The causes of a toothache are many. Thankfully, the preventions are many more. For most people, preventing a toothache is often as easy as eating the right kinds of foods and setting aside just a few minutes each day to concentrate on good oral care. Staving off a toothache naturally can be the simplest and most cost effective way to living a life free of tooth and mouth problems. Top dentists in Essex County offer the following five natural ways to prevent a toothache in order to remain tooth-pain-free.

You already know it, but it bears repeating: preventing a toothache starts by preventing tooth problems in the first place. Unless you’re battling a situation that makes toothache prevention difficult such as dry mouth caused by medications or a medical condition, in most cases, bad oral hygiene is the root cause of toothaches. So wait … then doesn’t that mean that good oral hygiene is the root cause of prevention? Absolutely!

Natural toothache prevention #1:  Daily oral hygiene routine

Observing good oral hygiene is perhaps the simplest thing you’ll do all day. It involves brushing twice a day, flossing at least once a day, and if you choose, rinsing with a good oral mouthwash that is alcohol-free. Simple, isn’t it? These few minutes are the first and most important natural means to preventing a toothache.

Natural toothache prevention #2:  Eat raw, crunchy vegetables

Munching on raw, crunchy vegetables such as celery, cucumbers, and carrot sticks is an excellent natural way of preventing toothaches and subsequent tooth decay. When eaten raw, vegetables not only are packed with vitamins and minerals important to teeth and their supportive structures; they also help to clean food particles from your teeth. These veggies contain loads of valuable nutrients that will help keep your teeth strong and healthy no matter how you eat them, but eating them raw means they maintain those nutrients, and bonus, they have more water in them that helps to wash away bad bacteria that cause toothaches.

Natural toothache prevention #3:  Get proper nutrition

Prevent a Toothache proper nutrition
Getting the right nutrients in the right amounts is vital to keeping teeth healthy and toothache-free. Calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, vitamin D, vitamin A, and vitamin C—these are the most important nutrients your mouth needs to keep teeth, gums, and bone structure intact and free of decay. Eating foods that are rich in these and other important vitamins and minerals is an important natural way to prevent toothaches.

Natural toothache prevention #4:  Nature’s toothache cures

Water

Water is important to every part of your body, including your teeth. The structures in your mouth need water because it not only washes your body clean of toxins; it aids in washing your teeth clean of bad bacteria.

Saliva

Saliva in the mouth helps to flush out bad bacteria that can cause plaque, gum disease, and other oral health problems such as periodontitis and tooth decay. That’s why it’s vital to keep your mouth properly hydrated throughout the day. Be sure to drink plenty of water and other healthy fluids periodically through your day. Another great way to keep your mouth hydrated with bacteria-reducing saliva is by keeping sugar-free gum  or candies on hand at all times. But know this: sugarless and sugar-free are not ‘created equal.’ Sugarless means, by law, there can still be trace amounts of sugar present, while sugar-free means just what it says—free of all sugar.

Natural toothache prevention #5:  Your dentist

Your dentist knows teeth a lot better than you do. If you want to keep your teeth free from toothaches and decay, you must make regular visits to a family dentist who can see changes happening in your mouth before you even feel them. Visiting your dentist twice a year is one of the most important and cost effective natural means of keeping your teeth healthy and pain-free.

The best news about toothaches is that, for most people, they’re completely avoidable. The above five natural ways of preventing toothache are all you need to keep your teeth healthy and strong. Consult with a top dentist near you for more information about natural methods of preventing toothaches and tooth decay.