A cavity is when bacteria gets inside your tooth and starts rotting and eating it away. It is actually an infection in your tooth, and we know this infection can spread toxins into your body. Cavities can cause systemic issues if that decay & infection is getting into your body. Your complete health is important to us, which is why we’re not all about “drilling and filling” and just managing your cavities. We look at all of your risks and work to get you fully healthy. Some questions we’ll ask are: Why do you get cavities? What is the pH of your mouth? What is your genetic background? What does your nutrition and dietary intake look like? Therefore, knowing the answers to these questions will help us address the underlying causes of cavities so you can get back to complete health.

Make sure you are coming in regularly for cleanings and exams to ensure you stay cavity-free!

Are you over the age of 35? If yes, it is highly likely you have silver fillings in your mouth. What we know is that if a silver filling breaks down, and the cost of replacement can be 10x as expensive! There are lots of reasons to replace your silver fillings, of course, whether that be they are broken and are allowing bacteria access to your bloodstream, or even just a personal choice to remove mercury from your body. The fact remains, you need to make sure that if you have silver fillings, even tooth-colored fillings, that you check to make sure they are still functioning properly. Neglect here can be expensive, lead to bad breath, and increase the risk of infection and pain.

Tooth decay usually occurs in children and young adults, but can affect anyone. It is a common cause of tooth loss in younger people. Bacteria is normally present in the mouth and changes food into acids. The combination of bacteria, acids, food debris, and saliva form plaque. If plaque is not removed by proper flossing and brushing, the decay process begins.

As the acids in the plaque begin to weaken and dissolve the enamel, holes in the teeth are created. This is what we call cavities. Cavities are usually painless until they grow closer to the nerve or center of the tooth. If left untreated, that decay will destroy your tooth’s enamel, then the internal structure of the tooth. This can result in a lot of pain and require a root canal or extraction to treat.