One thing that many patients wonder is if there is a way not just to treat existing cavities but to eliminate them from occurring in the first place. While the obvious answer is regular dental hygiene practices, the nature of the question goes deeper. Is there a way to permanently halt the occurrence of cavities, in spite of inconsistent or improper dental hygiene practices? The answer is looking more like a surprising ‘yes,’ but it is presently combined with ‘not yet.’ Research performed by a team of specialists headed by Dr. Russel Pesavento has stumbled upon a remarkable possibility.
How Would Eliminating Cavities Work?
The only way to eliminate the occurrence of cavities would seem to be to eliminate the bacteria responsible. As simple as this solution sounds, it’s a complicated thing to accomplish due to the presence of healthy bacteria in the human mouth. In your mouth can be found over 700 individual species of bacteria, and not all of them are detrimental to your teeth or oral health in general. In fact, many of them actually play an important role in maintaining the health of your mouth, gums, and teeth. The only known way to eliminate the bad bacteria from your mouth is to eliminate all the bacteria present. This is obviously not a viable option when keeping the beneficial bacteria is desirable.
An Alternate Solution Presents Itself
The trick, as Dr. Pesavento and his team knew, was to find a way to control the growth of biofilm without having to directly attack the bacteria responsible. Biofilm is the substance that forms on our teeth and is commonly known as plaque. Over time this substance can turn into tartar, also known as calculus. This approach has been tried before with substances like Silver Nitrate, but the success rate of the experiments performed wasn’t enough to move forward. Dr. Pesavento and his team created a cerium oxide nanoparticle solution that, when these bad bacteria were present, could reduce the rate at which biofilm was produced by almost 40%. This isn’t the miracle solution dental science is hoping for, but it indicates that another valuable tool for eliminating or reducing the occurrence of cavities has revealed itself. While it hasn’t yet entered the market as an available solution for eliminating tooth decay, there is definitely promise that this solution may be the answer to the question of how to stop cavities from occurring.
At present, the most effective method of keeping your teeth healthy is to practice regular dental hygiene and see your dentist on a twice-yearly basis. If it’s been a while since you’ve seen the dentist and you’re ready to schedule your next appointment, reach out to us at Dentistry of Miami in Miami, FL. Dr. Eduardo Solorzano and his teammate Dr. Randy Furshman proudly provide exceptional dental care to the local community. While a permanent solution to prevent cavities is still under development, you can reach out to our offices for an appointment to keep your teeth looking great until it does.
