Everyone wants to be healthy.  Luckily today concerning your teeth with fluoride in the drinking water the amount of tooth decay is way down, especially if you make the effort to brush and floss your teeth.

How do cavities occur?  Sometimes you can be predisposed to decay due to your genetics but most of the time it is due to eating sugary, sticky foods and not removing the remaining residue by not cleaning your teeth.

The outside of your tooth is made up of enamel which is a very hard substance.  The inner part of your tooth is made up of dentin which is technically millions of little straws pressed close together.  For decay to inhabit your tooth it has to break through the enamel layer.  Think of decay as looking like an upside down or right side up pyramid depending if you are on your upper or lower teeth.

The top point is the entry point into your inner tooth.  Most people have grooves and lines on the surface of their teeth so if food remains there it disintegrates giving off acids which attack the surface of your teeth.

Once the decay forms that little hole into the interior of your tooth it now has an ideal environment to cause mayhem.  For decay to grow it is looking for a dark, warm area without oxygen and a continual source of food.  Inside your mouth it is dark, approximately 100 degrees and once the decay is inside your tooth there is no oxygen.  As you continually eat there is a constant source of food.

Since the decay is within your tooth you are unable to remove or clean it with your toothbrush and it continues to grow.  The only way to remove it is to see your dentist who will excavate it out and replace the missing tooth structure to restore your tooth to health.  You can also get decay between your teeth by not flossing to remove any impacted food remaining there after eating.

Here at Dr Glenn Reit’s dental practice we do not want you to have decay.  If you do we will remove it and restore your tooth to health. So if you are looking for a dentist on the Upper East Side of Manhattan or you are visiting the Yorkville, New York City area give us a call.

We are happy to meet with you and restore your health.

Looking for a Dentist in the Upper East Side?

At the practice of Glenn Reit DDS; we provide quality care in a relaxed, comfortable, clean and safe environment. Please contact us today at 212 517 9000 for this or any other of your dental needs. We look forward to seeing and taking care of you.