Have you ever wondered what causes cavities? Its not actually the food that you eat, although it does have a factor. Instead, Cavities are caused by different bacteria which are difficult to get rid of because they are so similar to the other harmless bacteria that live in your mouth. There are several different kinds of cavity causing bacteria including the following.

Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria - This type of bacteria resides in the pits and fissures on the chewing surfaces of your teeth. They tend to cause a lot of tooth decay in young children in both their baby teeth and their permanent molars.

Streptococcus bacteria - This type of bacteria attacks the smoother surfaces of the sides of the teeth. They usually cause cavities to spread to the adjoining teeth and are hard to detect visually. Most times, the only way to detect them is through x-rays.

Odontomyces viscoses bacteria - These live on the back of the tongue and attack the hard outer layer of the tooth root, also known as the cementum. This type of bacteria tends to be worse on older patients and patients with gum disease because their tooth roots are more exposed.

If you want to know more about different cavity causing bacteria, ask you dentist for more details.

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