Cavities in the teeth are a sypmtom of a disease called Caries. Caries can be exhibited with mild symptoms such as white spots on the teeth all the way up to large brown holes in the teeth that lead to eventual tooth loss. Caries is caused by a wide variety of bacteria and even fungus. The bacteria responsible for this disease prefer to live in an acidic environment. Patients who are at high risk for dental caries often suffer tom things such as several medications that dry out the mouth (xerostomia), acid reflux, (GERD), and high frequency carbohydrate diets. The bottom line is that your saliva is very critical in buffering acid in the mouth and diet can play a large role in supporting the bacteria that cause caries. In order to correct this problem we test the oral bacteria on an annual basis and use a variety of treatments to help patients to quit getting cavities completely. Dr Carson Kutsch Albany Oregon Dentist www.drkutsch.com