Fed up with discovering cavities at your dental exams? Feel like you’re already doing everything possible to build a healthy diet and deliver great oral hygiene to your smile? We understand the feeling – and we can help boost your enamel’s defenses.
Sometimes, healthy diet and regular brushing and flossing just aren’t enough to stave off decay. While this accomplishes reduction of bacteria and plaque, it doesn’t necessarily address the pH in your mouth. If your mouth is too acidic or too basic, the environment isn’t conducive to healthy enamel, and decay will be more likely to take hold.
CariFree CTx provides you with greater control of the environment in your mouth. By stabilizing your oral pH, you can prevent cavities and protect your enamel. CariFree is available in a variety of specific strengths and formats, so that we can identify your risks and provide ideal treatment. Read on to learn exactly how this works, and discover whether CariFree might be the right choice for you.
How are Cavities Formed?
While we often talk about plaque when discussing the cause of cavities, the underlying problem is really acid. When teeth are exposed to acids frequently, the enamel begins losing minerals. White spots form in areas where minerals have been lost, pointing to the potential for decay. If the demineralization continues, cavities will begin to form. The enamel continues to weaken, and then permanent damage takes hold.
If you intervene at the white spot stage, you can repair enamel without having to receive dental treatment and fillings. With additional minerals from saliva (which is actually a healing source), and fluoride from toothpaste, rinses, and other dental supplements, the enamel can regain the material it lost.
Why CariFree Staves off Decay
CariFree is prescription-strength, and will reverse the pH in your mouth. This leads to a fall in oral bacteria, and a reduction in cavities.
New to the concept of oral pH? Your mouth is actually a balanced environment. Every time you put sip on a beverage or take a bite of food, you affect that balance. The lower the pH, the more acidic the substance; the higher the pH, the more alkaline it is. The pH scale ranges from 1 to 14, with 7 being neutral (like water). Your teeth benefit from remaining at a pH of 5.5. Below that, the enamel begins to dissolve; above it, the enamel remineralizes. It’s much more common for your mouth to be acidic than basic, as many foods and drinks lower oral pH, especially those that trigger production of lactic acid.
While your saliva works hard to regulate your pH, plaque and bacteria disrupt its effects. The more time your mouth spends in an acidic state, the more cavity-causing bacteria are able to grow. Meanwhile, the healthy microorganisms (the ones that don’t produce acids) suffer.
This is where CariFree steps in and makes a beneficial change. The system’s array of products helps bring your pH back up to a healthy level, stopping the development of decay and returning health to your mouth. We’ll measure your bacteria levels and oral pH at your exams, identifying your risk of cavity growth. Based on that information, your dental history, and your tendency toward decay, we’ll recommend a product that will best suit your mouth. This way, we can regulate your pH without taking it too far in the alkaline direction.
Let’s cut cavities out of your life! If you’re ready to learn more, just get in touch with our Seattle practice.
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