What Causes Cavities?
What causes cavities, simplified:
- Bacteria eat sugar.
- Bacteria create acid.
- Acid weakens enamel.
- After 20 minutes, saliva neutralizes acid (usually).
- During that 20-minute period, cavities are being formed.
Sugars right before bedtime skip the saliva step, and create acid for hours while sleeping, creating cavities during the entire night. (This is why brushing at night time is the most important!) Even natural sugars from milk or juice can cause cavities.
Frequent snacking or sipping during the day can cause severe decay as well. As an example, one glass of milk with lunch won’t cause cavities, but the exact same glass of milk sipped on every 30 minutes all day for weeks on end will cause many cavities very quickly. Avoid constant grazing or sipping behaviors to avoid the most severe decay patterns.
How to Prevent Cavities
TheDentistDad.com
Dr. Lucas has made an entire website devoted to help parents learn how to prevent cavities the easiest way possible. Parents from all over the world have signed up for his monthly newsletter. We will link to certain articles, but the main page can be found at TheDentistDad.com.
The Best Tooth Snack Guide
Routine Dental Visits
Sealants
The grooves and depressions that form the chewing surfaces of the back teeth are extremely difficult (if not impossible) to clean of bacteria and food. As the bacteria reacts with the food, acids form and break down the tooth enamel, causing cavities.
Tooth sealants protect these susceptible areas by sealing the grooves and depressions, preventing bacteria and food particles from residing in these areas. The sealant material is a clear or shaded plastic resin that is typically applied to the back teeth and areas prone to cavities. It lasts for several years but needs to be checked during regular appointments.
