Carifree Prevention

What are dental caries?

Cavities are caused by a bacterial infection known in the dental profession as “caries”. This infection is not only treatable, but preventable. There is help for patients to find assistance and products for treating and preventing the caries infection

It`s a simple protocol for assessing your patients' risk factors for decay along with a real-time, chairside technology for diagnosing the caries infection.  It also includes products for both kids and adults that treat and prevent the infection, lowering the risk of future decay.  All products combine the proven benefits of fluoride and xylitol, along with proprietary neutralizing pH+ technology.

For years we have focused on the role of sugar in causing cavities.  While we know that sugar feeds the bacteria that produce acids, which in turn causes cavities, it is a prolonged acidic oral pH that is responsible for promoting these cavity-causing bacteria, and an acidic pH that is responsible for the demineralization of the enamel required for cavities to occur.

It breaks down like this. . .

Prolonged low pH in the mouth =
        overgrowth of cavity-causing bacteria =
                death of healthy bacteria =
                        caries infection =   CAVITIES

If you want to stop the end result in this chain, you have to intercept the lowering of the pH, which you can do either by avoiding acidic and sugary food/drink and/or by using alkaline and neutralizing dental products.

Conversely, if we can keep the pH of the mouth neutral between meals, we can maintain health.  If the caries infection already exists, we can use alkaline pH products to promote the re-growth of healthy bacteria.

Expert Advice

Limit not only sugary/carbohydrate containing items in your diet, but also even non-sugar containing acidic beverages (i.e. diet soda, coffee, tea, sparkling water, alcohol).  It is these items in the diet that can cause intense or long-lasting acidic pH in the mouth that then causes healthy bacteria to die and cavity-causing bacteria to thrive, thus leading to a caries infection.

Consider the acidity (pH) of the dental products you are using.  Do they neutralize your mouth?  Know your pH.  Don't just brush and floss... neutralize!