Even with improved dental care, cavities remain a significant problem. According to research by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, approximately 90% of American adults between the ages of 20 and 64 have experienced dental caries at some point. Cavities happen when bacteria in your mouth create acids that wear down the hard outer layer of your teeth, called enamel. If you don’t treat it, those bacteria can reach the inner parts of your tooth, leading to infections that can affect the nerves. Once this happens, it usually means you’ll need more serious treatments, like a root canal, to fix it. The good news is that cavities can be easily treated and even reversed if you see a dentist early on.

In this blog, we’ll discuss what cavities are and why you should take care of them. Read on to learn more.

What are Cavities?

A cavity is a small hole in your tooth that forms when the enamel, the hard outer layer, starts to break down. This breakdown happens because acids from plaque, a sticky bacterial film, eat away at the enamel. Plaque builds up from food residue, especially starchy and sugary snacks. If you don’t brush and floss to remove plaque over time, it can cause tooth decay.

Cavities might not hurt initially, but if you don’t treat them, they can go deeper into the tooth and affect the nerves, causing pain and infection. Catching cavities early is key to preventing bigger issues.

Where Do the Bacteria In My Mouth Come From?

Our mouths host a variety of bacteria. Hundreds of different types live on our teeth, gums, tongue, and other areas. While some bacteria are beneficial, others can harm your teeth. The layer of bacteria is known as plaque, a thin, sticky film that continuously accumulates on your teeth. It mainly consists of bacteria, so brushing twice daily is crucial to remove it before it can cause lasting damage to your teeth and gums.

Plaque starts forming right after you brush, beginning at the gumline. It contains many types of bacteria that become more harmful and cause greater damage the longer you leave the plaque on your teeth.

Causes of Dental Cavities

Several things can cause cavities, including:

Plaque Buildup

Bacteria in your mouth can cause plaque to form. If you don’t clean it off, plaque can harden into tartar, which only a dentist can remove. The bacteria in tartar can break down the hard layer of the teeth, and if your enamel has problems, you’re more likely to get cavities.

Certain Drinks and Foods

Eating acidic or sugary foods and drinks can make you more likely to get cavities. Things like pickles, energy drinks, sodas, smoothies, cookies, chocolates, and candies are all high in sugar and acid. It worsens if you do not clean your mouth well after eating these, as sugar leftovers can feed bacteria and lead to cavities.

Tooth Grinding

Grinding your teeth can harm your dental health. Many people have this habit, which puts a lot of stress on their teeth and gums, damaging the enamel.

Dry Mouth

In the mouth, saliva helps digestion and fights off harmful bacteria that can cause tooth problems. If you have dry mouth, you miss out on this protection and are at higher risk for cavities.

Poor Oral Hygiene

Brushing your teeth twice a day isn’t enough for good oral health. You also need to floss daily to keep your mouth in check. If you don’t take care of your oral hygiene, bacteria can grow, leading to problems like:

  • Bad breath

  • Tooth decay

  • Gum disease

  • Plaque

The Five Stages of Tooth Decay

There are generally five stages of tooth decay. They include:

Demineralization of the Enamel

The outer layer of your teeth is called enamel, the hardest tissue in your body, mainly consisting of minerals. When your teeth come into contact with acids from plaque bacteria, your enamel breaks down these minerals. This loss can cause white spots to appear on your teeth, which signifies the first stage of tooth decay.

Enamel Decay

When the decay continues, the enamel will break down even more. You might see the white spots on your teeth turning brown.

Degeneration of Dentin

You will likely feel tooth pain and notice a cavity in this stage. This decay is called dentin decay because the decay has reached the dentin, which is the softer layer beneath the enamel layer. Dentin is more prone to acid damage, so decay progresses faster here.

Some people may also experience heightened sensitivity to hot or cold foods and beverages. Often, a dentist can help by providing a dental filling that can stop the cavity from reaching the pulp, the most vital part of the tooth.

Pulp Decay

The pain will intensify once the cavity has reached the pulp. The pulp consists of the innermost layer of the tooth. It consists of nerves and blood vessels, which keep the tooth healthy and provide sensation. Usually, this stage requires a root canal treatment and is more serious. In some cases, a dentist may need to have a complete extraction.

