What causes tooth decay, and how to prevent it

Tooth decay is damage to a tooth caused by acid. It is one of the most common health problems in the world, and most of it can be prevented with habits that cost very little.

How does a cavity start?

Your mouth is full of bacteria. After you eat or drink anything with sugar or starch, the bacteria in plaque, the soft layer that forms on teeth every day, turn those sugars into acid. The acid slowly dissolves the hard outer layer of the tooth, the enamel. Do this often enough and a small hole, a cavity, forms.

Is it how much sugar, or how often?

How often matters more than how much. Every time you eat or sip something sweet, your teeth face an acid attack that lasts for a while. A cup of sweet tea sipped over two hours is harder on your teeth than the same sugar taken in one go with a meal. Grazing on sweets, biscuits or sweetened drinks through the day gives the enamel no time to recover.

Can early decay be stopped?

Sometimes. The first sign is often a chalky white patch on the enamel, where minerals have been lost but the surface is still intact. At this stage, fluoride toothpaste, careful cleaning and fewer sugar attacks can help the tooth repair itself. Once the surface has broken into a hole, the tooth cannot rebuild it and needs a filling. That is why finding decay early matters. See signs of a cavity for what to look for.

Daily habits that protect your teeth

• Brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, for about two minutes.
• Clean between your teeth once a day with floss or an interdental brush. Cavities often start where a brush cannot reach.
• Keep sweets and sweet drinks to mealtimes where you can, and drink water after.
• Do not put a baby to bed with a bottle of milk or a sweet drink.
• Have a check-up at the interval your dentist advises, so that early decay is found while it is small.

Who is at higher risk?

People with a dry mouth, people who snack on sugar often, people who do not clean between teeth, and children whose teeth have newly come through. If you are in one of these groups, ask your dentist about extra protection, such as fluoride treatment.

When to see a dentist

Come in if you notice a patch, a hole, or sensitivity to sweet, hot or cold. Decay found early is usually a small, quick filling. Left alone, it can reach the nerve of the tooth and may then need a root canal treatment.

Dental check-ups are available at both our clinics, in Sayan and on Chhaprabhatha-Variyav Road. Use the booking button below to ask for an appointment.