When you look at a cavity, you know it is bad news for your teeth. After all, everyone grows up hearing from their parents that cavities are dangerous and painful. However, not a lot of people know why cavities are bad, how they happen, and other information about them. On top of that, people believe in several myths about cavities that need to be cleared if you want to protect your oral health.
If you are suffering from cavities, you may be experiencing toothaches, bad breath, tooth sensitivity, and other oral health problems. It is not ideal to live with cavities, and you should visit an Upland dentist as soon as possible. The longer it goes untreated, the more your chances of losing a tooth. Meanwhile, here are the top myths about cavities.
Top myths about cavities
- Sugary sodas and foods are the only things that cause cavities.
You may have heard your mom tell you to lay off the chocolates and candies while growing up so you do not get cavities. However, she may not have told you that some foods which do not contain sugar can cause tooth decay and cavities too. For example, sports drinks, energy drinks, honey, nuts, raisins, etc. Sticky foods linger in your mouth and give birth to bacteria.
- Cavities in children’s teeth are nothing to worry about.
Children with baby teeth have yet to grow their permanent, adult teeth. Therefore, their parents think that cavities are not a big deal. However, that is far from the truth. Cavities affect the teeth and your jaw, growth, and occlusion. Cavities and bacterial infections in your tooth can affect the gums and bones under your teeth and destroy the bone and jaw structure.
- You will know you have a cavity when your tooth hurts.
False. It is not always possible to know whether you have a cavity unless you visit the dentist because they do not always show symptoms. While pain is one of the symptoms, sometimes you won’t experience any unless the decay has advanced. Treating your cavity when it is still in its initial stages is best. Once it progresses, you will start experiencing pain and discomfort.
- You can fill your cavity and forget about it.
Most people take the idea of cavities lightly as they believe the dentist will fill it with filling, and the problem will be solved. However, you will still need to take care of your teeth after getting a filling. Make sure to brush and floss. Bacteria can build up around the filled tooth, and the filling can crack and get damaged.
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