“I brush my teeth 3 times a day and I still get cavities. Why is this?”

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“I brush my teeth 3 times a day and I still get cavities. Why is this?”

If you have asked this question in the past or interested in learning what causes cavities read below to find out how. Cavities in our mouths are formed when the pH of our mouth drops below 5.5. pH is a fancy term for how acidic a certain fluid is. As we eat and drink the pH of our mouth changes throughout the day. Every time we eat or drink the pH of your mouth changes and becomes more acidic. This change generally occurs for 20-30 minutes. The change in the acidic level of your mouth is dependent of the type of foods that you eat. Below you will find a chart listing the amount of acid in different liquids. 

The other key factor in the cause of cavities is how frequently you eat or drink those foods. The easiest way to explain this has to do with drinking a soda. From a mouth standpoint someone who drinks the soda as quickly as possible will have less destruction of their teeth than someone who drinks the same amount of soda but sips on the soda throughout the day. Soda can be substituted for any different acidic food or drink. The graph below shows the change in the level of acid in a mouth based off of many drinks and snacks throughout the day versus only eating three meals a day. 

Moorkamp & Arthur Family Dentistry is committed to providing health based preventative dental care in Rolla, Missouri and the surrounding area. We work hard to provide our patients with the tools and resources to have healthy and beautiful smiles.

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