The adult patients we see from Wilmington who seem to have new decay in their teeth every time they come for a check-up will often express frustration over their inability to escape the need for fillings every six months. Frequently we will hear them say, “I brush my teeth two or three times a day and it just doesn’t seem to matter!” Of course, only the patient (YOU!) really knows whether that two-or-three-times-a-day brushing habit is for real, but what if it is? Why do bad cavities happen to good people? Sometimes the answer may be related to medications being taken that may dry the mouth, or, more rarely, to genetic defects in the teeth or saliva, but most of the time the answer is simple but insidious: DIET.

 I will often say to my dental patients, “What you eat also eats you.” This is an oversimplification, of course, but it still rings true. More accurately, the food we eat also feeds the bacteria that live in each and every human being’s mouth. These bacteria have their preferences for foods, thriving especially on foods containing simple carbohydrates, i.e. sugars, though more complex carbs can still fuel the fire. Most dental patients have heard their dentist refer to plaque. Plaque is a pasty film of living bacteria that forms on teeth. The more the bacteria have to eat, the faster and more abundantly the plaque grows. So what? Well, when bacteria metabolize, or “eat” the sugars in your mouth, the byproducts of that process are acids that will literally dissolve away the enamel and dentin of your teeth, a process better known as tooth decay. Many people do not realize, or do not stop to think that that mid-day cup of coffee with sugar and creamer, or those couple of Cokes throughout the day, or the little dish of candy on the desk, or the sugary gum, or the Red Bull all contain sugars which, if not removed from the mouth promptly by brushing and rinsing, will feed right into this acid-forming process, often leading to tooth decay. 

Your dentist has many “tricks up his/her sleeve” to help strengthen teeth and combat decay, but most of them will fall short in a case where a constant, daily sugar assault is taking place in the mouth. It can be tough to break some of these dietary habits, especially ones that involve caffeine because of its mildly addictive nature. Nevertheless, if you are weary of hearing your dentist say, “I found a couple cavities” every time you go, take a hard look at what goes into your mouth throughout the day. The solution to your problem may literally be right in front of you.