{"id":306,"date":"2018-12-16T22:47:45","date_gmt":"2018-12-16T22:47:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dentistsatorenco.com\/blog\/?p=306"},"modified":"2019-01-07T22:52:40","modified_gmt":"2019-01-07T22:52:40","slug":"restorative-dentist-hillsboro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dentistsatorenco.com\/blog\/restorative-dentist-hillsboro\/","title":{"rendered":"What Exactly IS a Cavity? A Restorative Dentist In Hillsboro Explains"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A<\/a>Here\u2019s a couple of surprising statistics for you: According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, over 90% of the population has had cavities at some point in their life. And if that weren\u2019t bad enough, an estimated 27% of adults currently <\/em>have undiagnosed cavities. But although this is a common oral health problem, you still may not know what a cavity actually is. Keep reading to find out more and learn about the best way to protect your teeth. Knowledge is power – and can ultimately minimize the amount of dental work you need from a restorative dentist in Hillsboro!<\/p>\n

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What Is a Cavity?<\/h2>\n

The word \u2018cavity\u2019 is defined as an empty space within a solid object. In regards to oral health, it could be (very simply) defined as a hole in a tooth. But there\u2019s more to it than that.<\/p>\n

Cavities occur when bacteria in the mouth consume sugar or carbohydrates and produce acid that softens the hard outer layer of teeth (called enamel). Enamel is the hardest substance in the body \u2013 even harder than your bones \u2013 but this acid wears away at it much like acid rain wears away marble and stone over time.<\/p>\n

How Are Cavities Treated and What\u2019s the Best Way To Prevent Them?<\/h2>\n

When a cavity is caught early enough, a restorative dentist<\/a> can remove the decayed part of the tooth and restore it with a filling or crown. But if it goes untreated, it can eventually reach the center of the tooth where the nerve resides, causing an infection, abscess and severe toothache.<\/p>\n

The good news is that you can prevent cavities from ever occurring in the first place by doing the following:<\/p>\n