What are Cavities and Why You Should Take Care of Them

Cavities occur when bacteria in your mouth release acids that erode your teeth' enamel. Cavities can affect anyone, from children to adults. They develop due to a combination of factors, including plaque buildup, a diet high in sugars, and poor dental healthcare. Knowing how cavities develop, their causes, risk factors, and effects helps you prevent them. This article also explains how to treat and manage dental cavities when they arise.

An Overview of Cavity

According to dental experts, a cavity develops in your tooth, causing a hole to develop due to the process of tooth decay. Tooth decay, also known as dental caries, occurs after acids from the food you eat react with your teeth’ enamel. As these acids erode your enamel, they create holes or cavities.

Anyone can suffer from cavities, regardless of age. However, by practicing proper oral care, you can prevent the formation of cavities.

Types Of Dental Caries/ Cavities You Could Suffer

Cavities come in various forms, each with its own characteristics. These include:

• Smooth Surface Cavities

These cavities are known for their gradual dissolving of the enamel and often appear in the spaces between your teeth, creating the perfect hiding spot. The good news is that you can sometimes reverse smooth surface cavities with proper dental habits.

• Pit and Fissure Decay

Dental caries target the top surface of your teeth, especially the front side of your back teeth. This type of cavity appears mostly during adolescence and progresses swiftly.

• Root Decay

Root decay is common in adults with receding gums. Due to gum recession, your tooth roots are exposed to dental plaque and acid, making them vulnerable to attack. Root decay is a tricky adversary, making it hard to prevent and treat. If you suspect your gums are receding, consult a dental specialist or a periodontist.

Frequency of Dental Cavities/ Caries

Over 80% of US citizens suffer cavities once before reaching their mid-30s. While cavities are more common in children, this does not mean adults are immune.

Children often have caries because they have poor oral cleaning skills. Also, they love junk food, candies, and juice. Even though adults can clean their teeth properly, receding gums expose their roots to plaque, increasing the risk of cavities.

Who Is Most Likely To Suffer From Dental Caries?

Tooth decay does not occur based on someone's age. However, children often do not brush their teeth properly or frequently enough and have a sweet tooth for sweetened foods and drinks. These factors create a conducive environment for cavities in their mouths.

Adults can also become hosts to dental caries. At times, new decay could reoccur if you were previously treated for cavities during your childhood. Additionally, adults face a higher risk of having receding gums. As mentioned above, this condition exposes tooth roots to plaque, hence causing cavities. So, regardless of your age, cavities might occur at any time.

Telltale Signs of Dental Cavities

Detecting cavities early and treating them could prevent significant damage to your teeth. However, cavities conceal their presence in the early stages.

Dental caries on the teeth’ surface typically do not cause discomfort or noticeable symptoms. The gradual progression reveals signs as the decay digs deeper into your teeth. These signs include:

• Tooth Sensitivity to Hot or Cold Foods or Drinks. Cavities can make your teeth sensitive to temperature changes. It might be a sign of a cavity attack if you find yourself wincing when you drink that hot cup of coffee or a refreshing cold beverage.
• Toothache or Mouth Pain. The most direct and noticeable sign of cavities is a toothache or general mouth pain.
• Facial Swelling. When cavities reach advanced stages, they can lead to infections. One of the consequences of these infections can be facial swelling.
• Bleeding Gums.
• Bad Breath or a Bad Taste in Your Mouth. When cavities pitch a tent in your mouth, they generate unpleasant odors or tastes.

Stages of Tooth Decay

Cavities have distinct stages, and each has a different severity. These include:

