What Are Cavities?

A cavity is a tooth under attack!  Cavities are caused by tooth decay. Tooth decay is effected by what we eat, how well we care for our teeth, and – according to many – if fluoride in our toothpastes.  A tendency toward cavities can also be inherited.  If you come from a family with a history of tooth problems then you can inherit this trait as well.

Cavities need to be treated and if not they can lead to serious destruction of the tooth.  Not only can they destroy the tooth but they can lead to infection and abscess which can result in nerve damage.  An abscess is not to be taken lightly.  An abscessed tooth can lead to death.  The bacteria can travel the entire body causing serious illness and, even though hard for many to believe, death.

The only way to really keep up on cavities are by seeing your regular dentist once or twice a year.  Most cavities develop below the gums so you can’t always see them plus the untrained eye doesn’t know what to look for.  One tip, however, is that if you see any area of your tooth change color – especially if it blackens – you should see the dentist immediately.

One way to help prevent cavities is to watch what you’re eating.  Sweets and sodas are notoriously bad for teeth.  Foods that have a lot of sugar or starch are favored by bacteria found in plaque.  Plaque can actually eat through teeth as it is acid based.  Plaque is very harmful to teeth and can eat through dentin and enamel in short order.  If the plaque is bad enough it will eat right through the tooth leaving you with no option but to extract the damaged remains.

When tooth enamel starts breaking down it does so beneath the surface of your tooth even though the surface of the tooth looks okay.  Once the acid has eaten through the enamel the surface of the tooth will collapse resulting in a cavity.  The cavity, if left untreated, will just keep eating the tooth until eventually exposing the root.  This scenario causes the proverbial toothache and may require a root canal to save the tooth or if that’s not possible then an extraction.

Cavities tend to develop in the pits of chewing areas around the back teeth, between the teeth and near the gum line.  This is why it is important to brush regularly and floss (or use little pic-brushes like I do) to keep your teeth clean and free of plaque and acid eating bacteria.  The other key is to see a dentist so your pearly whites stay that way.  Your dentist will be able to x-ray your teeth and diagnose any problem you have.  The best thing to do is see your dentist regularly to avoid the pain, problem and expense of cavities.