Cavities occur when germs or bacteria decide to have a feast on the stuck food remnants. As a result, a small portion of the tooth starts to decay, forming a pit. Eventually, if cavities are left untreated, the hole deepens, exposing the tooth’s more sensitive part. Thus, in your battle against cavities, it is vital to arm yourself with knowledge. Therefore, let’s discuss the three types of cavities.
Pit and Fissure Cavities:
This type occurs mostly in the rear end of the mouth, specifically in molars and premolars. Molars and Premolars take up a vital part in the action. They perform the crushing and grinding of the food. Furthermore, they are well suited for their job due to their wide structure with pits and fissures.
However, also due to the structure, bits of food can sneak out in the crevices, making molars and premolars more susceptible to cavities. Only thorough brushing can help dislodge the stuck particles. Hence, you can keep fissure cavities at bay by adopting comprehensive oral hygiene.
Root Cavities:
As the name suggests, this type of cavity attacks the root of a tooth. Roots without hard enamel protection make a convenient spot for cavity attack. Furthermore, root cavities spread like wildfire with little obstruction in their way and sumptuous delicacies to gnaw on. Another reason why root cavities are troublesome is that they can advance to pulp pretty fast, making it difficult to deal with them. Therefore, once you spot a root cavity, visit Almond Dental urgently to get the infection removed and holes filled.
However, roots aren’t usually exposed until old age or because of gum disease. Due to old age, gums start to recede, exposing vulnerable roots to cavities. Plus, gum diseases like gingivitis or periodontitis also pull back roots from their place.
Smooth Surface Cavities:
This type of cavity affects the smooth side surface of the tooth, and it is the rarest of the three types of cavities to develop. Due to the location and the strength of enamel, smooth surface cavities form slowly. Therefore, if smooth surface cavities plague you, it’s a red alert that your dental hygiene is not up to par.
Keep Cavities at bay:
From our discussion, we have established that cavities are highly opportunistic, leaving no chance to attack. Once you are vulnerable due to sloppy oral hygiene, you are merely at the mercy of cavities. Therefore, give cavities run for their money by vigorous oral practices.
Following are the best practices to follow:
- Use fluoride toothpaste as fluoride strengthens enamel, the body’s natural defense against invaders.
- Brush at least twice a day or brush after every meal.
- Give special attention while brushing to the rear end of the mouth as most bits are stuck in the molars and premolars.
- Floss once a day to dislodge any stuck particles.
- Last but not least, visit a dentist regularly. A visit or two per year would do just fine. Visit Almond Dental for a full dental checkup or give us a call at 612-782-7000.