Types of Dental Cavities

For most of us, a cavity is a cavity is a cavity! Less important is the type of cavity, more important is getting it fixed and doing our best to prevent another one from occurring, right?

Not necessarily. What most people probably don’t know is that there are actually three different types of dental cavities that can occur in our teeth. And having a good knowledge of each type can help you to take preventive steps that will help reduce the risk of developing each type of cavity.

Before we get into details about the three different types of cavities, let’s take a look at what a tooth is composed of. This will help us to understand how, why and where a cavity can occur.

What Teeth Are Made Of

The teeth are comprised of two parts – the crown and the root. The crown is the part of the tooth that is visible within the mouth, and the root is under the gum line and not visible within the mouth.

Each tooth is made up of the following four materials:

Enamel

Enamel is the material that covers the crown of the tooth. It is harder than bone and acts as a protector of the tooth, helping to prevent tooth decay, and to protect the dentin. Enamel is visible inside the mouth.

Dentin

Dentin is the material underneath the tooth enamel. While slightly softer than enamel, dentin also acts as a protector, helping to prevent decay and infection. Dentin isn’t normally visible inside the mouth, however certain types of decay and gum disease can lead to exposure.

Cementum

Cementum is the material that covers the tooth roots. Cementum helps to anchor the tooth to the jaw bone. Cementum is usually covered by the gums and isn’t normally visible inside the mouth, however certain types of decay and gum disease can lead to exposure.

Pulp

Pulp is the material at the center of the tooth that contains blood vessels and nerves. This soft tissue delivers nutrients and signals to your teeth.

How a Cavity Forms

We all have bacteria in our mouths, it’s just a fact of life. But certain steps can be taken to prevent the damage this bacteria can lead to. If we don’t practice proper dental hygiene that includes brushing, flossing and rinsing, the bacteria can turn into plaque. Plaque is a film that builds up on the surfaces of teeth. If left to harden, plaque will turn into a substance called tartar.

Tartar can lead to many problems including gum disease, and a weakening of the tooth enamel. Once the enamel has been compromised, the bacteria-laden tarter can cause damage to the inner parts of tooth (dentin, cementum and pulp), and the tooth roots.

Three Types of Cavities

Now that we have an understanding of what a tooth is made of, and how cavities form, let’s take a look at the three different types of cavities:

Smooth Surface Decay Cavity

A smooth surface decay cavity is a type of cavity that effects the exterior surfaces of teeth (enamel). Typically, a smooth surface cavity will appear on the front or back of the teeth, due to the broad surface that is exposed to acidic foods that cause bacteria, plaque and tartar. This type of cavity is less likely to occur in the tight spaces in between teeth.

A smooth surface cavity will often appear as smaller whitish spots on the teeth. If treated quickly, the tooth will experience a minimum of enamel loss. Conversely, if left untreated, the cavity can grow to cover a much larger area of the enamel. Additionally, if there are several small surface decay cavities, they can eventually join together causing extreme loss of enamel.

Pit and Fissure Decay Cavity

Pit and fissure decay cavities are the most common types of cavities. Appearing as darker spots, pit and fissure decay cavities usually start out as smooth surface decay cavities that are left untreated. If you look closely, you’ll notice that many of your teeth have what appear to be grooves and slightly bumpy areas. These grooves and bumps are an integral part of tearing and chewing food.

Because the pits and fissures of the tooth are not flat and smooth like other surfaces, they require a lot more attention during brushing, to ensure that all of the microscopic bits of food and bacteria are removed. Otherwise, what’s left behind will lead to cavities of these areas of the tooth.

Along with good dental hygiene practices, some dentists choose to apply a pit and fissure sealant to smooth out these areas of the tooth, thus preventing bacteria from lurking there and being missed during brushing.

Root Decay Cavity

Root decay is the most serious of the three types of cavities. Most commonly, root decay is the final progression of one or both of the other types of cavities that have been left untreated. The bacteria that causes cavities can invade the spaces around the roots, usually due to a combination of a breach of the tooth enamel and gingivitis together. And because the roots do not have enamel to protect them, infection and cavities can progress quickly. Once the cavities impact the roots, it will take some heavy hitting to restore the tooth and root to a healthy state.

An important contributor to root decay cavities seems to be poor or improper brushing techniques. In particular, brushing too hard can cause parts of the tooth roots to be exposed, thereby increasing vulnerability to plaque and tartar. Be sure to brush thoroughly but gently, especially along the gum line so as to avoid causing the gums to recede and expose the roots of your teeth.

Summary

As you can see, there are three types of cavities that can impact your teeth. While bacteria within the mouth is unavoidable, taking the time to properly and thoroughly brush, floss and rinse will help to reduce the amount of bacteria that lingers on your teeth. This in turn will reduce the risk of developing plaque and tartar, keeping your teeth and roots healthy and clean. See your Vancouver, Kitsilano dentist today for a check up and keep those cavities away!

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