How to stop a cavity from growing
Once enamel is through, a cavity does not reverse with a better toothpaste. You can stop the next one and get this one filled before it reaches the nerve.
By How To Stops desk
See the dentist while it is small
A dark spot or a catch with the explorer is a filling, not a home experiment. Waiting turns a small restoration into a root canal. There is no safe DIY filling.
Use fluoride on a schedule
Brush twice with a fluoride toothpaste, spit, and do not rinse it all away. A fluoride rinse at a different time of day is a common add-on if your dentist agrees.
Starve the acid cycle
Bacteria make acid every time sugar sits on the tooth. Frequency matters more than one dessert: sipping soda all afternoon is harder on enamel than the same soda with a meal.
Clean the places brushes miss
Floss or use interdental brushes nightly. Cavities between teeth stay invisible until they are large.
Watch for this
- Pain to hot, cold, or biting means the cavity may already be deep.
- Whitening strips do not treat decay.
When to get help
Book a dentist if you see a hole, a broken edge, or swelling. Facial swelling with fever is urgent.