“Look Ma, No Cavities”

The advertising slogan “Look Ma, no cavities” has become a reality for many children today.  The number of school age children who have cavities has decreased steadily in the United States for the last several decades thanks to fluoridation, dental education and regular preventive dental care.  Nevertheless, we aren’t out of the woods yet, as dental decay is still the most common of all diseases.  The problem of dental decay isn’t reserved just for children, as the frequency of cavities seems to be on the rise again for adults. 

So what causes cavities to form?  Well, it’s really due to a combination of factors.  Some we can control, others we can’t.  The main culprit is bacteria that are always present in our mouth.  When the environment in our mouths allows these bacteria to thrive, we are at risk for dental disease. 

I often hear patients say, “I just have bad teeth”.  That could be part of the problem, but in reality, as I mentioned earlier, it is a combination of things.  Think of it this way, envision a scale.  On one side of the scale you have the good “weights” of your genetics, nutrition, home oral hygiene, oral habits and frequency of dental visits.  If all of these are good you have more “weight” on the good side and you most likely will have a healthy mouth.  On the other side of the scale you have the exact same thing, but this time they are the “bad weights”.  For instance, if genetically you have been dealt a cavity/gum disease prone mouth, you have to work extra hard at practicing good home hygiene, maintaining good nutrition, minimizing bad oral habits and visiting your dentist more frequently to keep your mouth healthy.  If on the other hand you have been blessed with good genetics you can potentially get away with less than stellar nutrition, hygiene, etc. (no I am not advocating you being slack on your home care).  But, just because someone has been given “bad teeth” doesn’t mean they have to have a diseased mouth – they just have to work harder at keeping it healthy.

Of course, one of the most important things you can do to prevent decay and gum disease is keeping all the surfaces of your teeth clean – yes I am talking about brushing and flossing.  Next, maintaining good nutrition and minimizing sugary foods is critical.  Also avoiding habits such as the use of tobacco products, chewing ice, biting bags open with our teeth, etc. is important in the prevention of dental concerns. 

Despite our best efforts, cavities happen. Seeing your dentist routinely allows these disease spots to be found early when they can be restored with a variety of conservative treatments that are available.  Keeping your teeth healthy for a lifetime is the goal, but the path is often different for each patient.  Have a great week and as always e-mail me with any questions at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .