Dental caries (cavities) remains the most common chronic disease in both children and adults, although it’s largely preventable.  Common prevention strategies like sealants and fluoride can help prevent cavities, but sometimes that’s not quite enough – and patients can be surprised and disappointed when they need “fillings.”

What’s going on? A Transmissible Bacterial Infection: The reality about cavities is that the bacteria that cause cavities are transmissible often introduced at a very early age from a primary caregiver via kissing, sharing utensils, drinks, etc. Once the cavity causing bacteria are introduced to the mouth they can grow out of balance resulting in disease and tooth damage.

Suppressing Bacteria + Realistic Nutrition Strategies: The problematic bacteria use sugar in your diet to produce acid which softens the tooth enamel. If the acid producing bacteria are not disrupted (mechanically: brushing, flossing, irrigation) and/or altered (chemically: rinse, gel) they continue to produce acid and spread throughout the mouth. We utilize the most effective products on the market to suppress oral bacteria, remove plaque and alter pH. We also recommend realistic diet suggestions to limit an acidic environment in your mouth.

Other Negative Health Implications: In addition to tooth damage, there is good scientific evidence that the cavity causing bacteria have other negative health implications. They also contribute to the process of plaque buildup in the arteries commonly called atherosclerosis which can increase the risk for heart attack and stroke.

Customized Treatment Plans: Here at Integrative Oral Medicine, Dr. Thompson and our highly trained team perform a very thorough cavity examination and provide comprehensive, customized treatment recommendations to assist in breaking the cycle of repeated tooth damage, costly repairs and possible further disease processes from this preventable infection.

Book your next visit now: A person’s risk for cavities can change over time and therefore regular examinations are key to any prevention strategy. (248) 642-1000