How does a tooth decay?

A substance known as plaque causes tooth decay. Plaque is a clear bacteria laden film, which develops on the teeth. The bacteria in plaque interact with the starches and sugars we eat and form an acid, which breaks down or de-mineralizes our teeth. As this process is going on, our saliva along with properties it has, acts to help re-mineralize teeth. When the demineralization process is faster than that of remineralization a cavity occurs. There are several things that can be done to slow down or totally prevent this breakdown process which leads to cavities. One of the most important contributors to decay are sugars, and eliminating or drastically reducing your intake of them will help greatly in preventing tooth decay. Proper brushing and flossing, and removal of the plaque will also help in preventing breakdown. Home fluoride rinses help aid in the remineralization process. Of course routine visits to your dentist are of importance not only in the early detection of cavities but ...  more

A substance known as plaque causes tooth decay. Plaque is a cream-colored, bacteria laden film which develops on the teeth. The bacteria in plaque interact with the starches and sugars we eat and form an acid, which breaks down or de-mineralizes our teeth. As this process is occurring, our saliva acts to help re-mineralize teeth. When the demineralization process is faster than that of remineralization, a cavity occurs. There are several things that can be done to slow down or totally prevent this breakdown process which leads to cavities. Some of the most important contributors to decay are sugars, and eliminating or drastically reducing your intake of them will help greatly in preventing tooth decay. Proper brushing and flossing, and removal of the plaque will also help in preventing breakdown. Home fluoride rinses help aid in the remineralization process. Of course routine visits to your dentist are of importance not only in the early detection of cavities but professional ...  more

There are several factors that cause a tooth to decay, or get a cavity. One factor we have no control over is genetics. There appears to be an inherited component to decay. When a child has a high decay rate, almost always one of the parents has a history of “bad teeth”. While the average 4 year old has 4 cavities in our country, we see many young children without any cavities as well as young children with many more than 4 cavities. But don't fret… with regular check-ups and maintenance we can keep your child’s potential decay hopefully to a minimum. Another factor that contributes to tooth decay is diet. We all know that candy, sweets, soda, and junk food are bad for our teeth. But any starch, sugar, or carbohydrate, can cause cavities. There are many healthy foods and drinks, for example, milk, juice, fruits, and pasta, that have sugar and carbohydrates. These too, can cause decay in your child’s tooth. So apart from limiting the amount and frequency of eating and drinking sweet ...  more

A substance known as plaque causes tooth decay. Plaque is a clear bacteria laden film, which develops on the teeth. The bacteria in plaque interact with the starches and sugars we eat and form an acid, which breaks down or de-mineralizes our teeth. As this process is going, on our saliva along with properties it has, acts to help re-mineralize teeth. When the demineralization process is faster than that of remineralization a cavity occurs. There are several things that can be done to slow down or totally prevent this breakdown process which leads to cavities. One of the most important contributors to decay are sugars, and eliminating or drastically reducing your intake of them will help greatly in preventing tooth decay. Proper brushing and flossing, and removal of the plaque will also help in preventing breakdown. Home fluoride rinses help aid in the remineralization process. Of course routine visits to your dentist are of importance not only in the early detection of cavities but ...  more

Plaque causes tooth decay. Plaque is a clear and odorless bacteria-laden film that forms on the teeth. The bacteria in plaque interact with the starches and sugars we eat and form an acid. This acid breaks down or de-mineralizes teeth. Our saliva, however, act to help re-mineralize teeth. When the demineralization process is faster than that of remineralization, a cavity forms. Many steps can be taken to slow down or prevent this breakdown process. Eliminating or drastically reducing your intake of sugars will help greatly in preventing tooth decay. Proper brushing and flossing, and removal of the plaque will also help. And, of course, regular visits to the dentist are critical in detecting cavities early and maintaining a healthy mouth.  more

A substance known as plaque causes tooth decay. Plaque is a clear bacteria laden film, which develops on the teeth. The bacteria in plaque interact with the starches and sugars we eat and form an acid, which breaks down or de-mineralizes our teeth. As this process is going on, the properties of our saliva act to help re-mineralize teeth. When the demineralization process is faster than that of remineralization a cavity occurs.  more