
  • Identifies harmful bacteria
  • Helps prevent tooth decay
  • Is simple, with fast results
  • Is inexpensive and easy, and so is the treatment

Fix the problem, alleviate the effects

The damage that biofilm disease causes leads to multiple cavities, fillings that weaken the tooth, the need for root canals and crowns, and extractions. Filling cavities restores the teeth but does nothing to address the problem. Instead, be proactive: treat biofilm disease and keep your teeth healthy from the start.

By using an antibacterial mouth rinse to treat the disease and reduce the bacterial levels, we have a better chance of reducing your risk of future decay. It’s that simple. This treatment, if required, costs approximately half the amount of just one small filling—a small price for preventing decay and keeping your teeth strong, healthy, and attractive.

This is just yet another way that we practice Minimally Invasive Dentistry. To find out more about this philosophy, click here.