Language
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Cavities
Cavities start silently and become painful when decay reaches deeper tooth layers.
Overview
Cavities form when bacteria use sugars to produce acids that weaken enamel. Early decay may be reversible with fluoride and diet changes, but deeper decay needs a filling or other treatment. Waiting until pain starts usually means the problem is larger.
Key takeaways
- ✓Frequent sugar exposure is more damaging than a single sweet eaten with a meal.
- ✓White spots can be early enamel damage before a hole appears.
- ✓Pain to sweets, cold, or biting can mean decay has reached dentin.
- ✓Untreated cavities can become infections and dental abscesses.
What you can do
- 1Use fluoride toothpaste twice daily.
- 2Reduce frequent sipping of sweet tea, juice, cola, and sports drinks.
- 3Choose water between meals.
- 4Ask about sealants or fluoride varnish for high-risk children and adults.
When to book a dentist
- !You see a brown, black, or white spot that is changing.
- !Food repeatedly gets stuck in the same place.
- !A tooth hurts with sweets, cold, or biting.
- !A filling has broken or fallen out.
Emergency warning signs
- !Facial swelling, fever, or severe throbbing pain.
- !Pain that wakes you from sleep or does not respond to pain medicine.