What are cavities & how can I prevent them?
Posted by Dr. Alan Pressman (dr.p.dmd) on Jan 14 2011
Blog >> 2011

Perhaps it would be easier to begin with how a cavity is caused.

Dental caries require just three simple elements to initiate.

First

Bacteria. Although we are not born with bacteria, we import them on a regular basis.

Second

Food for the bacteria, something that they like to feed on. Simple sugars are the main diet. Usually sucrose (table sugar), is the culprit, but they will feast on fruit sugars as well. Don’t forget that starches are really complex carbohydrates which are broken down into their basic sugar components in the body.

Third

The third ingredient needed is a favorable Environment. They thrive in the acidic world of your mouth.


 

Cavities are really, essentially just bacterial infections in your teeth. These bacterium live and grow on the sugary diet that you feed them. Other than water, anything we eat or drink can cause a cavity. Eliminating the sugars from your diet is not enough, starches must be eliminated as well.

Bacteria produce acid as they feed on sugars. By not maintaining proper hygiene, brushing and flossing, these sugars can build up on teeth in the form of dental plaque. The acid eats at our teeth causing a loss of minerals (calcium and phosphorus) called demineralization. The good thing is that our saliva carries minerals (as well as fluoride) that can re-mineralize teeth. Fluoride increases the bond that minerals have.

But there isn’t always fluoride in many water supplies and you may require more than there is in your Crest or Colgate toothpaste. A longer fluoride rinse is better for your teeth because it allows time for the bonding process. Generally there is no need to rinse after brushing, as any residual fluoride that was not expelled will continue to help your teeth.

To focus again on the 3 things needed to cause a cavity; if your oral Environment becomes unbalanced, these bacteria will reproduce like crazy: that is too much sugar, too much acid or too many bacteria or any combination. People that suffer from gastric reflux, bulimics and people that ingest too much acid (carbonated soda, lemons) are at much higher risk.

Certain medications like antihistamines and antidepressants have side effects that can decrease salivary flow, which has the undesirable side effect of slowing down the healing process. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy can also sometimes inhibit salivation. Sometimes heavy smokers have decreased salivation due to one of the effects of nicotine.

To date, the primary every day most effective weapon that we have is brushing, flossing and enhanced re-mineralization through fluoride.

Perhaps the ‘anti-cavity’ vaccine is not that far off. In the meantime, we still recommend spending more that 2 minutes on proper oral hygiene at least twice a day. That is the best way to prevent cavities, today.

Last changed: Jan 14 2011 at 5:26 AM

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