What Causes Cavities?
A cavity requires three things to form: a tooth, bacteria, and carbohydrates (in other words: sugar). Once you consume sugars, it only takes 20 seconds for the bacteria on your teeth to combine with the sugar and turn into acid. This acid begins to attack tooth enamel and break it down. Over time this reaction of sugar and bacteria results in tooth decay, which leads to cavities.
Changes to the pH levels in our mouths also contribute to cavity formation. Cavities can form when the pH level in our mouth drops, which makes our mouths more acidic. Drops in pH occur when we consume acidic foods and beverages such as sports drinks, lemonade, and soda, or sugary foods such as candy, cookies, and other junk foods. When we eat these foods and drinks, the bacteria that live on our teeth convert the sugar to acid, causing the pH in our mouth to drop.
It takes about 20 minutes for the saliva in our mouth to neutralize this drop in pH level. So with every sip of soda, the clock restarts, and our mouth is forming cavities for 20 whole minutes!
Take a look at these common drinks and see if they have low pH levels…if they do, they’re contributing to cavities in your mouth (or your child’s mouth!). In general, our goal is to keep our mouth at a neutral pH of 7, which water will do! Generally, anything under 5.5 will cause cavities.
Credit – Dental Associates
