Everything You Need to Know About Cavities and How to Prevent Them

What are cavities?

Cavities, which are also called dental caries, are holes or damage to the structure of the tooth that form because of decay. Plaque is a film of bacteria that sticks to your teeth and makes acids that wear away tooth enamel. This is how cavities start. If you don’t treat cavities right away, they can get deeper into the tooth and affect the dentin and pulp, which can cause pain and infections.

Reasons Why People Get Cavities

If you know what causes cavities, you can take steps to avoid getting them. The following are some of the most common things that cause tooth decay:

• Poor Oral Hygiene: If you don’t brush and floss your teeth enough, plaque will build up and cause cavities.
• Acidic and sugary foods: Eating and drinking a lot of sugary snacks and drinks feeds bacteria that make acids, which hurts your enamel.
• Dry Mouth: When you don’t have enough saliva, your mouth can’t neutralize acids and wash away food particles as well.
• Deep Grooves and Pits: Teeth with deep grooves are more likely to get cavities because bacteria and food can get stuck faster.
• Not enough fluoride: Fluoride makes enamel stronger and stops cavities. Teeth are more likely to get cavities without it.

“Cavities happen when plaque and bacteria stay on the teeth for too long,” says Dr. Craig Lazenby. If you take care of your teeth and go to the dentist regularly, you can stop most cavities before they get worse.

How to Tell If You Have Cavities

Cavities often don’t show any signs until the decay gets to the deeper layers of the tooth. Keep an eye out for these signs:

• Toothache or Sudden Pain: Toothaches or sudden pain can be a sign of decay.
• Sensitivity means feeling pain when you eat or drink something hot, cold, or sweet.
• Visible Holes or Pits: This means that you can see holes or dark spots on your teeth.
• Stains: Marks on the tooth’s surface that are brown, black, or white.
• When you bite down, you feel pain. This is caused by putting pressure on the tooth.

How to Keep Cavities Away

To avoid cavities and keep your smile healthy, you need to take preventative steps. These are some good ways to avoid getting cavities:

• Floss and brush your teeth often.
• To get rid of plaque and food, brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and floss every day.
• Use treatments with fluoride
• Fluoride helps enamel get back its minerals and keeps cavities at bay. You might want to use fluoride toothpaste, mouthwash, or get professional fluoride treatments.
• Keep your diet balanced.
• Eat and drink less sugary things. For healthy teeth, choose foods like whole grains, dairy, and crunchy fruits and vegetables.
• Have a lot of water.
• Water keeps your mouth moist, which makes saliva production go up. It also helps wash away food particles.
• Regular visits to the dentist
• Every six months, you should go to Lazenby Dental for cleanings and exams. Going to the dentist regularly can help you find cavities early, before they do a lot of damage.
• Sealants for teeth
• Sealants protect the chewing surfaces of molars by covering them with a thin layer. This keeps food and bacteria from getting stuck in the grooves and pits of the teeth.

Why it’s important to avoid cavities

Keeping your teeth free of cavities not only keeps your overall oral health in good shape, but it also saves you pain and money on treatments. If you don’t treat cavities, they can get worse and cause infections, abscesses, and even tooth loss. “Being proactive about preventing cavities is essential for long-term oral health,” says Dr. Craig Lazenby. We use cutting-edge methods and custom care plans at Lazenby Dental to help you keep your smile safe.

At Lazenby Dental in Destin, Florida, we want you to have a cavity-free smile and keep it that way. We will take great care of your dental needs with our up-to-date methods, cutting-edge tools, and friendly service. Call us right away to set up your checkup and find out more about how to keep your teeth healthy and free of cavities.