Oral Disease Risk Factors

• Bacteria
  • Tooth decay is a preventable chronic disease.
  • The bacteria, known as streptococcus mutans, that causes tooth decay is infectious and spreadable.
  • Sharing items such as eating utensils, cups, bites of food and kissing can pass the bacteria from person to person.
  • For helpful tips, visit Mouth Healthy or click here.

• Snacks & Drinks
  • The bacteria in your mouth combines with sugars in the foods we eat and drink, which produces acid that can damage teeth, causing cavities to form or erosion to occur.
  • Sugary drinks include soda, fruit punch or juice, energy drinks, sports drinks and more.
  • Foods include sticky snacks such as cookies, crackers, candy, dried fruit, chips, gummies and more.
  • For healthy food and beverage recommendations, visit ChooseMyPlate and Rethink Your Drink.

• Tobacco Use
  • Tobacco use can affect oral health, which includes gum disease, loss of teeth, need for root canal treatment, cancers of the cheek and gums, etc.
  • For more information about the free Stop Smoking classes call “Call It Quits” at 805-201-7867 or email callitquits@ventura.org.

Preventing Oral Disease

• Floss, Brush, Dentist
  • Recommended by the American Dental Association (ADA) is to clean between your teeth daily, brush your teeth twice a day for 2 minutes, and visit a Dentist regularly. To learn more visit Mouth Healthy.
•  Pregnancy
  • When you are pregnant, your oral health is connected to the health of your unborn baby. To learn more, visit Mouth Healthy and Healthy Children.

• First Tooth, First Visit! 
  • A child’s first dental visit should take place after the first tooth appears, but no later than the first birthday. Why so early? As soon as a baby has teeth, he or she can get cavities. Visit Mouth Healthy for more information on children’s oral health.

• Fluoride Varnish
  • Dental caries (cavities) remains the most common chronic disease of children and adolescents. Applying fluoride varnish to teeth is an effective way to prevent tooth decay, slow it down or stop it from getting worse and treatments can be done in a medical office, by a dentist, at a school or community event.

• Dental Sealant
  • Germs in the mouth use the sugar in foods and drinks to make acids, which over time can make a cavity in the tooth. Sealants are thin, plastic coatings painted on the back teeth that harden to form a shield over the tooth to keep out germs and food. For more information and to view a video clip on sealants visit Mouth Healthy.

• Water Fluoridation
  
  • Drinking fluoridated water keeps teeth strong and reduces cavities and is found in most public water systems. For more than 70 years, people in the United States have benefited from drinking water with fluoride, leading to better dental health. For more information, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. To find out if your water supply is fluoridated visit California Water Boards