Whether you had strong oral hygiene for as long as you can remember or you’ve recently upped your brushing and flossing game, you know you’re doing all the things right. Yet, every time you go for your dental check-up, there it is: another cavity. What’s going on?
Yes, even with the best habits, you can still get cavities if the other tooth-damaging factors aren’t aligned. In this article, we’ll share the non-oral-hygiene-related reasons why your teeth aren’t behaving as you expect, and those cavities keep popping up.
Your Diet
You learned young that you needed to keep your teeth clean, brushing them every day. But it wasn’t skipping your toothbrush time that actually caused the cavities. It was the way the bacteria in your mouth interacted with the sugars, acids, and carbs that you eat that made your enamel vulnerable to decay over time.
The same problem applies to you as an adult, but instead of eating what your parents feed you, you’re in charge of your diet. However, what many people don’t realize is that it’s not just what you eat; it’s how often you munch without brushing in between.
The time bacteria spend in your mouth is your enemy. Every time you eat or drink something that has carbs (even healthy ones) in it, your mouth’s pH levels drop, and your teeth go into a demineralization phase, where they become softer and less protective. Grazing with creamy coffees, granola bars, and flavored waters keeps your teeth in this softened state.
Then you add sugary items like cookies, crackers, and fruit, and the bacteria feast, wearing down your enamel until you brush again. Saliva helps rinse the debris and food particles away, but it doesn’t catch them all, especially if you’re dehydrated — like most of us — from not drinking enough water.
This article by JS Dental Lab explains how to make small lifestyle changes to prevent your diet from neutralizing the benefits of your good oral health habits.
Your Saliva Patterns (Hydration Matters)
How often do you think about your saliva throughout the day? Probably not too much, if you’re like most people. But when your mouth feels dry, it means you’re already dehydrated, which is a cavity-causing issue.
Saliva is a survival mechanism. It neutralizes acids, washes down food when you eat, and delivers essential minerals, like fluoride, calcium, and phosphate, back to your enamel. Dry mouth means you need to rehydrate because the saliva isn’t doing its job, and acids are lingering on your enamel. Your mouth is now a bacterial haven, and cavities are the next guests on the itinerary.
This problem could be as simple as staying hydrated with plenty of plain water (flavored waters add sugars and other particles that can affect the pH of your mouth). However, if you have dry mouth consistently, no matter how much water you drink, there may be something causing it.
Chronic Dry Mouth
Xerostomia is the official term for chronic dry mouth, often caused by medications (anti-anxiety, allergy, and blood pressure meds, as well as antidepressants, are known dry mouth-inducers). Mouth breathing or sinus infections, high caffeine intake, smoking and vaping, using tobacco products, or drinking alcohol can also cause dry mouth.
Does the link between dry mouth and cavities sound like it might be what’s happening to you? Talk to your doctor about your concerns — a medical fix might prevent future dental bills!
Your Genetics and Medical History
Like our hair and eyes, teeth are genetically determined, too. If your ancestors had weak enamel or unhealthy teeth, that could be what’s causing yours to stay stubbornly cavity-filled.
The design of your mouth matters. Deep grooves, molars with deep pits, fissures, and crowded teeth make it harder to wash and brush away trapped food. Crowding and overlapping also increase plaque between teeth. Genetics includes the anatomy of your teeth, the composition of your saliva, and the oral bacteria profile in your body.
When this is the issue, you don’t have bad teeth; you’re just starting from a different foundational level, which means you’ll need to pay attention and be preventative. It’s similar to having a family health risk for cancer or heart disease — knowing your genetics lets you be more aware of the actions you take in your daily life.
Medical conditions can also impact your oral health. Certain diagnoses are linked to dental issues because they alter the pH of your saliva. These include diabetes, eating disorders, and autoimmune conditions, as well as hormonal shifts (pregnancy, puberty, perimenopause, and menopause).
Conclusion
Figuring out what’s causing your cavities may require a deeper dive into your daily life and medical history. Keep up the great work brushing and flossing, but don’t be upset at those cavities. Your mouth just has some extra challenges, and when you understand what they are, you can give it the care it needs to get those healthy check-ups!
