Cavities are PREVENTABLE

Most people still think cavities are about lack of brushing or too much sugar. That is such a gross oversimplification.

Cavities are a systems biology problem. They reflect what’s happening in the oral microbiome, how often a child is eating, and whether their body has the minerals to repair enamel.

Every time we eat, bacteria produce acid and drop pH. If that happens occasionally, saliva can buffer and remineralize. If it happens all day, enamel loses that battle. That’s why they get decay.

This is why frequency matters. Constant snacking keeps kids in a near-continuous state of demineralization, even with “healthy” foods.

Then layer in what I see every day. Low minerals. Mouth breathing. Reduced saliva and dehydration. A disrupted oral and gut microbiome. The system shifts toward imbalance and that leads to decay.

Two kids can eat the same way and have completely different outcomes and that is often due to their underlying biology.

So what actually helps? Space meals out and eat on a schedule. Prioritize protein and minerals. Support nasal breathing. Stop trying to sterilize the mouth and start supporting it. Hydrate. Eat foods from farms and not from factories.

And then there’s the part we don’t talk about enough…😢

We have normalized sedation and general anesthesia for children’s dental disease.I do these cases…I have to. But just because it’s common doesn’t mean it’s normal. It breaks my heart every time I put a child to sleep for something that is largely preventable. And it’s not the parent’s fault.

This is a systems problem. Medicine, dentistry, and the food environment all share responsibility.

Cavities are preventable and predictable. We have to change the inputs to change the outcomes and this comes with education on systems biology and root cause medicine.

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