Why am I getting Cavities?
I am often asked by many patients, "Why am I getting cavities? I am brushing and flossing everyday." There are multiple factors that can lead to tooth decay. The main factors are the presence of plaque on the teeth and the exposure to sugar. The first factor is just a matter of being disciplined and thorough to remove as much plaque as possible by brushing at least twice a day and flossing once a day. If you are more susceptible to getting cavities it is wise to brush 3 times a day. The exposure to sugar is a little more complicated. Many people don't realize that is not so much the quantity of sugar that one consumes but more so the duration of time it takes to consume the same amount of sugar. For example, if one drinks a can of soda in a period of 5 minutes this is not as bad as one who sips a soda over a period of an hour or so. The ph (acidity level) of the mouth takes about 20 minutes to get back to a healthy state after the consumption of any sugar. Therefore, you can imagine if you take a sip of soda or coffee with sugar or have a small mint ever 20-30 minutes you mouth is in a state of constant acidity which is what causes cavities. So my advise is, if you are going to drink soda (which I don't advise at all) drink it quickly and don't sip on it throughout the day. This is the main reason I see people with multiple cavities even though they are good brushers.