ESPECIALLY for those who call and e-mail me daily, and for those who intend to, I wish to revisit some major points I’ve made before. Firstly, let us look at what causes tooth decay, caries, cavities or rotten teeth. The biggest dental problem we all face is plaque. What is plaque? Plaque is a soft, sticky, colourless film on the surface of the teeth, gums and palate which consist of germs, saliva and food particles.
It constantly forms on your teeth. Plaque combines with the sugar and other starches to form different acids, which are mainly produced by the bacteria in your mouth. These acids are what attack tooth enamel, causing it to erode until it forms a cavity (tooth decay).
What can you do to avoid tooth decay? You can do the following:
(a)    Brush your teeth by using the Rule of Thoroughness which says that each tooth should be brushed for one minute every 24 hours.
(b)    Check if you are brushing correctly by using plaque disclosing tablets.
(c)    Floss at least once a day
(d)    If you can, avoid sticky, sugary foods
(e)    Visit your dentist or dental nurse for a regular check up at least every three months.
(f)    In addition, you should eat a balanced diet. In other words, use plenty of greens, milk, fish or meat.
How would you know if you have cavities? The first thing that happens when your tooth starts to rot is that it changes from its normal colour at that particular spot. You may observe dark streaks on the biting surfaces, or brown to chalky patches on the smooth surfaces. Instead of being intact, the spot may be soft or have  a hole. Pain may or may not appear at this stage.
What would you do if you think you have cavities? Act right away before it is too late. See a dentist or dentex as soon as possible. They may be able to fix it temporarily if not permanently. Perhaps what you believed to be tooth decay may not be. Let the professional confirm.
Plaque also frequently ends up becoming tartar or calculus.  What is tartar? Minerals in saliva combined with plaque at the tooth surface and harden into a rough, ugly deposit called tartar. This is mostly mineral, and it provides a rugged surface to which more plaque can attach, and make thorough plaque removal more difficult. Your toothbrush and floss cannot remove tartar once it has formed. Only by a regular dental prophylaxis (cleaning and polishing) performed by a trained person with adequate equipment and instruments can tartar be properly removed.

Tartar is the major factor that results in people losing the teeth the world over. How does this happen? It happens because tartar causes gum disease (also called periodontal disease). When the hard, infected tartar penetrates beneath the gum, it destroys the delicate fibres and tissues there. Also, the supporting bone around the neck of the teeth is forced into absorption due to the constant presence of the germs and their poisons. The sick gum then swells and produces a spongy tissue filled with blood vessels. These burst with slight pressure, hence the typical ‘bleeding gums’ is evident with the disease.

Because pain is not a usual symptom of gum disease, the condition is commonly allowed to progress to its worst stage, whereby the tooth totally loses its support in the jaw and has to be extracted.
The main points to remember is that you must never wait for pain before acting, and once you allow your permanent teeth to be extracted because of neglect, you are in trouble.