11 Ways To Prevent Tooth Decay
Tooth decay is the gradual erosion of the enamel and dentin layer of your tooth structure due to a combination of harmful bacteria and acid exposure. While not the same as cavities, or dental caries, tooth decay can cause them when it’s allowed to run wild.
Minor tooth decay is reversible. Cavities, the holes in the hard surface of your teeth, are not. Prevention is the best strategy here, and you can use a holistic approach to prevent, slow, or stop further decay. Some of these strategies may even help remineralize lost tooth structure.
This guide breaks down 11 natural ways to prevent tooth decay, stop teeth from decaying further, and avoid a costly dental visit.
1. Brush your teeth.
Brushing your teeth helps get rid of the thin coating of dental plaque on your tooth surface.
How to brush properly:
- Use gentle circles angled towards your gums. Avoid that side-to-side motion. Don’t brush too hard — that can actually damage your teeth.
- Use soft bristles. Hard bristles can do more harm than good.
- Use an electric toothbrush. They’re much better at those circular motions than the average person.
- Brush twice a day. On average, it takes plaque about half a day to form before it starts causing tooth decay. For starters, brush before breakfast to boost saliva production first thing and get rid of any overnight plaque buildup.
- Don’t brush after acidic meals or drinks. If you brush your teeth right after drinking an acidic soda or orange juice, you’re rubbing the acids into your tooth enamel. Rinse your mouth clean of those acids after meals and wait 30 minutes or so before brushing.
2. Use the right toothpaste.
Fluoride toothpaste is proven to remineralize teeth suffering from tooth decay. However, ingesting excess fluoride is associated with lower intelligence, skeletal fluorosis, low blood pressure, birth defects, and more.
More and more experts are recommending children under age 6 use fluoride-free toothpaste or no toothpaste (just water on the toothbrush) since young children’s swallowing reflex is not fully formed.
Natural toothpastes ]containing essential oils, prebiotics, and essential vitamins may improve your oral health, especially if the toothpaste has natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Revitin is a fluoride-free prebiotic toothpaste that benefits your oral microbiome.
Hydroxyapatite (HAP) toothpaste is an alternative to fluoride toothpaste. HAP has similar benefits to fluoride, but none of the side effects. Brands like Boka or RiseWell sell quality HAP toothpastes as well.
3. Rinse Your Mouth
To really get all that excess dental plaque (and food particles) out from in between your teeth, you should rinse your mouth after brushing or flossing. Don’t use an alcohol-based mouthwash that dries out your mouth and disrupts the balance of your oral microbiome. Water works just fine.
An all-natural mouthwash using healthy essential oils can work, too, as you seek out the best tooth decay treatments. Good mouthwash ingredients to look for include:
- Peppermint oil
- Clove oil
- Spearmint oil
- Tea tree oil
- Cinnamon essential oil
- Coconut oil
- Xylitol
- Aloe
Mouthwash ingredients to avoid include:
- Alcohol
- Parabens
- Formaldehyde
- Chlorhexidine
- Triclosan
- Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)
- PEG-40
4. Try oil pulling.
Oil pulling, or the practice of swishing oil around your mouth, may help reduce harmful oral bacteria, plaque, and inflammation that can lead to tooth decay and cavities. Coconut oil, a natural anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, is the most popular option.
Arimedadi oil is another option that can combat both plaque and gingivitis, but it may be harder to find. Here’s how to try oil pulling with coconut oil:
- Put a tablespoon of coconut oil in your mouth. The coconut oil will turn to liquid quickly.
- Swish the coconut oil around in your mouth for 5-15 minutes. Swish it between your teeth and in the far corners of your mouth. Avoid swallowing.
- Spit the coconut oil into a trash can, not the sink. It will turn solid at room temperature.
- Rinse your mouth out with water.
5. Up Your Vitamin D
Vitamin D helps teeth absorb and retain calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. These nutrients are important for tooth mineralization, strong enamel, and tooth decay prevention. Deficiencies have been linked to an increased risk of cavities, especially in children.
