WHAT ARE THE
DIFFERENT
TYPES OF
CAVITIES?
Cavities are the ultimate enemy that you battle
against every time you brush your teeth.
While most people learn about cavities
as children, you might not know everything
there is to know about tooth decay.
People are often surprised to discover that
there are different types of cavities.
Learning more about tooth decay lets you
know what we are looking for during your
dental exams.
How Do
Cavities
Form?
Your mouth contains natural bacteria
that usually doesn’t cause a problem.
Oral bacteria feeds upon the same food
that you eat.
It mostly feeds on sugar and carbohydrates.
This is why you will often hear dentists
recommend that you limit your sugar intake.
As the bacteria feeds, it creates acid.
The acid then breaks down the tooth
enamel until a cavity develops.
How Do
Dentists
Classify
Cavities?
Most cavities form slowly.
They can also appear on any part
of your tooth.
Dentists classify cavities by naming the
location of the cavity on the tooth’s
surface.
It is also possible to have several types
of cavities on the same tooth.
Smooth
Surface
Cavity
You’ll often find this type of cavity on
the visible surfaces of your teeth.
Since the smooth part of your teeth
is harder for the bacteria to build upon,
these cavities are fairly uncommon.
They often show up between the teeth
or on the backs.
Making sure to floss and brush all
of your teeth’s surfaces helps prevent
these cavities.
Pit and
Fissure
Cavity
If you take a look at your back molars,
you’ll notice little grooves that help you
chew your food.
Those tiny crevices often catch food
and can accumulate bacteria inside
of them.
Brushing can help, but some people
have deep pits and fissures that are
hard to fully clean.
We can apply sealants on the back
teeth that help to stop food from
getting inside the grooves.
Root Cavity
The roots of your teeth usually lie
below the gum line.
This helps to prevent cavities from
forming there.
People with gum recession
are more likely to have this type
of cavity show up.
The roots of your teeth have less
enamel than the other parts.
A cavity on the root can get deep
very fast and require more
intensive forms of treatment.
Are All Types
of Cavities
Treated
the Same?
Dentists also classify cavities
by how far they’ve progressed.
Cavities go through six stages
of progression.
The first stage is the earliest.
At this point, the tooth decay hasn’t led
to a true cavity.
Instead, you may have chalky white spots
where the enamel is breaking down.
Cavities at this stage can sometimes
be halted with fluoride treatments.
The next stages of cavity progression include
ones that are breaking through the enamel
or the underlying dentin.
Dentists treat these with traditional fillings.
Once you reach the later stages
of progression, the decay has gone
down to the tooth pulp.
At this point, your best option for
treatment is likely to be a root canal.
A crown is often needed to restore
teeth after a root canal or large filling.
Understanding which type of cavity
you have can help you identify
strategies to prevent future ones.
Developing a pit and fissure cavity
could mean that you could benefit
from sealants.
A smooth surface cavity might mean
that you need help improving your
oral hygiene techniques.
Figuring out what is causing a cavity
is beneficial for preventing tooth decay
in the future.
Noble Dental Care is a family-oriented
dental care clinic with dentists that care
about you and your health.
Give us the opportunity to give you
the smile of your dreams.
Call us for an appointment
at (480) 820-3515.
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