Brushing and flossing is the best way to prevent decay. Brushing with fluoride toothpaste and carefully flossing removes the food from our teeth and inhibits the build up of plaque. If we let food stay on our teeth, the starches in the food will mix with the plaque. This nasty mixture forms an acid which immediately starts drilling into the tooth to form cavities. Brushing can’t get all the spaces between your teeth, so you’ve got to floss also. Brushing and flossing keeps gums and bones healthy. If you let gum disease go untreated, you can lose teeth that are cavity-free! The progression of gum disease (gingivitis) goes like this:- Plaque build-up irritates gums. - Irritated gums pull away from teeth.- Bacteria multiplies in the spaces between the gum and tooth. - The bone holding the tooth is eaten by the bacteria. - Say goodbye to the tooth. The good news is that periodontal disease can be reversed if detected early. Call Marc J. Beshar Dentistry at 212-753-2240 to schedule a dental exam and gum disease evaluation at our NYC office.