2 Tips To Prevent Your Inlays And Onlays From Developing A Bacterial Infection

29 June 2016
 Categories: Dentist, Blog

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If you suffer from cavities and other tooth decay, then your dentist may suggest getting inlays and onlays. This dental restoration works to patch up the areas of your teeth that have been damaged by tooth decay. Inlays and onlays work just as well as traditional fillings and crowns. While inlays and onlays work well to prevent a decayed tooth from further damage, they are still susceptible to bacterial infection if they are poorly maintained. Bacteria can seep underneath the restoration and continue to eat away at the tooth. Fortunately, there are a few tips that you can use in order to prevent this from happening.

Clean Your Mouth Immediately After Eating Using An Antibacterial Rinse

While it is important to at least clean your mouth twice a day, if you have a dental restoration then this may not be enough. Food that gets stuck near your restoration can begin to contaminate the area within a few hours. In order to prevent this, it is important to clean your mouth immediately after eating. This can be done with an antibacterial rinse. You can use a commercial rinse sold in stores or you can create one from the comfort of your home using nutmeg. Nutmeg is great for killing off bacteria because of its antibacterial properties. In order to create the rinse, place a spoonful of nutmeg in a pot of hot water and allow it to boil. Once it boils, wait for the rinse to cool and use it to clean your restoration and the rest of your mouth.

Avoid Foods that are Difficult to Chew

The fastest way to get a bacterial infection under your inlay and onlay is by consuming foods that are difficult to chew. These foods are damaging to your natural teeth as well as your restoration. They will slowly weaken the restoration and create cracks in it. Once your restoration cracks, food, bacteria, and other debris can contaminate the area. This is even more troublesome if the crack is small. A small crack can go undetected for weeks. By this time you may begin to experience pain, and this is one of the first signs of an infection. As a result, stick to foods that are gentle on your teeth. This will help to preserve the health of your inlay and onlay.

A bacterial infection that infiltrates your inlay and onlay can only be taken care of by removing the dental restoration. This process can be painful. Therefore, use these tips to help keep any potential infections far away. Visit a website like http://www.hcdentistry.com/ for more information.