?It has several names and a lot of misconceptions around it
Whether you call it tooth decay, cavity or dental caries, they all correspond to the same thing: a hole in your teeth. Most of us have had to deal with one and had to get it fixed at the dentist in Perth. Their seriousness depends on how deep the hole in tooth is. The deeper and closer to the nerve, the more serious.
You would have probably heard that is is because you ate too much sugar but is it really why? Some of us eat close to no sugar and still get cavities so what gives?
Beside sugar, there is another culprit: bacteria.
Not all Bacteria will cause tooth decay
There are over 200 to 300 different species of bacteria in your mouth at all times and a vast majority of them are safe for the human body. The are actually needed for several body function such as food digestion.
The ones that can hurt your dental hygiene are these belonging to the streptococcus mutans - their role is to consume sugar and excrete lactic acid, the same acid that will attack the teeth by causing demineralisation. It will wear the tooth enamel down till it creates a hole, and if left unchecked, will potentially reach the root. Should this happen you might have to look at removing the tooth or a root canal treatment.
How to keep them at bay?
With that in mind, you might wonder how it is possible that your teeth are healthy anyway.
That is because your saliva is meant to dilute, neutralise the lactic acid and can even remineralise the teeth enamel.
Don't just rely on saliva though as it won't be able to fight decay off on its own. Regular brushing, flossing and a professional dental clean every 6 months should do just fine to keep your mouth healthy.