Prevention of Dental Caries

Dental caries is one of the most preventable diseases in medicine. The protocol is boring, cheap and spectacularly effective.

The daily two minutes that matter

• Brush twice daily with fluoride toothpaste - morning, and without fail before bed (night brushing is the more important one; saliva flow drops in sleep)
• Spit, do not rinse hard after brushing - leaving a film of fluoride on the teeth extends its protection
• Floss or use interdental brushes once daily - between-teeth decay is invisible to a toothbrush
• Replace the brush every 3 months, or after illness

The eating rules

• Limit the FREQUENCY of sweets and sweet drinks - with meals, not between them
• Water as the default drink; water or a rinse after anything sweet
• Nothing sweet or milky after night brushing
• No bottles in bed for babies; wean to a cup by age one

The dentist's prevention toolkit

• Checkups every 6-12 months - small problems stay small
• Professional cleaning: removes the tartar that brushing cannot
• Fissure sealants: a protective coating over the deep grooves of children's molars - excellent evidence, painless, done once
• Fluoride varnish for high-risk children and adults

The traditional helpers (as adjuncts)

• Neem or babool datun: the traditional twig brush - genuinely mechanical cleaning with mild antibacterial action; fine where it is the culture, ideally alongside fluoride toothpaste
• Oil pulling: a pleasant adjunct with some plaque-reduction evidence - never a substitute for brushing

One-line summary

Prevent caries with fluoride toothpaste twice daily (night most of all), daily flossing, fewer sweet moments, water after sweets, nothing sweet after night brushing, no bottles in bed - plus sealants for children's molars and a checkup before anything hurts.