Why People Get Decay (Cavities)
and What You Can Do To Prevent It

Dental decay (cavities) happens when the germs in your mouth eat the sugar you take in to form acids that accumulate on your teeth. The acids literally dissolve the teeth, making the holes we call cavities. As the holes get bigger, they trap more germs, so the cavities continue to grow to the point where an abscess will form if the cavity is not cleaned out and repaired.



To Prevent Decay, We Stress:
1)  Daily effective oral hygiene measures at home including brushing, flossing, oral irrigators etc., to remove bacteria, plaque and accumulating acids.
2)   Early detection of open crevices on teeth and leaking old fillings to eradicate decay in its earliest stages.
3)   Reducing dietary sugar to minimize the acid making potential of the bacteria that even the best brushing and flossing might miss.
5)   Most important, consistent and regular professional dental examinations, cleanings and x-rays when appropriate to keep you apprised of your dental condition, increase home care effectiveness and clean the spots that are hard for you to get.

Eating foods with sugar lets the germs in the mouth eat the sugar and make acids. It is the acids that actually cause decay, not the sugar. The top graph shows that with just 3 sugar contacts a day there is not too much acid to cause decay. The lower graph shows that if you eat snacks or meals with sugar many times a day, the bacteria keep eating the sugar and make acids all day long causing much more decay. A couple of little candies every hour is much worse for decay than even three big deserts. Of course, it is better to skip deserts except for an occasional treat. There are hidden sugar in many foods so take the time to read the labels to keep the number of sugar contacts per day down.
The frequency of eating sugar is more important than the amount eaten to cause decay. Eating even small quantities of sugar between meals causes acids to form all day long leading to more decay.

Why Preventing Cavities Is So Important

 When a tooth develops a cavity, the dentist puts in a filling. That is very important to stop severe damage, pain and infection and even tooth loss.   Everyone knows that.  But what most people do not think about is what happens next.

Most people think that once a dentist puts in a filling that is it… for ever.  But that is not true.  After all we eat and drink hot and cold things, we chew hard foods and many people even grind their teeth day and night.  When we get new tires on a car, we all understand that the tires will wear out over time and need replacement.  The heels on our shoes wear out, the house needs to be repainted, the faucets start to leak and so do your fillings.  Every filling will eventually lose its seal, and start to leak. And when that happens, you start to get another cavity under the filling.  So that first cavity that needs to be filled means that you are going to need another 3-4 fillings in that same tooth over the years.  

Another important fact is that the sooner the cavity is discovered, the smaller it is.  That means that the filling can be smaller.  Smaller fillings are stronger and tend to last longer.

 To make matters even worse, the next cavity that develops under the first filling will be bigger than the first cavity, so the filling will need to be bigger than the first one and not as strong as the smaller first one.  Then it will leak and fail and the next one will be bigger still.  Eventually this cycle of fill, leak and refill is what leads to crowns and root canals on teeth over the years.

 How do your stop or at least slow the cycle?

 First stop the first cavities: 

• Keep all sugar contacts down to no more than 3 times per day.
• Brush and floss daily.

 Second, catch cavities early.   Keep your check ups regular, at least 2 X a year and more often if you have braces or a problem with plaque or have inherited weaker than average teeth. Inspect old fillings regularly and carefully.  If you can catch a leaking filling early, the new decay will not be that deep and the new filling will not have to be so big.  That means that it will likely hold up for a longer time.

Preventing Cavities by Proper Home Care

Proper home care for kids is the same as adults. Brush add floss. It is easier because kids have fewer teeth. But, kids have less manual dexterity, less focus and concentration and less motivation than adults. The solution is for Mom
or Dad, or some other adult to take charge, especially when the kids are small.

You can start brushing kids teeth as soon as they come in, at age 6 months or so. It is best to lie the child down on your lap and use a very small, soft tooth brush without toothpaste. With a little practice, you can do this in a minute or so.

When the child gets older and the teeth begin to touch, especially the back teeth, start flossing your children's teeth. Do this in exactly the same position, with their head in your lap. It is fast and easy so you can do this every day for them. If you start early and they get used to it, they won't floss when its time to brush and floss.

We also recommend that you continue to brush and floss your children's teeth until they are old enough and responsible enough to do it themselves. Remember, most small children will want to brush their own teeth but won't do it very well. In fact, they mostly eat the toothpaste.

Make this process fun and create the daily brush and floss routine as quality time so the kids look forward to it.

Prevent Cavities by Controlling Sugar in Kids' Diet