You can’t see them directly. You can’t feel them either, but you may notice the significant effects they have if you don’t maintain control. In a small space such as your mouth, it’s hard to believe you have around 700 species of microbes, but you do!
Before you panic, remember that there are both good and bad bacteria. Some can help with digestion, fight harmful microbes in your food, and perform other beneficial roles. Then again, others can cause infection or decay and permanently damage your smile as well as affect your general health. To learn more about these bacteria and how to keep them in check, read the information below!
What Can Bad Oral Bacteria Do?
When allowed to grow and thrive, harmful bacteria can wreak havoc in your mouth. In addition to creating a foul taste or smell, these microbes create acids that attack and decay tooth enamel as well as infect gum and jawbone tissue. Early on, these bacteria can be controlled and stopped pretty easily, but after a certain point, only a professional can cut off the damage the microbes do and repair it with various treatments.
Tooth decay is the most common childhood condition globally. About a quarter of children under five years old will contract one, mostly because they have not yet learned how to do their own oral hygiene. Adults are just as likely to get cavities, and without treatment, they can lead to serious infections and even fatality.
How Can You Discourage Bad Bacterial Growth in Your Mouth?
Just like other bacteria, harmful microbes in your mouth can grow faster or slower based on what they get for food. When you eat, they eat, and bad bacteria love sugar and carbohydrates. They thrive on sweet foods and drinks, which means that if you limit how much sugar you consume, you limit how quickly these bacteria grow.
On the other hand, nature has provided many foods that can help fight these bacteria. You can find plenty of foods with anti-inflammatory nutrients like Vitamin C and calcium, including leafy greens, yogurt, and more. In addition, some items can help scrub your teeth, clearing away sticky plaque, which houses bad bacteria. These foods include apples, cucumbers, carrots, broccoli and more.
How Can You Protect Your Smile from Bad Bacteria?
Other than slowing down the growth of harmful microbes in your mouth through your diet, you also need to develop certain healthy habits. Daily brushing and flossing are essential to take away plaque from teeth before it hardens within hours. Semi-annual visits to your dentist are equally important because no matter how diligent you are, invisible bacteria can find a tiny space to gather and cause trouble. However, your highly trained dentist can identify early signs of it and act before severe damage occurs.
Although learning you have 700 species if bacteria in your mouth can be alarming, as long as you maintain healthy habits, they can exist without negatively interfering with your life or your smile.
About the Practice
Williamsburg Dental believes in educating patients about their oral health for more effective prevention and better choices in their care. If necessary, our dentists across all our locations in Lincoln have advanced training and expertise to handle complicated procedures and treatments, but we all encourage prevention as much as possible. Do you need to schedule a dental appointment? Give your preferred location a call today!