Why Do I Keep Getting Cavities?

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.