• Demineralization. The first stage is usually unnoticeable if you do not regularly visit a dental clinic. Small, white, chalky spots could be noticeable on the tooth's enamel. This occurs after the breakdown of minerals on the tooth’s surface.
• Enamel Decay. The second stage occurs if the first one is left untreated. Here, tooth decay progresses and breaks down your enamel further. You could also notice small cavity holes on the teeth' surface. The white spots you noticed in the demineralization stage turn a light brownish hue.
• Dentin Decay. In the third stage, dentin, a layer just beneath your tooth enamel, becomes the target. It is much softer than your enamel, so when plaque and bacteria reach this layer, cavities form faster. This stage may increase tooth sensitivity. Also, the spots on your teeth might transform into a darker brown.
• Pulp Damage. The fourth stage delves into the innermost layer of your tooth—the pulp. This inner layer contains nerves and blood vessels that nourish your tooth and keep it alive. When cavities breach this layer, you may start to feel pain. Redness and swelling in the gums around the affected tooth may also be noticeable. The once-dark spots on your tooth can turn even darker.
• Abscessed Tooth. In the final stage, a deep cavity can lead to infection, resulting in a pocket of pus at the tip of your tooth root, known as a periapical abscess. This stage can be painful, with pain often radiating into your jaw or face. At this point, a tooth abscess can become a serious threat, potentially spreading to surrounding tissues and even other parts of your body. In rare cases, the infection can reach your brain or bloodstream.

Major Causes of Dental Cavities

Below are factors that could cause dental caries:

Bacteria in Your Mouth

Bacteria are the major cause of cavities in your mouth. Bacteria feed on sugary and starchy foods and drinks like candy, fruit, bread, sodas, cereal, milk, and juice. In return, bacteria convert these carbohydrates into acids.

Formation of Dental Plaque

When bacteria, acids, food particles, and saliva come together, they form dental plaque. Dental plaque is a sticky substance that adheres to your teeth and camouflages them.

Tooth Enamel Dissolution

Failure to properly brush and floss the teeth causes these acids in the plaque to dissolve your tooth enamel, which is the outer protective layer of your teeth. This gradual dissolution of enamel often goes unnoticed. Here, cavities and holes form in the enamel surface.

Risk Factors For Cavities

Some factors make you susceptible to dental caries. So, if you are at a higher risk, consider regularly visiting your dentist. These risk factors are:

• Dry Mouth or Xerostomia - Oral conditions, like Sjögren's syndrome, or medications, such as some antidepressants, can lead to dry mouth. This lack of saliva production creates a favorable environment for cavities to thrive, as saliva plays a crucial role in neutralizing acids and maintaining oral health.
• Consuming Sugary, Starchy Foods and Snacking Between Meals. If you frequently eat sugary and starchy foods or indulge in snacks between meals, you are at a higher risk of having dental cavities. These foods provide ample ammunition for the bacteria in your mouth to wage their acid attack.
• Family History of Tooth Decay. Genetics can play a role in your susceptibility to cavities. If your family has a history of tooth decay, you might be more predisposed to these dental adversaries.
• Gum Recession. As mentioned earlier, receding gums can expose your tooth roots to acid and dental plaque, making them vulnerable to cavities.
• Previous Radiation Therapy for Head and Neck Cancer. If you've undergone radiation therapy for head and neck cancer, your salivary glands may have been affected, leading to a dry mouth and an increased risk of cavities.

Can You Contract Cavities from Someone Else?

While you cannot "catch" a cavity like a common cold, the bacteria responsible for cavities can indeed pass from one person to another. For example, you could unknowingly acquire cavity-causing bacteria from another person through actions like kissing or sharing utensils.

Over time, these acquired bacteria can contribute to tooth decay and other oral complications. So, while cavities themselves are not contagious, bacteria that cause cavities could be transmitted from one individual to another.

Diagnosis of Dental Cavities

Detecting cavities in their early stages is vital for effective treatment. Below are the diagnostic methods that dental professionals use to detect cavity formation.

Visual Examination

The first step in diagnosing cavities involves a visual examination of your teeth. Dentists or dental hygienists will use special instruments and mirrors to inspect the surfaces of your teeth.

Dental X-rays

While a visual examination can reveal obvious cavities, it may not detect those stuck between teeth or below the gumline. This is where dental X-rays come into play. These images can reveal cavities that aren't visible to the naked eye.

Laser Fluorescence Cavity Detection

In some cases, dentists may employ advanced technology like laser fluorescence cavity detection. This tool emits light into the tooth, and the way the light is reflected can indicate the presence of cavities.

