Known as cavity or cavities, tooth decay has become a common to problems from children to adults. Tooth decay is caused by bacteria in your mouth due to eating frequently and having sugary drinks but there are other factors that influence tooth decay.

If left untreated, it could lead to pain, infection or even losing your tooth. A tooth has three layers,

• Enamel – Found at the outer layer of the tooth.
• Dentin – Found at the middle layer of the tooth.
• Pulp – Composed of nerves and blood vessels.

If there are more layers affected, the more damage has done. Here are some different factors that influence tooth decay:

1. Inadequate Brushing.

The first stages of tooth decay begin when one person has not brushed their teeth after eating and drinking foods that could damage your teeth. Brushing is not just the only thing that could help one person’s oral health, the use of mouthwash, flossing and regular appointments to your dentist does a great deal to save your teeth from cavities.

2. Recurrent Snacking.

Unhealthy snacks and sugary drinks add more fuel to produce acid that could attack your teeth. Especially sweets as they are bacteria’s best friend. If you fail to brush your teeth, bacteria build up will occur and will cause tooth decay.

3. Foods and Drinks.

Acidic foods can immediately damage your enamel as it clings to your teeth. Milk, ice cream, honey, sugar, chips, hard candy and especially soda or carbonated drinks are hard to be washed by saliva and are most likely to cause tooth decay.

4. Tooth Location.

Molars and premolars are usually the ones that are being easily affected by tooth decay as they have lots of pits and multiple roots that could collect particles of food. Front teeth are easier to clean for that is why tooth decay are very common with molars.

5. Dry mouth.

Lack of saliva can also be another factor for tooth decay since saliva helps prevent it by washing away food and plaque from your teeth. There are also substances in saliva that can be found to help counter acid that is being produced by bacteria.

6. Heartburn or Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).

Talking more about acid, GERD causes the stomach to bring acid up to your mouth which can cause tooth damage as you might lose more enamel from your teeth. Your dentist might recommend you to see a doctor is the cause of your enamel loss is your gastric reflux.

7. Worn out fillings.

Dental fillings can also be a reason why you need to have regular appointments with your dentist as they can weaken over the years. As well as dental devices where they can be loose and will allow the start of decaying underneath them.

You may not take cavities and tooth decay seriously or may just think that you can just brush it off, but in reality, you are at risk of having you tooth to be lost. There a lot of prevention options that you can do to save your teeth from cavities and it’s having your dentist check on your oral health regularly.

We would be glad to help you with your oral health needs and to help you fight cavities as we maintain your teeth healthy. Give us a call or send us a message for your inquiries or questions on how we can fight off tooth decay.

You can visit our dental clinic in Manila at BGC Fort Santiago and at Calasiao and Lingayen, Pangasinan.