Health
Most common causes of cavities in the teeth — and how to prevent them
Cavities are incredibly common, affecting 90% of adults between the ages of 19 and 64 — but they are often preventable.
Also known as “dental caries,” cavities are damaged areas in the hard parts of the teeth caused by tooth decay, according to Mayo Clinic.
These areas become tiny openings or holes that can lead to toothaches, infections and even tooth loss.
How to know if you have a cavity
When a cavity is just starting, you may not have any symptoms at all. That’s why it’s important to be checked regularly at a dentist, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Even if your mouth feels fine, a professional may be able to pick up on smaller signals before the decay grows.
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Once the decay gets larger, there may be symptoms like toothaches, sharp pains when eating, visible holes in the teeth, staining on the surface of a tooth or pain when biting.
Cavities are holes in the teeth through which bacteria can enter. (iStock)
What causes a cavity?
Dental plaque forming in the mouth is what leads to tooth decay, the process that creates cavities.
Plaque forms when bacteria in the mouth mixes with “sugary or starchy food” like milk, juice, bread and pasta, according to Cleveland Clinic.
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If those sugars and starches are not removed from the teeth through healthy habits, like regular flossing and brushing after meals, bacteria begin feeding on them, the above source states.
The acids from bacteria strip away tooth enamel, leaving tiny openings that mark the beginning stages of a cavity. Bacteria and acid can enter through these holes and reach the vulnerable inner parts of the teeth, causing pain and more severe problems.
If you don’t clean sugars and starches off your teeth properly, bacteria begin feeding on them and wearing down the hard outer shell of the tooth. (iStock)
Fox News Digital previously spoke to Dr. Ricky Marshall about the impact of stomach acid and saliva production on dental health.
“The amount of acid coming up and contacting the teeth will absolutely contribute to increased tooth decay,” said Marshall, who is the owner of Stratland Dental in Glendale, Arizona, and a dentist at Wolff Family Dentistry & Orthodontics in Queen Creek, Arizona.
“A combination of dry mouth and increased stomach acid can be detrimental to teeth,” he said.
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Dry mouth, linked to causes like snoring and potentially certain medications, can increase the risk of tooth decay due to reduced saliva production.
“Your saliva clears away the acid and helps to repair the enamel,” the CDC states on its website. “If the repair isn’t fast enough, bacteria get inside your tooth and make cavities.”
Saliva helps clear away bacteria to keep plaque from forming, so it’s important to treat dry mouth symptoms when they appear, experts say. (iStock)
Ways to prevent cavities
Cleveland Clinic recommends brushing your teeth with a soft-bristled brush twice a day, and ideally after every meal.
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Experts also recommend cutting back on sugary, starchy foods and drinks. As mentioned above, these can mix with bacteria and promote the buildup of dental plaque.
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“You should visit your dentist every year, especially to find any cavities,” the CDC advises.
For small cavities, your dentist may recommend using fluoride or other products. Large cavities may require fillings or even root canals.
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Surviving cancer as a child or young adult may have a lasting impact on aging, new research suggests.
Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center looked at whether life-saving treatments, like chemotherapy and radiation, could speed up biological aging.
They also aimed to determine whether this age acceleration was linked to cognitive issues related to memory, focus and learning.
The team analyzed blood samples from a group of 1,400 long-term survivors treated at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, using epigenetic clocks — tools that estimate biological age by examining chemical tags on DNA.
Biological age is determined based on damage the cells accumulate over time, versus chronological age, which is measured by how long someone has been alive, according to scientists.
Biological age is determined based on the damage cells accumulate over time, according to scientists. (iStock)
“These well-established aging-related biomarkers have previously been associated with neurocognitive impairment and decline in older non-cancer populations, particularly in cognitive domains related to aging and dementia, such as memory, attention and executive function,” the study stated.
Most of the group consisted of acute lymphoblastic leukemia survivors, or Hodgkin lymphoma survivors. Participants were at least five years past their treatment, though some had survived for several decades.
They underwent neurocognitive testing to measure their attention span, memory and information processing speed.
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Chemotherapy was found to have the greatest impact on aging acceleration. The study suggests the treatment can alter DNA structure and cause cellular damage.
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“It’s no surprise to find out that young people with cancer who have chemo early in life are affected in terms of long-term aging,” Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News, told Fox News Digital.
Participants underwent neurocognitive testing to measure their attention span, memory and speed of information processing. (iStock)
Researchers also found that cellular aging was closely linked to cognitive performance, as survivors of a higher biological age had more difficulty with memory and attention.
“Chemo poisons and damages cellular function — hopefully the cancer cells more than normal cells, but there is a significant impact on normal cells as well,” said Siegel, who was not involved in the study.
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“There is also something called ‘chemo brain,’ which causes at least temporary difficulty with memory, concentration, word finding and brain fog,” the doctor added.
The research team hopes to use these findings to focus on intervention efforts, specifically by determining when accelerated aging begins.
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“Young cancer survivors have many more decades of life to live,” lead study author AnnaLynn Williams, PhD, said in a press release. “If these accelerated aging changes are occurring early on and setting them on a different trajectory, the goal is to intervene to not only increase their lifespan, but improve their quality of life.”
The team hopes this research will help in the development of early intervention tools that aim to prevent cognitive decline. (iStock)
There were some limitations to the study. The researchers could not adjust for chronic health conditions or education because they are directly impacted by treatment.
Additionally, the study only looked at the survivors at a single point of time, so it could not directly prove causation.
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The study was published in the journal Nature Communications.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment.
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