Ouch! Do I have a Cavity?

So what are they? Are they holes? Are they a disease? What creates them? Why do I have so many? Why does it hurt? What is that inbetween my teeth when I take selfies? What do I do??!?!  It may feel overwhelming at first, but it is not a deal breaker if you start to understand what they are and to address it earlier, then wait till later. Oh, you do not want to wait till later, believe me. Our daily lives are filled with food culture, it is that belief and religious following about snapping photos till the food turns cold, becoming a “Foodie”, and devouring every creature/plant in sight. Unfortunately, our hygiene is a bit lackluster and can definitely improve to reach that food culture pinnacle of obsession of cleanliness. Enough with food, how about we go on and talk about and answer all these questions for you and then some. 

So what are cavities? Cavities are essential in the definition of the word- an empty space within a solid object. An empty space is a hole and the solid object, in our case, is your tooth. They are a disease that can fester and spread throughout your mouth. They are creating that rotten taste in your mouth, and that bad breath you are worried about when going out on a date. After 10 breath mints it still does not go away, and now your stomach is churning because that is all you have been eating for the past 8 hours before your date. And you know what? If those breath mints have sugar they will create more of those cavities you so hate, it’s an endless cycle. 

How can we end this cycle? How do we jump off this wheel of doom? What creates them and why do I have so many? Well, our mouth is a battlefield of bacteria, billions fighting a life-long war over the scraps of food and leftovers we leave stuck between our teeth. It is the literal definition of “one man’s trash, is another organisms treasure”, unless of course you are one of those people who love to floss/toothpick out those chunks of gold and eat them as an after dinner snack. Hey your date was grossed out by it, but you’re at least trekking along that right path. Food debris deposits on different areas on your teeth, it sits there and over time is broken down by all those warring factions of bacteria creating acid. That acid erodes all its surroundings and our teeth are the casualty of this endless war. Even though our teeth are well armored, overtime that armor slowly gets chiseled away. 

Nature loves crevices, grooves, nooks and crannies, and teeth have too many. Sometimes even the best toothbrush can’t get into every little area around your mouth. If your tooth hurts that means that cavity got too deep inside your tooth, where it literally opens a pathway straight to your nerve. So what can you do about it? Brush and floss after every meal, use mouth rinses swish around for at least 30 secs, and go to your dentist to help address these issues before critical mass is reached and your mouth explodes. Also limiting sweets, snacking sessions, and your daily sip of cola will help as well. Bring these ideas to life on a daily basis and you should be good. 

Teeth are precious pearls, you should keep them clean, keep them healthy, and they will reward you by shining bright. They will help you enjoy your foodie adventures day in, day out. You can smile and talk with your foodie buddies without needing a breath check. You don’t need to be so self-conscious when taking selfies with all that delicious looking food in the background. Life is great and meant to be enjoyed, you just need to put a little effort so you can enjoy it a little more. 

By: Dr. Steven Truong