How Long Does It Take For A Cavity To Form?

Simply uttering the word “cavity” is bound to turn heads. That’s because cavities are no joke. They are literally holes in your teeth that seem to pop up out of nowhere! On top of that, they are almost always the initial starting point for a variety of other more serious dental issues if they aren’t taken care of in a timely fashion. But how do you take care of cavities in a timely fashion?

The first question that you need to answer is: “How long does it take for a cavity to form?”

Cavity formation, otherwise known as tooth demineralization, occurs when you have an oral environment that is acidic. An acidic mouth is caused by oral bacteria in the plaque. This bacteria eats excess sugar and creates acids that damage your teeth and causes cavities. The rate that tooth demineralization happens is completely dependent on how often a mouth is acidic. Luckily, an acidic environment is not typical unless there is a lot of sugar being eaten or bacteria and plaques are not being removed. Also, if proper diet and hygiene are maintained, teeth undergo a process known as tooth remineralization in which minerals are drawn from the saliva and deposited onto the teeth in order to heal them from the damaged that occurred during the demineralization process.

The rate at which a person gets a cavity is dependent on the interplay between the tooth demineralization and remineralization process. As long as you watch your sugar intake and keep up your consistent brushing and flossing, you can stave of cavities for a long time, maybe even forever! This is why dentists feel comfortable with checking your teeth for cavities every three to six months.

So, how long does it take for a cavity to form?

As you can tell it really depends on your personal dental situation. Some factors make some mouths more susceptible to cavities than others. If you have any questions about your susceptibility to cavities or have any other concerns about your dental health please contact us here a Gables Sedation. We would love to help you bring your mouth to optimal health!