{"id":6,"date":"2020-04-16T01:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-16T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.allensmiledesign.com\/blog\/?p=6"},"modified":"2020-05-20T15:04:21","modified_gmt":"2020-05-20T15:04:21","slug":"allen-dentist-6-myths-tooth-decay-cavities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.allensmiledesign.com\/blog\/2020\/04\/16\/allen-dentist-6-myths-tooth-decay-cavities\/","title":{"rendered":"Busting 6 Common Myths About Cavities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Woman<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ve probably been taught from a very young age that cavities are bad for your smile, but what else do you know about tooth decay? There are a surprising number of misconceptions surrounding cavities and the permanent holes they leave in your teeth. If you want to keep your pearly whites healthy and clean, it helps to know what\u2019s fact and what\u2019s fiction. Read on as your Allen dentist<\/a> busts six common myths you may have heard about cavities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Myth #1: Cavities Only Come from Sweets & Soda<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When your natural oral bacteria feed on the sugars in the\nfoods you eat, a harmful acid is produced and causes cavities. These sugars can\nbe found in all foods, including bread, pasta, crackers, and even healthy items\nlike fruits!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myth #2: You Can Fill Cavities & Forget Them<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once a cavity is repaired with a filling, you need to\ncontinue to take extra care in keeping it clean. Plaque and bacteria tend to\nbuild up around fillings, which can raise the risk of cavities in nearby teeth.\nAdditionally, proper care is needed to keep it from breaking and exposing the\nvulnerable part of your tooth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myth #3: Brushing Alone is Enough to Prevent Cavities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While regular toothbrushing plays a large role in preventing\ntooth decay, it can\u2019t clean out the plaque and bacteria between your teeth. To\nkeep cavities from forming there and in other hard to brush areas, you need to\nfloss all your teeth daily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myth #4: All Gum Causes Cavities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Gum doesn\u2019t cause tooth decay, but the sugar it contains\ndoes. Studies show that chewing sugarless gum after meals can actually help\nlower your risk of cavities by encouraging saliva production. Saliva washes\naway any lingering sugars and hinders plaque buildup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myth #5: Cavities Always Hurt<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cavities only cause pain and sensitivity when they\u2019ve burned\nthrough a significant portion of your enamel and have reached the sensitive\nlayers underneath. The earliest stages of tooth decay often cause no symptoms that\nyou can detect, so it can form and progress without you realizing it.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myth #6: Cavities in Baby Teeth Don\u2019t Matter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cavities in baby teeth can cause painful toothaches and\ninfections just like they can in adult teeth. Additionally, if a baby tooth needs\nto be pulled early because of an untreated cavity, the developing permanent\ntooth underneath may come in crooked or misaligned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cavities are extremely common, so it\u2019s important to\nunderstand what is and isn\u2019t true about them. A little bit of knowledge and\ngreat at-home oral hygiene can go a long way in keeping your smile happy,\nhealthy, and cavity-free!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the Author<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Tonie Lewis is committed to educating her patients so\nthey can make informed decisions, guide their treatment, and keep their smile\nhealthy at home. While her goal is always to prevent oral health issues before\nthey develop, she can also quickly and comfortably treat cavities with\nhigh-quality tooth-colored fillings. If you have more questions about tooth\ndecay, feel free to contact her via her <\/em>website<\/em><\/a> or\nat (972) 954-9728. <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"You\u2019ve probably been taught from a very young age that cavities are bad for your smile, but what else do you know about tooth decay? There are a surprising number of misconceptions surrounding cavities and the permanent holes they leave in your teeth. If you want to keep your pearly whites healthy and clean, it helps to know what\u2019s fact and what\u2019s fiction. Read on as your Allen dentist busts six common myths you may […] (Read More)<\/a>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.allensmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.allensmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.allensmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.allensmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.allensmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.allensmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.allensmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6\/revisions\/12"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.allensmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.allensmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.allensmiledesign.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}