Tooth Decay

On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Prevention and Risk Factors
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

• Health Check Tools

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Reference Desk
• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Seniors
• Patient Handouts

Summary

You call it a cavity. Your dentist calls it tooth decay or dental caries. They're all names for a hole in your tooth. The cause of tooth decay is plaque, a sticky substance in your mouth made up mostly of germs. Tooth decay starts in the outer layer, called the enamel. Without a filling, the decay can get deep into the tooth and its nerves and cause a toothache or abscess.

To help prevent cavities

• Brush your teeth every day with a fluoride toothpaste
• Clean between your teeth every day with floss or another type of between-the-teeth cleaner
• Snack smart - limit sugary snacks
• See your dentist or oral health professional regularly

Start Here

• Cavities/Tooth Decay (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Fluoridation Basics (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Other Fluoride Products (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Plaque: What It Is and How to Get Rid of It (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research) - PDF Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• About Dental Amalgam Fillings (Food and Drug Administration)

Related Issues

• Bottled Water and Fluoride (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Finding Dental Care (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research)
• Fluoridated Water (National Cancer Institute)
• Private Well Water and Fluoride (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Story of Fluoridation (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research)

Specifics

• Toothache: First Aid (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

Health Check Tools

• Dental Pain (DSHI Systems)

Statistics and Research

• Dental Caries (Tooth Decay) (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research)
• Dental Sealants (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research)
• Dental Sealants Prevent Cavities (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
• Prevalence and Severity of Dental Fluorosis in the United States, 1999-2004 (National Center for Health Statistics)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Dental Caries (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Dental Plaque (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Pit and Fissure Sealants (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Effectiveness on Early Childhood Caries of an Oral Health Promotion...
• Article: A randomized clinical trial on the sealing of occlusal carious...
• Article: Salivary protein polymorphisms and risk of dental caries: a systematic...
• Tooth Decay -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• Glossary of Dental Terms (Academy of General Dentistry)
• Oral Health Glossary (Academy of General Dentistry)

Find an Expert

• American Dental Association
• Find a Dentist (Academy of General Dentistry)
• National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research Also in Spanish

Children

• Dental Fluorosis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Fluoride and Water (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation)
• How to Prevent Tooth Decay in Your Baby (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
• Infant Formula and Fluorosis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Preventing Dental Caries in Children from Birth Through Age Five Years (U.S. Preventive Services Task Force) - PDF
• Seal Out Tooth Decay (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research) Also in Spanish
• Tooth Decay Process: How to Reverse It and Avoid a Cavity (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research) Also in Spanish
• What's a Cavity? (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Seniors

• Cavities (Merck & Co., Inc.) Also in Spanish
• Older Adults (and Oral Health) (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Dental cavities (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Plaque: What It Is and How to Get Rid of It (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research) - PDF Also in Spanish
• Seal Out Tooth Decay: A Fact Sheet for Parents (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research) - PDF
• Tooth decay -- early childhood (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Toothaches (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish