Going to the dentist every six months is designed to offer a chance to get your teeth deep cleaned and to find small problems before they progress into larger ones. During a typical visit, one of the top things your dentist will emphasize is cavity prevention. Dentists are most concerned with cavity prevention for several reasons, and here are some of the top reasons.

Cavities eat away at the structure of teeth

Dentists care so much about cavities because cavities eat away at teeth. When a cavity first forms, it might be very small and hard to even detect. As it grows, it will begin eating away at the structure of the tooth. This leads to weakening of the tooth, and it also leads to a lot of other problems. Losing the structure of your teeth is not a good thing, as you only get one set of permanent teeth in your lifetime.

Cavities progress quickly

Dentists also care about cavities because they tend to progress quickly. Visiting a dentist twice a year is a great way to find out if you have any small cavities that are just forming. If you do, the dentist will want to fix them right away, because dentists know that cavities may begin small, but they do not remain small. The longer a cavity remains on a tooth, the more tooth structure you will lose. Not only is fixing a small cavity better for protecting your teeth, but it may also cost less and take less time.

Cavities can cause you to lose your teeth

Finally, dentists care about cavities because they can lead to a loss of teeth. If you have a cavity and do not get it removed and filled, it could end up taking over the entire tooth. If this happens, the only option you may have is to have the dentist extract the tooth. Living without a tooth can interfere with eating and can lead to gum disease and a loss of bone mass, and replacing a missing tooth can be a very costly and time-consuming event.

Cavity prevention is vital if you care about your teeth, and this is why dentists put so much emphasis on finding ways to prevent cavities. If you have not visited a dentistry professional in the last six months or so, you might want to schedule a visit soon to get an examination and cleaning.