Top 11 Causes of Tooth Decay

Tooth decay is something you never want to deal with but can seem inevitable at times. Have no fear, understanding the causes of tooth decay can easily prevent it from happening to you.

Before we began to discuss how to prevent tooth decay, it’s important to understand what it is. The technical definition of tooth decay is the destruction of the outmost layer of a tooth due to bacteria or acid. The most common type of tooth decay involves cavities in children. Though children may seem at the highest risk, adults are able to have tooth decay as well.

In order to prevent cavities, crowns, fillings and more, here are the top eleven causes of tooth decay.

Cause One: Hygiene

When you’re a kid, the dentist will tell you to brush your teeth after every meal and floss every second of your entire existence. Though that might be an exaggeration, dental hygiene is so important. Tooth decay is most commonly caused by not taking care of your teeth. Brushing and flossing your teeth the appropriate amount is vital to keeping your pearly whites in tack. If you’re very concerned about tooth decay, there are brands of toothpaste designed specifically to reduce the likelihood of damaging your teeth.

Cause Two: Diet

What you ingest will show on your body. Keeping your diet healthy will help keep your teeth healthy as well. Eating foods with low sugar, low carbohydrate, and low acidity levels will prevent tooth enamel from wearing down. Calcium is great for building strong and healthy teeth. It’ll also help whiten them. Talking to your doctor and dentist about which foods are best for not only health but dental health, in particular, will aid your quest to obtain healthy teeth.

Cause Three: Grinding Your Teeth

Most people grind their teeth when they’re upset or while they’re sleeping. When talking about tooth decay most people discuss food. However, it is important to remember that physical damage, such as grinding your teeth, will wear down the enamel allowing potential bacteria and acid to enter the teeth.

Cause Four: Lack of Saliva

Saliva is a great barrier when it comes to protecting your teeth from bacteria. Bacteria will build up faster if someone’s mouth lacks saliva.

Cause Five: Enamel

Enamel protects teeth from any potential bacteria. If the enamel is worn down, a person can request enamel protection from their dentist. Certain brands of toothpaste, floss, and more can protect teeth from potential tooth decay.

Cause Six: Not Getting Dental Checks

A dentist is a doctor for your teeth. Many people only consult a dentist when they have an issue but it is important to get regular exams just like with a physician. If you go to the dentist regularly, your dentist can spot early signs of tooth decay allowing the problem to be resolved before it gets out of hand.

Cause Seven: Age

As you grow older, the more your body begins to deteriorate. Okay, maybe not the most pleasant concept but taking preventive measures will keep them healthy. Another reason age can potentially negatively impact your teeth is that the older you get the more medications you’ll probably have. These medications can wear down enamel leaving teeth more susceptible to bacteria and tooth decay.

Cause Eight: Sugar

Sugar is very delicious to most people. It’s also quite easy to access. Just go trick or treating and you’ll get loads of candy. Sugar is also delicious to bacteria that’ll destroy your teeth. Reducing your sugar consumption is very important to keep your teeth intact. Even natural foods with high sugar levels can potentially hurt your teeth.

Cause Nine: Genetics

It’s all fun and games to get “good” genes from family members, but sometimes it can be a living nightmare to discover your mammaw passed on tooth decay to you. Now, it’s not that simple. You won’t automatically have tooth decay just because a relative does. It’s just that your likelihood of being more susceptible to decay. If tooth decay runs in your family, make sure to take preventive measures by watching your diet and dental hygiene.

Cause Ten: Foods Containing High Amounts Of Acid

Acid wears down enamel and the teeth. It breaks down the structure of the teeth, resulting in tooth decay and other mishaps. Unhealthy foods aren’t the only contributors to acidity. Fruits have high levels of acid. Other foods such as grains, processed foods, and fresh meat have high levels of acidity.

Cause Eleven: Medical Issues

Vomiting is a common symptom of many illnesses. The reason vomiting is such an issue in regards to tooth health is that the stomach acid comes back up to the mouth, damaging the teeth. As mentioned earlier in this article, foods with high acidity levels will damage teeth. People who suffer from cancer and bulimia are often warned of the tooth decay effects that could occur. Besides vomit, cancer patients also need to be aware of the potential dangers of radiation. Radiation is a serious cause of tooth decay because it wears down the outer layer of the teeth, allowing bacteria to damage them.

Tooth decay is becoming more and more common among people. Though it may seem inevitable, if you take proper care of your dental health tooth decay can be prevented. Simply watch your diet, maintain good dental hygiene, and regularly see your dentist. If you do these things then you will minimize the odds of your teeth becoming damaged.

Trinity Dental Cares is located in Scottsdale, AZ & are here for all your dental needs. With a focus on family & cosmetic dentistry, we are happy to help you achieve a beautiful smile in our comfortable, safe & friendly environment.