Ask the Dentist!
Why Do I Have Cavities?
It’s estimated that 92% of adults have suffered from at least one cavity in their lifetime. If you’re in the 8% who have not, count yourself lucky! With America’s diet loaded with sugar, it’s a wonder why it’s not 100%. During my week, I will have at least one patient ask me, "Why do I suddenly have a cavity after years of having none?" To answer that question, let’s look at the factors that lead to cavity formation and how to manage them.
To form a cavity, you need three components: teeth, bacteria, and a food source.
It goes without saying that if you don’t have teeth, you won’t have a problem with cavities. Bacteria is present in everyone’s mouth, and if not controlled, can cause numerous problems but, in this instance, we are going to focus on decay. If allowed to remain on teeth long enough bacteria will release acid as they metabolized the foods we eat, especially sugar. Sugar, especially refined sugar, is the worst because it turns to acid the quickest, and eventually dissolves the outside layer of a tooth, causing a cavity to form. Therefore, reading labels is so important for anything that is consumable!
When talking with a patient about their diet, the focus is typically on food and drinks. What’s not considered are things like supplements, cough drops, mints, gums, and even the common sweeteners put in coffees and teas.
Not long ago I had a long-time patient come in with an isolated cavity on the inside of a tooth by her tongue. It was only on one tooth and on one side. She denied any changes to her diet but after some questioning, we figured out the culprit. She had a cold a few months back and had developed a habit of using cough drops throughout the day. She would hold the cough drop against her tooth with her tongue right where the cavity had formed. So, even though she came in for her regular cleanings and had great oral hygiene, the constant exposure of the tooth to the cough drop’s sugar led to a large cavity forming. Once we identified and corrected the cause of the cavity, she had no more issues. Even though diet is the biggest cause of decay, poor oral hygiene can lead to decay problems, even with a low-sugar diet.
Plaque on teeth is primarily composed of bacteria, the more plaque, the more bacteria. The longer the plaque sits on the teeth the longer the bacteria have to form a cavity. Some patients can’t understand why they have cavities when they brush 3-4x a day. But when I ask how often they floss… that’s a different story. Plaque between the teeth can cause cavities just the same as plaque on the outside surfaces of teeth.
Of the three factors needed to cause cavities, we can control two: diet and oral hygiene (and yes this does include flossing).
If you’ve been told you have cavities and have concerns, contact us for a second opinion at (225) 926-4203 or www.batonrougedentistry.com.