Basics of Oral Health 2: What Causes Cavities
Basics of Oral Health 2: What Causes Cavities
Goal: Learn what cavities are and what causes them.
Big Bites: Things You Should Know
- The combination of germs and carbohydrates (sugar and starches) creates an acid that attacks teeth.
- Cavity causing germs can be passed from a mother or caregiver to a baby through kissing, sharing utensils, or by putting baby’s pacifier in mom’s mouth.
- Continual snacking on sugary or starchy foods or drinking juice or soda causes repeated acid attacks. Repeated acid attacks cause cavities.
- Cavities are almost entirely preventable and can be avoided by limiting continual snacking, drinking water instead of juice/soda, by brushing after eat and by making sure mom doesn’t have active tooth decay.
- White or brown spots on teeth can be early signs of a cavity and a black spot is probably a cavity.
- Cavities must be treated by a dentist.
- Untreated cavities can lead to a serious infection.
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