I have cavities, so my kid will too, it’s just destined to be true, right?

I come across this question (or really it’s communicated as a statement) from many parents and yes, while it is true that having a primary caregiver with cavities increases a child’s risk of developing cavities, it is not a fait accompli. Caries, the process that leads to developing cavities, is a multi-factorial disease. This means that there are many factors which figure into a child’s risk for cavities and while there are some you cannot control, there are many which you can. So let’s talk about what that looks like. Cavities (the holes that can form in teeth) are mostly caused by acid (released by bacteria) demineralizing tooth structure until it’s too weak to stay together and the enamel cracks. That sounds pretty uncontrollable, right? Let’s talk about that.

What are the factors that make up the oral environment? There are many factors that are mostly out of our control: the quality & quantity of our saliva (some of us have a high mineral content or a high concentration of antimicrobial factors which help protect our teeth and some of us do not), the quality & quantity of our enamel (which you do have some control over based on your diet at a young age), and the natural pH level in our mouth. A more acidic natural environment is more conducive to the creation of cavities because the bacteria which are mainly responsible for causing cavities both create more acid AND thrive in an acidic environment. But there are things you can do to try and modify this environment and to protect the teeth themselves. 

Baking soda! Baking soda? Yes! Baking soda is alkaline and so the opposite of acid, which means that if you swish a mouthwash with baking soda in it, you can help bring the pH of your mouth back to neutral more quickly than your body might be able to do naturally. 

Eating frequency. Every time you eat something, the bacteria in your mouth eat too and when they eat, they release acid. It takes about 45 minutes for the pH to return to normal naturally. So if a child is carrying around a bottle of juice with them and taking sips throughout the day, this is hours of acid contact for their teeth. Try to keep any liquids with sugar in them limited to meal times if possible and as for snacking? I get it, kids are growing and they’re hungry, so try to also include crunchy foods that help to clean out sticky foods from the grooves of their teeth and have them drink lots of water throughout the day to also help the pH get back to a safer level. 

Fluoride! Fluoride does 3 major things: 1. It’s a mineral that can remineralize the demineralized parts of teeth that have been undergoing an acid attack AND the new mineral with fluoride in it is actually stronger than the mineral in the tooth was originally, 2. When the cavity causing bacteria eat the fluoride, they don’t release as much acid, 3. It forms a forcefield-like covering for your teeth to help and decrease the penetration acid can have into your tooth structure. If you don’t use fluoride, definitely use another kind of remineralizing toothpaste- Hydroxyapatite and Theobromine are good options that have research behind them supporting their ability to remineralize. 

Brushing at least twice a day- and if your kid is little, brushing for them (they don’t have the manual dexterity yet to do it well)- you disrupt the biofilm and prevent a mature biofilm from forming (where the bacteria are more acid producing) AND you put that remineralizing toothpaste on your teeth at least twice a day to help and reverse an early growing lesions. 

Are some people more prone to cavities than others? Absolutely! But that doesn’t mean they are fated to have a cavity, it means they will need to put in more effort than their peers- but I would argue that it’s worth the effort.