Everything you should know about cavities

Everything you should know about cavities

What you'll find in this article:

• What is cavity?
• What causes cavity│ Reasons for cavities
• Signs that you're starting to have a cavity
• How to know if you have cavities or not?
• What to do after you start to develop cavities?
• How to prevent cavities?

What is cavity?

Cavities are simply the result of teeth decay.  There are many factors that may result into tooth decay the food we eat, the way we keep our teeth clean, and the ingredients in the toothspastes that we use. Some people inherit it from their parents or grandparents. Because they had suffer from it. So, now it is passed onto their offsprings. There is records for this and this seems to be common where tooth problems are inherited by the next generation or thee offsprings.

What causes cavity│ Reasons for cavities

Some adults are more likely to have cavities if they are having dry mouth due to the lack of saliva. Dry mouth may be caused by various reasons like medication for other illness, some radiation treatment, disease and due to the lack  of sufficient water in the body. Those who smoke cigarettes or any other tobacco products highly suffer dry mouth. When thes tobacco products are consumed, the saliva used up and the mouth and throat becomes dry, as there is no saliva to keep it moist.


You should be very careful if you think or have cavities. It is a very serious condition and can result into something even more serious. Cavities can destroy the teeth if it is not treated properly in time. It can result into abscess because of the destruction of nerve cells. And eventually, abscess can cause death. So, please don't neglect the cavities.

Signs that you're starting to have a cavity

You won't be able to tell if you have a cavity or not without inspection fo your teeth by dentist. Regular check up of your teeth is a good idea, since your dentist will check for cavities too. You don't see cavities because most of them start below the gums. But the blacked area in your teeth can also indicate the development of cavity. Go to you dentist immediately if you notice it.

Main cause of cavities

Do you know the main reason that people have cavities? It's what they eat and drink. Sweet, sugary food products and drinks are main reasons that cause cavities. So many people consume such category of food products and don't clean their mouth properly. Bacterias act on these leftovers in mouth which gives you sour taste after few hours. That is because these bacterias has act on those leftovers and turned into acid. And you know, acid corrodes the enamel layer on teeth. With the individual keeping up this habit of consuming sugary products and not cleaning mouth properly, soon all enamel layer is destryoed and inner layer of tooth is exposed.


After enough enamel layer is destroyed, the tooth layer beneath begins to collapse. This results into formation of cavity. It will keep on spreading until all of the tooth is eaten away. If not treated in time, all of the enamel layer will be destroyed, cavity will keep getting larger and you'll feel pain whenever you consume any hot or cold foods. At this stage your root of tooth will have been exposed. That is why you'll feel pain.

What to do after you start to develop cavities?

Since, we chew and food particles are left in those areas, cavity will more than often start to develop from those inner chewing teeth, from near the gum line. It's always best to have regular check up with your dentist. If you're starting have a cavity, don't worry. Your dentist will treat it to stop from spreading further. But as soon as you suspect that you're starting to have a cavity, you should immediately meet with dentist and follow his instructions.

How to prevent cavities? Summary

Always clean your mouth and teeth properly after you consume any food products, not just sweet/sugary ones. I highly suggest you to cut down on sweet sugary food products. Sugar/sugary foods, drinks are the things you should consume as much less as possible. Drink plenty of water, 2-3 litres of water or more. If you smoke or intake any other tobacco products, change the habit. Replace that habit with something more productive.

How to Prevent Bad Breath and Cavities

Bad breath comes with bacteria and bacteria brings infection, to eliminate this problem, it is important that you brush your teeth and tongue after every meal. Not doing this can cause sensitive points to appear on the teeth surface resulting in cavities.

Cavities lead to serious problems, but how do they actually form? The teeth exterior is covered with firm enamel made of mineralized fascicles. This surface is coated by an acid substance that infiltrates between the fascicles while eating. Bacteria are now settled in your mouth and unfortunately so too is the bad breath.

Fluoride toothpastes, mouthwash or drinkable water that contain flour are a great source for solving dental problems. You should test the water you usually consume and find out its flour concentration. If the amount of flour found is not adequate, doctors can prescribe a medical treatment, which mimics the same effects, otherwise, the problem of tooth decay and cavities may become serious. Mouthwash, special medicine drops or even tablets can end the teeth damage process.

If you think you are developing cavities, see your dentist as soon as possible. Superficial cavities will eventually deepen, reaching into the root of the tooth and causing the pulp to become infected. A dental abscess may then appear causing you to suffer great pain and bad breath due to the tooth being surrounded by a smelly pus bag.

Pus appears because the body starts producing antibodies to fight the infection. Bacteria will spread infection in the tissue surrounding the tooth and consequently spread an annoying bad smell in your mouth.

Your breath will become unbearable because the gums affected can deviate from the tooth and the space between them can collect particles of the food that you eat which can later form bacteria. A dental abscess can also seriously affect the bone tissue surrounding the teeth.

Some of the symptoms to look out for are throbbing toothaches, especially during eating, red or swollen gums, fever or a bad taste in your mouth. You may also notice a tooth color change to grey or pink.

A bulge on the gum near the tooth can form and a considerable amount of yellow pus or blood may ooze from the red, bulging zone.

As the infection spreads the ache may decrease and this is the effect of bone tissue dissolution. When losing this tissue the tooth is poorly fixed and may be dislodged. A medical exam is mandatory in this situation.

A dentist may inspect the oral cavity to identify the swollen gums or other infection signs that suggest a dental abscess. A dental radiography may also be necessary. The dentist will make an informed decision on what antibiotics should be used to eliminate the infection. They may also need to make an incision on the upper or backside of the tooth to drain the infection. If necessary, they can also make an incision on the bulging zone to drain the infection.

Therefore, it is very important to have regular dental checkups to save yourself from the embarrassment of bad breath and excruciating pain from infected teeth. Prevention is always better than cure.