Cavities Are Optional: How to Keep Your Teeth Strong for Life

Most people think cavities are inevitable. You grow up, eat sugar, skip brushing once in a while, and eventually you’ll “need a filling.” But the truth is, cavities are completely preventable when you understand what causes them and how to support your teeth naturally.

What Exactly Is a Cavity?

Your teeth are constantly undergoing a natural cycle called demineralization and remineralization. Minerals are always moving in and out of your enamel. When more minerals are pulled out than put back in, the enamel weakens and eventually breaks down—this is what we call a cavity.

Whether your enamel stays strong or breaks down depends on many factors, including your diet, oral microbiome, oral hygiene, saliva, and even how you breathe.

Diet: Feeding Your Body (and Your Bacteria)

Diet plays a major role in two ways:

1. Fuel for bacteria – A diet high in sugar and processed carbohydrates feeds acid-producing bacteria in the mouth. These bacteria create acids that strip minerals from your teeth.

2. Fuel for your body – A nutrient-rich diet supplies your saliva and enamel with the vitamins and minerals they need. Diets high in vegetables, fiber, fruits, healthy fats, and protein provide the building blocks for strong teeth.

On the other hand, even if you eat “healthy,” poor digestion or genetic factors (like MTHFR mutations) can prevent you from absorbing minerals properly. Gluten sensitivity and chronic inflammation can also reduce nutrient uptake, further weakening your teeth.

The Oral Microbiome: The Community in Your Mouth

Your mouth is home to billions of bacteria, and not all of them are bad. A healthy microbiome balances bacteria that support your oral health with those that can harm it.

One strain, Streptococcus mutans, is especially destructive because it produces high amounts of acid. Too much S. mutans tips the balance toward demineralization.

Your oral microbiome is influenced by:

• What you inherit from mom and dad

• Antibiotic use

• Diet and lifestyle

• Intimate partners (yes, kissing swaps bacteria!)

Supporting a balanced microbiome helps protect enamel and even supports digestion, since the mouth and gut microbiomes are closely linked.

Oral Hygiene: More Than Just Brushing

Brushing and flossing are critical, but they’re not the whole story. Some people brush multiple times a day and still get cavities because of deeper issues like diet, saliva, or microbiome health.

That said, removing plaque, bacteria, and food debris is essential—especially if you have appliances like retainers, Invisalign, or braces that trap food. Daily thorough brushing, flossing, and tongue scraping (especially before bed) are the basics for giving your teeth a fighting chance.

Saliva: Your Built-In Defense System

Saliva is your teeth’s best natural protector. It:

• Washes away bacteria and food

• Buffers acid to keep the mouth neutral

• Delivers minerals like calcium and phosphate to strengthen enamel

Anything that reduces saliva flow—medications, radiation, autoimmune conditions like Sjögren’s, or even dehydration—increases your risk for cavities.

You can test your saliva health at home:

• pH strips (6–8 range) to check acidity each morning

• Buffering capacity test: Record your baseline pH, swish lemon juice, then track how fast your saliva returns to baseline. Healthy saliva should recover in ~2 minutes.

Breathing: Why Nasal Is Better Than Mouth

How you breathe directly affects your teeth. Mouth breathing dries the mouth, lowers saliva production, and shifts your pH—creating the perfect environment for decay. It can also disrupt oxygen balance and pull minerals from storage in the body.

Most people can retrain themselves to breathe nasally using techniques like:

• Mouth taping at night

• Buteyko breathing exercises

• Seeing an ENT for issues like deviated septum or chronic sinus problems

For a deeper dive, the book Breath by James Nestor is an excellent resource.

Healing & Remineralizing Damaged Enamel

If damage is limited to the enamel, remineralization is possible. But no product alone will “fix” teeth—you need to address the underlying causes first.

Products we recommend:

• Hydroxyapatite toothpastes/powders – Boka, Risewell, and Dr. Jen’s (help rebuild enamel with calcium phosphate, the same mineral your teeth are made of).

• CrystL Care Biorestorative Strips – Deliver calcium and phosphate ions directly into weakened enamel.

• Daily Dental Care Lozenges – Starve acid-producing bacteria to encourage healthier oral flora.

If a cavity has reached the dentin (the deeper layer under enamel), healing becomes less likely, though progression can sometimes be stopped. X-rays and exams help determine the extent.

The Bottom Line

Cavities aren’t a life sentence—they’re a sign that something in your body’s balance needs attention. By addressing diet, microbiome, saliva, oral hygiene, and breathing, you can truly prevent (and in some cases reverse) enamel damage.

At Midway Family Dental, we believe in looking at the whole picture of health—not just drilling and filling. With the right lifestyle changes, tools, and support, cavities really can be optional.