Formation of Abscesses

In the last stage of tooth decay, bacteria can cause an infection in the pulp. It can cause inflammation and a pocket of pus at the bottom of the tooth. Having a tooth abscess can cause severe pain that radiates to your jaw. Infections can spread to the jawbone and other head and neck areas if left untreated. Treatment for an abscess of a tooth may include a tooth extraction or a root canal.

Signs of a Cavity

It’s normal to feel some pain if you have a cavity, but other signs can help you figure out if one is forming.

Common signs of decay include:

  • Dark spots on your tooth that are black, brown, or white

  • Pain when you bite down or eat

  • Unpleasant feelings like sharp pain, twinges, or a dull ache

  • Sensitivity to hot or cold

  • A hole in the tooth, even if it doesn’t hurt or look discolored

Complications

Cavities and tooth decay are so common that you might not take them seriously. You might think it’s no big deal if kids get cavities in their baby teeth. But cavities and tooth decay can lead to serious and lasting problems, even for kids who haven’t gotten their permanent teeth yet.

Some issues from cavities can include:

  • Pain

  • Swelling or pus around a tooth

  • Abscesses

  • Chewing problems

  • Damage or broken teeth

  • Shifts in tooth position after losing a tooth

When cavities and decay get serious, you might experience:

  • Weight loss or nutrition issues because eating or chewing hurts

  • Pain that makes daily life tough

Treating Cavities

Your dental professional can help you choose the best treatment based on your cavity. Let’s look at the treatments, from the least severe to the most severe cavities.

Dental Fillings

Dentists use dental fillings to treat cavities. First, they remove the tooth decay and then fill the space with tooth-colored or amalgam fillings. Your dentist checks your teeth to see how much decay there is. If they think the cavity might be deeper, they might take a small X-ray of that tooth. They could also ask for a panoramic X-ray to examine your teeth.

Dental fillings work best for minor decay and fractures. Your dentist will discuss the best filling if this is the right choice. If your cavity is deep, they might give you local anesthesia to numb the area before removing the decay. Most of the time, cavities are on the surface and don’t require anesthesia.

To get a damaged tooth ready for treatment, the dentist drills into it. They clean the area to remove any bacteria or debris. After that, they apply adhesives, fill the cavity with a filling material, and use a blue bonding light to harden the composite.

Crowns

If you have serious tooth decay, your dentist may suggest getting crowns. Sometimes, a tooth that’s really infected requires large fillings, which can make it more likely to crack or break. To fix this damage, your dentist will repair it, and then cover it with a crown made of alloy or porcelain.

Root Canals for Cavities that Damaged Tooth Nerves

If a cavity damages your tooth too deeply for other treatments, your dentist may suggest a root canal. When tooth decay breaks through the protective enamel, it usually reaches the tooth's center in the dentin. A root canal becomes necessary when the decay goes deep enough to harm the nerves in the tooth root.

During this procedure, your dentist will remove the damaged nerve and surrounding tissue, then fill the area with a special sealant. If they remove a huge part of the tooth during the root canal, your dentist may place a crown over it.

Extraction

Tooth extraction is typically the last choice when other treatments aren’t enough to fix the issue. Dentists consider it when the damage to the tooth is so bad that it could lead to an infection spreading to the jawbone. If the decayed tooth is easy to reach, your dentist can do a simple extraction without general anesthesia. After the tooth is extracted, they can fill that gap with a bridge, partial denture, or an implant.

Preventing Cavities

Below are tips you can use to help avoid cavities.

Know How Likely You Are To Get Cavities

To take charge of your dental health, you should first figure out your risk level for cavities. A dental exam is the best way to determine this. Knowing your risk level for developing cavities helps decide how often you require dental visits. If your risk is low, you won’t need to see the dentist as often.

Brush Regularly Using the Correct Brush

Brushing your teeth is a really easy and effective way to avoid cavities, thanks to its strong bacteria and plaque-fighting abilities. Make sure you brush after you eat and before you go to bed.

Using a mouthwash can also help eliminate bacteria while freshening your breath.

If you would like to boost your bacteria-fighting routine during the day, consider brushing after lunch while at work. Keep a different toothbrush and toothpaste at work to bridge those long intervals between the morning and evening routines.

Use Fluoride

Fluoride is a mineral that can help prevent tooth decay from getting worse. It can even reverse or stop early tooth decay.

