Don’t Feed the Cavities

Nature’s scary. Watching the Discovery Channel for an hour or two can teach us that. The nature that’s closer to you, however, can be equally disturbing, if you look closely enough. Your mouth, for instance, is an ecological forest that hosts over 600 identifiable kinds of bacteria. Some are harmless, while others, like Streptococcus mutans, focus their energy on systematically destroying your teeth. The more you feed them, the more they metabolize, and the greater your risks become for developing infectious tooth decay or other dental issues.

The Eating Habits of Oral Bacteria

When S. mutans and other bacteria accumulate in your mouth, they form dental plaque to protect them from saliva as they proliferate. Like all living things, these microbes eat and process the nutrients from your food and beverages.

Grand Prairie Dentist’s Cavity Timeline

A cavity is a hole that develops and grows in your tooth’s structure when it’s infected with bacteria. Cavities are also the most widespread chronic disease among people in the United States, affecting over 90% of adults over the age of 60. Grand Prairie dentist, Dr. Quinn Smith, considers these numbers unacceptable, especially since cavities are highly preventable. For patients who fail to prevent the formation of tooth decay and cavities, Dr. Smith can restore the health and integrity of a decaying tooth, depending on how severe the cavity has become.