Why do you get cavities?

Answer 1

I have patients that come in, who I swear have never seen a toothbrush and they have barely any cavities and I have patients who are very good (or at least say they are) about oral hygiene who have a filling in everytooth. It is dependent on diet, high carbohydrate diet increases the likelyhood of cavities. It is dependent on anatomy, some people have deep grooves in their teeth that make it hard to clean. Oral hygiene is very important. And flouride exposure plays a big role as well.

Answer 2

Cavity. That's the word no one wants to hear at the dentist's office. A cavity (say: kah-vuh-tee) develops when a tooth decays (say: dih-kaze), or breaks down. A cavity is a hole that can grow bigger and deeper over time. Cavities are also called dental caries (say: kar-eez), and if you have a cavity, it's important to get it repaired.

But why would your tooth develop a hole? Blame plaque. That's a sticky, slimy substance made up mostly of the germs that cause tooth decay. The bacteria in your mouth make acids so when plaque clings to your teeth, the acids can eat away at the outermost layer of the tooth, called the enamel (say: ih-nah-mul).

If you don't go to the dentist, the acids can continue to make their way through the enamel, and the inside parts of your tooth can begin to decay. If you've ever had a toothache or heard an adult complain about one, it may have been because there was a cavity that reached all the way inside a tooth, where the nerve endings are. Ouch!

Your dentist will carefully examine your teeth and may take X-rays. If your dentist discovers a cavity, he or she can repair it for you by first removing the rotted part of your tooth with a special drill. The dentist then fills the hole in your tooth with a special material. It's called a filling.

Does it hurt? Sometimes it does, but your dentist can give you an anesthestic. That's a kind of medicine that will numb the area around the problem tooth while you're getting your new filling.

Though cavities can be repaired, try to avoid them by taking care of your teeth. Here's how:

Brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste after each time you eat or at least twice a day. Bedtime is an important time to brush.
Brush up and down in a circular motion.
Gently brush your gums as well to keep them healthy.
Floss your teeth once a day to remove plaque and food that's stuck between your teeth.
Limit sweets and sugary drinks, like soda.
See your dentist twice a year for regular checkups. We hope you'll hear those two wonderful words: "No cavities!"

Answer 3

Bacteria. It breaks down the enamel on your teeth, then eats them away. It's a defense mechanism to let your body know that you need to get something done. If you wait to long, you will get an abscess. This can be life threating. An abscess is an infection, which if goes untreated, will go into the blood stream. It can affect your heart and other vital organs. This can kill you. Brush your teeth. Check out the link I sent you. It's for kids, but it explains everything.

Answer 4

We have bad diets. Ever see the teeth of cavemen? They are flawless in cavities.

Answer 5

u get cavitis when u eat too much candy or that u dont keep your teeth healthy by not washing them!!!

Answer 6

In my opinion people get cavities because of:
=eating sweets, candies and chocolates
=do not brush their teeth often or wrong brushing
=lack of calcium
Hope I can helped. thanks. God bless

Answer 7

There are MANY bacterias in your mouth, and when sugar gets stuck or food, it feeds on it, multiplying then it eats your teeth.

Answer 8

By not brushing properly, and eating too much sweets.

Answer 9

eating sweets and not brushing and flossing