Basics of Oral Health 2: What Causes Cavities

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.

Create a “germ corner” in the classroom by hanging germ puppets created by children from the ceiling.
Hang big tooth shapes cut out of white contact paper with the sticky side out. Children can stick pictures of germs, food, etc. to the sticky contact paper.

Bring a germ puppet to lunch that sneaks around looking for sweet and sticky foods. Hopefully, it will not find any!
Ask: What do you think the germs want to eat for lunch today? Is there anything we’re eating that is sweet or sticky? What about what we’re drinking?

When lining up, children can pretend to be a line of cavity germs sticking together on teeth. Teacher can “brush” down the line with a real or imaginary toothbrush.
Ask: “What can we do to keep germs from sticking on teeth?”
Chant “Going on a Plaque Attack” (see Teacher Tools section for song lyrics).