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Parkcrest Dental Group: How Do Cavities Happen?

  • June 14, 2018
  • 6:40 pm
  • Dental Care, FAQ
  • Cavities, Dental Health, Gums, Plaque

Cavity Occurrence and Prevention Tips from Parkcrest Dental Group

The word “cavity” is something that no one wants to hear during a dental visit. The experienced staff at Parkcrest Dental Group are here to explain how cavities occur, so you have all the facts you need to prevent cavities and protect your perfect smile. Read on for information about how cavities happen and what you can do to prevent them.

How Do Cavities Happen?

Even with excellent dental health, many kinds of bacteria are found in the mouth. Most of these bacteria are naturally occurring and beneficial for your overall oral health. But some are bad bacteria that can be damaging to your dental health, causing bad breath, plaque build-up, and cavities.

Under normal, healthy dental conditions, bad bacteria have a tough time surviving in your mouth. To survive, bad bacteria must build up colonies in crevices and other vulnerable areas of your teeth. The bad bacteria group together and use protein in your saliva to form plaque as a protective barrier. A single bacterial colony can be host to a variety of types of bad bacteria, causing problems ranging from bad breath to cavities.

Bad bacteria require sugars and other refined carbohydrates to survive, so avoiding these ingredients in the food you eat is the best way to protect your teeth against bacteria and cavities. When bad bacteria find sugars to eat, they turn the sugar into an acid that eats away tooth enamel, creating a hole in your tooth which becomes a cavity. A cavity is bad bacteria’s favorite place to form a colony. When bacterial acid begins to eat away your tooth enamel and form a cavity, it can create a snowball effect where each problem makes the other problem worse.

What Can I Do to Prevent Cavities? 5 Tips for Healthy Smiles

Preventing bad bacteria colonies from forming is the key to a cavity-free smile. Here are five tips from Parkcrest Dental Group to ensure your smile stays healthy and bright:

  1. Eat healthy meals and avoid simple carbohydrates, such as sugar. If you do eat sugary snacks, make sure to brush your teeth afterward so bad bacteria can’t eat the sugars too.
  2. Brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste after every meal or at least twice a day. Make sure to brush your teeth after eating simple carbohydrates such as sugars.
  3. Floss your teeth at least once a day to clear away bacterial plaques.
  4. Visit your dentist at least twice a year for regular check-ups and cleaning.
  5. Preventing cavities from an early age is very important. Parents can begin the fight against cavities with the caring pediatric dentistry services offered by Parkcrest Dental Group. We have unique solutions to ensure your child grows up with a strong, healthy smile.

Parkcrest Dental Group is Here to Help Protect Your Perfect Smile

The staff at Parkcrest Dental Group are here to provide information and quality care, so your dental health is always at its best. We want your whole family to be happy and healthy with beautiful smiles! Contact us today to schedule an appointment, and visit our website for more information.

Meet Some Dentists in Springfield, MO

Some of the doctors at Parkcrest Dental Group

Dr. Stuart Scott (top left) is our pediatric dentist. He earned his degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry before completing a two-year residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Dr. Steven Harrison (top center) is board-certified by the American Board of Orthodontics. Dr. Harrison, our orthodontist, graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry. He’s been with Parkcrest Dental Group since 1986.

Dr. Chanin Ropka (top right) attended UMKC before joining the United States Navy, where she served as the only dentist on board the USS Germantown and at Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego. Dr. Ropka began at Parkcrest Dental in 2001.

Dr. Daniel Fannin (bottom left) graduated from UMKC School of Dentistry in 1997. He completed an Advanced Education in General Dentistry Residency in 1998 before joining Parkcrest Dental Group that same year.

Dr. Steven C. Sponenberg (bottom center) has been a Springfieldian his entire life. He graduated from Creighton University School of Dentistry in Omaha, Nebraska, in 2004 before joining Parkcrest Dental Group immediately after.

Dr. Jason Hall (bottom right) is also a native Springfieldian. He earned his DDS from the University of Missouri at Kansas City Dental School in 1997. He came to Parkcrest Dental Group in 2010. Dr. Hall’s father, Stan, is also a dentist.

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