This essential vitamin also supports immune function, helping the body fight back against harmful oral bacteria that contribute to plaque and decay. Ensure adequate levels of vitamin D through sunlight, diet, or supplementation for stronger teeth.
6. Eat Certain Foods, Avoid Others
Diet plays an important role in preventing tooth decay, especially in young children and older adults. Certain foods can strengthen enamel and support a healthy oral microbiome, while others feed harmful bacteria that produce acid and erode teeth.
By choosing nutrient-rich, low-sugar options and avoiding dental cavity-promoting foods, you can help protect your teeth naturally and prevent tooth decay. Let’s start with the good-for-you foods that support oral health:
- Dairy products, particularly those rich in calcium or vitamin D
- Leafy greens (e.g. kale and spinach)
- Crunchy vegetables (e.g. carrots and celery)
- Nuts and seeds
To prevent tooth decay, avoid these harmful foods:
- Simple carbs (e.g. cookies, white bread, cake, and cereals)
- Fried starches (e.g. potato chips and French fries)
- Acidic foods and drinks (e.g. coffee and citrus juices)
- Popcorn (It gets stuck in your teeth!)
See our detailed guide to cavity-fighting (and causing) foods for a more complete list of which foods and drinks to avoid and which to pick up on your next grocery run.
7. Steer Clear of Excess Sugar
To prevent tooth decay, watch out for sugar. Limit your consumption of sticky, sugary foods like dried fruit, pies, chewable sweets, and sugary drinks like soda, sports drinks, and fruit juice.
Sugars feed the harmful bacteria on your teeth and in your oral microbiome. When bacteria consume the sugars, they secrete acids, which can lead to demineralization and tooth decay. If you starve these bacteria of sugar, tooth decay will slow down or possibly stop altogether.
8. Drink Plenty of Water
Drinking water or rinsing your mouth out after consuming sticky foods, acidic drinks, or sugary meals can get rid of food particles and harmful sugars lingering on your teeth.
This prevents tooth decay by eliminating food sources for harmful bacteria in the mouth. It also dilutes and washes out acids produced by these bacteria, reducing their ability to erode tooth enamel.
Staying hydrated supports saliva production, which is essential for neutralizing acids, delivering minerals like calcium for enamel repair, and maintaining a healthy oral pH. Drinking plain water is one of the simplest and most effective home remedies to support oral health naturally.
9. Have Some (Real) Licorice
No, not Twizzlers. Real licorice is black and made from the roots of the licorice plant. Studies show that its anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties have beneficial effects on reducing cavity and gingivitis risk and improving your oral health. One study even noted its remineralizing potential when consumed as lozenges or candies.
Compounds in licorice have been shown to reduce harmful cavity-causing bacteria for lower plaque levels and a healthier oral microbiome. You can find licorice root in extracts, powders, teas, lozenges, or candies. Mouthwashes and natural toothpastes may also feature licorice root.
Just avoid the fake stuff. The red licorice you’re likely more familiar with can stick to your teeth and contribute to gum disease and decay.
10. Chew Sugar-Free Gum
Chewing sugar-free gum promotes saliva production, prevents dry mouth, and helps get food particles out from between your teeth, both of which help prevent tooth decay. Unlike sugary gum, which feeds harmful bacteria, sugar-free options create a healthier oral environment.
Look for gum sweetened with xylitol, which has been shown to improve oral health outcomes even compared to other sugar-free gums. Xylitol has antibacterial properties that inhibit the growth of bacteria responsible for cavities.
Important note: Xylitol is a natural sugar alcohol that is perfectly safe for humans, but it is very dangerous for dogs to consume. Keep it out of reach from your four-legged friends!
11. Sip on Green Tea
Unsweetened green tea is a popular home remedy for preventing gingivitis. Its natural compounds, especially catechins like epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), also have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that reduce tooth cavity-causing bacteria in the mouth.
As everything in the body is connected, green tea’s antioxidant properties reduce inflammation for a healthier gumline and better oral environment overall. Try it as a classic tea, green tea-based mouthwash, or as a chewing gum.
To learn more about the essential link between your oral health and overall wellness, read my book, The Mouth-Body Connection.
