Cavities are cavities and they will happen, right? Actually, yes, cavities are cavities, and no, they will not happen if you choose to reverse the process. Whatever you have heard before, you should know that now it is possible to reverse the start of a cavity in a tooth. Here are three ways you can take the spot or very tiny indentation stage of a cavity to a fully restored tooth without drilling or filling it.

Double Up Your Brushing Efforts

If you rarely brush, or only brush once a day, double your efforts. Your fluoridated toothpaste is the "medicine" that cures a baby cavity. That daily or twice daily exposure to fluoride through your toothpaste boosts your teeth's natural ability to prevent cavities (and you thought your dentist was just trying to freshen your breath and keep your teeth clean!)

Drink LOTS More City Water

Skip bottled water from the store. City water is full of fluoride, whereas store-bought bottled water is not. By drinking equally as much city water from the tap as bottled water, you are exposing your teeth to more fluoride. Your teeth are protected by city water, and with regular brushing, you get double or triple the benefits of all of that fluoride. If you cannot let go of the feeling of a bottle of water in your hand, take an empty bottle of your favorite brand of water and fill it from the tap a few times a day, or fill a few of your old empty bottles daily.

Request Fluoride Treatments While You Are at the Dentist's Office

Are you seeing a pattern here? It is fluoride. When you visit your dentist next for a cleaning or a checkup, ask for a fluoride treatment or a fluoride "varnish." The treatment puts trays filled with flavored fluoride in your mouth, and you sit with that for several minutes. The varnish is a paint-on fluoride. You cannot eat or drink anything for a few hours after that, but then it forms a tight seal over the surfaces of your teeth and protects your teeth for several months against sugars and acids.

Whichever option you choose, you are providing extra fluoride to your teeth. Fluoride helps reinforce the enamel in your teeth, and close down the cavities that are slowly developing. If you keep up with one or more of the above suggestions, your dentist will notice next time that that supposed little cavity has disappeared.

For more information, visit a website such as https://valleyoakdentalgroup.com/.