08/23/2023
Did you know among adults ages 20 and older approximately 90% have had at least one cavity! Those statistics are shocking! What is even more shocking is how many people aren’t informed about exactly what causes cavities. While brushing and flossing are always an important aspect of remaining cavity free, our diets play a much larger role than our hygiene habits. Cavities form with frequency of exposure to carbohydrates, so not necessarily amount, but how often you are consuming them. Our mouth bacteria produces an acid for 30 minutes after we eat or drink ANY type of carbohydrate. So habitual snackers, and people who sip on drinks with any amount of sugar in them will be a significantly higher risk to getting cavities than people who eat structured meal and snack times. This is because their mouths stay acidic for the entire time they are eating or drinking. The best way to avoid cavities is to eat your carbohydrates with your meals and between meals drink a lot of water and eat snacks such as meats, cheeses, nuts, or veggies, all of these types of foods will not feed the bacteria in your mouth!
