SALIVA TO THE RESCUE Without our saliva, our teeth would become quickly decayed even with the best hygiene efforts. Many medications can cause most cases of dry mouth, but mouth breathing, smoking, stress, and genetics can also cause decreased saliva.
It's due to eating a lot of sugars and starches and not cleaning your teeth well. When sugars and starches aren't cleaned off your teeth, bacteria quickly begin feeding on them and form plaque. Plaque that stays on your teeth can harden under or above your gum line into tartar (calculus).
In general, adults develop an average of three cavities during their lifetimes. This means that the average adult has three or four fillings in their mouth. Some patients end up with ten or more fillings depending on how well they care for their teeth.
If your cavity just started, a fluoride treatment may help restore your tooth's enamel and can sometimes reverse a cavity in the very early stages. Professional fluoride treatments contain more fluoride than the amount found in tap water, toothpaste and mouth rinses.
If tooth decay has spread to the pulp (in the centre of the tooth, containing blood and nerves) – this may be removed in a process known as root canal treatment. If the tooth is so badly damaged that it can't be restored – it may need to be removed.
While everyone—including dentists—will likely experience a cavity at some point in their lives, it's important to do your best to avoid them.
Stress is linked to tooth decay due to the fact that it causes our bodies to flush out protective minerals and increase the acidic, bacteria-laden, cavity-causing environment in our mouth.
Teeth start to appear as early as four months of age, and all primary (“baby”) teeth should be in place by age three. 42% of children develop cavities from age 2 to 11. Nearly 28% of children aged 2 to 5 develop a cavity.
From this unique experiment we have discovered that coke cola rots teeth the fastest. Apple juice came 2nd because Apple juice has natural sugars which rot teeth.
Frank Medina, otherwise known as the "King of Windmills," has never had a cavity in his life. That would not be so unusual, except that he is 94 years old. Ripley's Believe it or Not calls him the “oldest man in the world with all his teeth who has never had a cavity."
If your cavity hurts, it's not too late for a dentist to save your tooth. When cavities are small, they tend not to hurt too much, but they'll start to cause pain as they grow. That's usually when you notice them.
What Does a Cavity Look Like? While it is usually difficult to see a cavity in its beginning stages, some cavities start with a whitish or chalky appearance on the enamel of your tooth. More serious cases can have a discolored brown or black color. However, most often there are no distinguishable red alerts.
Most people know that not brushing your teeth daily can lead to cavities, bad breath and tooth decay. But recent studies find that poor dental hygiene can also have unexpected health consequences, such as increased risks for Alzheimer's disease and heart disease.
Oral anxiety is the stress effects on oral health. Stress or anxiety can impact your oral health; when you are stressed, your immune system is compromised, and while the cause of canker sores is not proven, there is some correlation or higher likelihood between lowered immune and those nasty painful canker sores.
Without adequate hydration, your body can't make the saliva your mouth needs to bathe your teeth and gums. Not only is a dry, dehydrated mouth uncomfortable, it can also cause: Dental decay.
Cavities are nothing to be embarrassed about, and they are definitely not something to try and ignore. Cavities that are not caught early on at your regular check-ups can cause tooth pain or aches, especially after ingesting hot, cold, sweet food or beverages.
Most of the time, fillings effectively treat a cavity. However, poor oral hygiene can lead to more cavities developing. Occasionally, additional cavities can develop around the edge of the filling. Fillings can also crack or shift over time and expose the area to further cavities.
During the filling process, some tooth cavities may require that the overall tooth be modified in shape by wedging or shaping. This can lead to a weakening in the overall structure of the tooth.
Root Canals Aren't Possible with Severe Infection
If the deepest layers of the pulp become infected, it may be too late to save the tooth. In addition, if a large portion of the tooth is lost and a crown cannot be placed on what's left, root canal treatment is no longer a viable solution.
Tooth decay creates a sulphurous or bad smell due to the enamel and dentine being broken down. As the bacteria consume these substances, they release a gas into your mouth that creates the unpleasant odour that occurs with cavities and rotten teeth.
Though good oral hygiene that includes brushing and flossing helps in preventing cavities, you may still get cavities. The reasons can be many, like the spaces between teeth that easily trap food, consuming too much cavity-causing foods and beverages, avoiding regular professional-level cleanings and checkups, etc.
Like most ailments, the longer you leave a cavity without treatment, the worse it's going to get. In a span of 3-6 months cavities can reach the nerve of your tooth.