Exploratory Techniques

For suspicious areas, dentists may use exploratory techniques. They use a dental explorer, a fine-tipped instrument, to gently probe the tooth's surface. If the explorer "sticks" in a particular area, it can indicate a cavity.

DIAGNOdent

This is another advanced diagnostic tool that dentists may use. It works by measuring laser fluorescence within the tooth's structure. Higher readings can indicate the presence of cavities.

These diagnostic methods, combined with the expertise of dental professionals, allow for the early detection of cavities, enabling timely intervention to prevent further damage to your teeth. Regular dental checkups play a crucial role in this process, ensuring that any cavities are spotted and addressed before they escalate into more significant dental issues.

How to Manage and Treat Cavities

Many strategies exist to manage and treat dental caries. These include:

• Fluoride

Fluoride possesses the remarkable ability to halt the progression of early cavities and even reverse them in some cases. During the initial stages of tooth decay, when demineralization has occurred, fluoride treatments are effective.

For a more concentrated fluoride application, your dentist might recommend prescription toothpaste and mouthwash. These specialized products contain higher fluoride levels to bolster your teeth's resilience. Also, during your dental visits, your dentist may perform in-office fluoride treatments.

• Dental fillings

When cavities have eroded your tooth enamel, the dentist could recommend that you have dental fillings fixed. When fixing dental fillings, your dentist will first remove the decayed portion of your tooth. 

Once the decay is removed, your dentist will fill the cavity with a suitable material. Dental fillings can consist of silver amalgam, composite resin (a tooth-colored material), or gold. These fillings serve as reinforcements, sealing off the breach and restoring the structural integrity of your tooth.

• Root Canal Therapy

When cavities have penetrated deep into the core of your tooth, you need a more advanced strategy, such as root canal therapy. When undergoing a root canal session, an endodontist, a specialist in tooth root issues, typically performs this procedure.

The specialist will start by removing the infected or damaged pulp, which contains nerves and blood vessels. After the pulp removal, the canals and pulp chamber are filled with a special material called Gutta-percha. This fortifies your teeth and prevents bacteria from penetrating deeper.

Sometimes, you might require a dental crown. The crown strengthens the affected tooth. Think of it as adding an extra layer of armor to your tooth.

• Tooth Extraction

In dire situations where the tooth is beyond salvation, your dentist may recommend tooth extraction. After extraction, you want to have a dental bridge or dental implant fixed to replace the pulled tooth. These strategies, combined with your dentist's expertise, form a formidable defense against cavities. The key is to address cavities promptly, preventing them from causing more extensive damage to other teeth.

Tips to Prevent Cavities

Maintaining proper oral hygiene practices prevents many dental issues, like cavities. Below are examples of proper practices in dental healthcare:

• Brushing your teeth using a soft-bristled brush and fluoride toothpaste at least twice daily or after every meal.
• Flossing. Daily flossing is crucial to remove food particles, and plaque stuck between the spaces of your teeth.
• Limit Sugary and Starchy Foods. These substances feed the bacteria responsible for cavities, so reducing their intake is crucial.
• Snacking Habits. Be mindful of snacking between meals. Frequent snacking can create constant acid attacks on your teeth.
• Regular dental checkups. Professional cleanings by dental experts can remove plaque and tartar buildup, ensuring your teeth remain resilient against invaders. Regular checkups can catch cavities in their infancy, allowing for swift and effective intervention.
• Stay Hydrated. Saliva is your body's natural defender against cavities. It neutralizes acids and helps wash away food particles and bacteria.

Find an Experienced Dentist Near Me

Cavities can be quite disruptive to your daily life, particularly when it comes to enjoying your meals. In severe cases, they might even disrupt your work, studies, or relaxation due to the persistent discomfort they bring. So, you want to visit your dentist when you notice signs of dental cavities.

At Washington Dental, we are highly skilled professionals dedicated to helping you treat cavities and the various symptoms that accompany them. With our extensive experience, we have assisted numerous clients in Carson, Los Angeles, Lomita, and Torrance who have suffered from cavities, offering them the chance to enhance their dental well-being.

For more insights on cavities and valuable tips on prevention and treatment, contact us today at 310-217-1507.