Fluoride protects your teeth by:

  • Reducing the ability of bacteria to produce acid

  • Preventing mineral loss in tooth enamel and replacing lost minerals

Reduce Your Acidic and Sugary Drink Intake

If you need that daily coffee, morning latte, or hot tea, be aware that excessive exposure to acidic drinks, especially with added milk or sugar, can raise your risk of cavities. Feel free to enjoy your favorite coffee. Aim to finish it in about twenty minutes, and don’t forget to rinse using water afterward.

Coffee with additions like syrups, sugar, and cream can let harmful sugars linger in your mouth for an extended time. To help with this, drink water alongside other beverages to rinse off your mouth and stop your saliva from getting too sugary. Also, consider using a straw for your coffee to keep the sweet beverages from touching your teeth.

Drinking fluoridated water is among the simplest and best ways to help prevent cavities from forming. Water is the healthiest beverage, and human bodies are about 60% water. Staying hydrated helps deliver nutrients, flush out waste, and keep your skin glowing and muscles active. Plus, drinking water, especially if it has fluoride, really ensures your teeth remain healthy.

If the dentist thinks your child needs more fluoride, they might:

  • Give them fluoride tablets

  • Put fluoride gel or varnish on their teeth

Talk To Your Dentist About Sealants

Dental sealants provide an excellent way to prevent cavities. These are thin, plastic coatings applied to the chewing surfaces of back teeth, or molars.

Sealants help because the chewing surfaces of these teeth have small pits and grooves where food and bacteria can get trapped, making them hard to clean. They cover these areas, forming a protective barrier against food and bacteria.

Since most cavities in kids and teens form in the molars, sealing these teeth as soon as they come in is best.

Make Flossing a Regular Part Of Your Routine

Flossing isn’t the most enjoyable task. But consider this: your teeth have five surfaces that need cleaning regularly. Brushing alone only covers three surfaces, meaning you’re missing out on cleaning approximately half of the teeth.

Keep in mind that flossing takes just several minutes each day. You can floss while watching television or reading in bed. Floss right after your meals or before you sleep, just like brushing your teeth.

Stop Smoking

It’s common knowledge that smoking and tobacco use lead to various health issues. Smoking causes diseases and disabilities, affecting almost every organ in the body.

Many people don’t fully understand the damage smoking can do to their teeth, gums, and mouth. Smoking doesn’t just discolor your teeth. It can also result in tooth loss, gum disease, and oral cancer.

Why You Should Take Care of Cavities

If you have cavities, you should seek professional dental care quickly to prevent making things worse over time. If you delay treatment. You might need more invasive and costly dental care later on.

Here are reasons why it’s important to take care of cavities as soon as you find them:

Leaving Cavities Untreated Can Cause Serious Oral Health Issues

If you don’t take care of cavities, they can lead to serious oral health problems, such as:

  • Deep decay

  • Dental abscesses

  • Oral infections

  • Losing teeth

The worse the cavity gets, the more complicated the treatment will be. A small cavity might just need a filling, but a severe one could require a root canal and a crown.

Ignoring Cavities Can Lead To More Pain

Many people think they can delay getting treatment for cavities if they don’t hurt. But cavities can take time to become painful, and once they do, the discomfort can get really intense if the tooth’s root is exposed. At that point, you might need more complicated treatments like a root canal or even extraction. So, it’s a good idea to get treatment before the situation worsens and the pain kicks in.

Cavities Can Affect Your Smile

One major reason people get their cavities treated is because they worry about how they look, especially if the cavities are on the front teeth or in visible areas. While treating cavities isn’t just about looks, it does have some cosmetic perks. For example, dentists can use tooth-colored fillings that blend in nicely with your natural teeth after fixing the cavity.

Fixing Cavities Can Save Your Teeth

If cavities get so bad that a root canal won’t save the tooth, it may have to be pulled out. Sometimes, teeth can actually fall out on their own if you ignore cavities for too long. This can lead to needing replacements, which are usually much more expensive and invasive.

Find an Experienced Dentist Near Me

Cavities are pretty common, but the good news is they’re easy to fix, especially if you catch them early. At Beach Dental Care Anaheim, we can help you deal with tooth decay before it turns into a cavity. You can come by for a check-up and cleaning twice a year. We could also do fluoride treatments to help prevent cavities and give you some extra protection. If we do find a cavity, we can fill it before it gets worse. Give us a call at 714-995-4000 to set up an appointment.