Alawode, at a medical outreach organised by the Medical Guild, Lagos State, also reiterated the need for people to brush twice daily, control their diets and go for regular dental checks.
“There are various factors that have been associated with tooth decay, but the main implicating factor is the diet. When you take a lot of refined sugars, sticky foods, there is a tendency for you to have cavities.
“Another factor is your oral hygiene practices. We always advocate twice-daily brushing and a visit to the dentist every six months. When you brush twice daily and you control your diet with a proper dental check, you reduce causative organisms of dental caries,” she said.
The senior dental officer also warned people to always pay attention to their teeth and know when they start noticing discolouration.
She said, “Dental caries is a progressive disease. Normally before you start seeing cavities in your mouth it takes about three years. The first indicator of dental caries is when you see black discoloration on your teeth, that should give you some concern and you should seek help. It is not every time you should rush to fill the hole in your teeth. With a proper toothbrush, you can have remineralisation.”