5 Common Causes of Dental Cavities

If you put a group of people together in one room and you asked them to tell you about one of the places they least like to go, we wouldn’t be surprised in the least if an overwhelming majority said the dentist.

It’s not so much the idea of going to the dentist office that makes a lot of us nervous; it’s wondering what they’re going to say after performing a check-up or doing a couple of X-rays that has many on edge. Especially if one of the things that they discover is we have a cavity and we’re going to need a filling (or worse, a root canal).

So, in the hopes of preventing you from getting this kind of news, we wanted to provide you with five of the most common causes of dental cavities. This way, you can increase your chances of having a dental visit that will bring you nothing but cavity-free smiles.

Poor diet. If all that you basically eat is junk food and sweets or drink soda, then it’s pretty much just a matter of time before tooth decay will set in and when that’s not treated, decay will turn into cavities. As a matter of fact, there are some health professionals who believe that cavities are actually caused due to our internal health because sugar prevents our teeth from getting the level of vitamins and minerals that they need. If you’re wondering what kinds of foods are good for your teeth, they would include cheese, yogurt, celery, pears and cooking with sesame oil.

Less-than-great dental hygiene. Ever since we were little children, we’ve been told how important it is to brush and floss our teeth after every meal. As adults, this still applies. By practicing good oral hygiene, we remove the remnant of food that may get lodged in between our teeth and can turn into decay. So yes, make a point to brush and floss regularly.

Dry mouth. A part of the reason why a lot of dentists will recommend drinking plenty of water is because not only does water help to rid our system of toxins within the body, but it is a proven fact that saliva has components within it that actually help to retard the growth of bacteria and plaque. So, make sure to keep a bottle of water around and a couple of packs of sugarless gum (as a way to keep saliva going) too.

Tooth grinding. If you went to see a cosmetic dentist about getting a cap or crown and you’re someone who grinds your teeth, they are probably going to notice it. Tooth grinding is a habit that is directly contributed to various kinds of environmental stresses. The reason why it’s a cause for alarm is due to the fact that, overtime, it starts to strip away at the outer layer of the enamel of your teeth. To treat this issue, your dentist may recommend a bite guard.

Fluoride deficiency. The reason why a lot of toothpaste commercials talk about having fluoride in them is because it also has been proven that fluoride helps to prevent plaque. Aside from toothpaste, there are fluoride supplements that you can take and rinses that you can use. There are also foods that you can eat such as non-organic salmon and poultry. For more information on this all of the other tips, be sure to speak with your dentist at your next annual visit.