Dental cavities, or caries, are tiny holes in the hard surface of the teeth. They are caused by bacteria on the surface of teeth creating acid out of sugar. The most common culprit is a bacterium known as Streptococcus mutans.The bacteria form a sticky film known as plaque. The acids in plaque remove minerals from (demineralize) your enamel — a coating of the teeth made mostly of calcium and phosphate.
This erosion causes tiny holes in the enamel. Once the acid damage spreads into the dentin layer underneath the enamel, a cavity forms. Many home treatments are based off of a study from the 1930s that suggested that cavities are caused by lack of vitamin D in the diet.
In this study, kids who added vitamin D to their diets showed a reduction in cavities. However, those who added vitamin D while also removing grain products from their diets had the best results. This is possibly because grains can stick to the teeth.
Not getting enough vitamin D may make teeth more susceptible to cavities, but we now understand that this is only a part of the puzzle. Other risk factors for cavities include:
