Top Ten List: Cavity Causes We have some good news and some bad news for you this month. The bad news is everyone has hundreds of types of germs in their mouths. Yuck. The good news is that only one type causes cavities, and your risk for cavities can be minimized by avoiding some bad cavity-causing habits. Here's a top ten list of some of the things you may be doing that put you at a high risk for cavities.10. Snacking after brushing before bed Unless you're only eating celery, if you eat before you go to bed, your teeth are being exposed to the debris in your teeth all night long. It's the length of time your teeth are exposed to sugars that really causes the problem!9. Coffee with sugar It's not the coffee, it's the sugar. Lots of people drink coffee all day long, making for long periods of exposure to the sugar in their coffee. Coffee with no sugar or artificial sweeteners are just fine and dandy.8. Sports drinks Both kids and adults love to drink sports drinks while being active. They're marketed as being good for you, but they are not good for your teeth. Beyond the sugar, they have acids that make your teeth susceptible to the cavity germ. It's a double whammy!7. Hard candies Altoids and lemon drops stay in your mouth for a long time. Breath Savers are fine because they don't contain any sugar.6. Sweet cocktails Now that the Summer has wound down you may not be sipping on a margarita as you read this, but next time you order a sweet cocktail remember to brush as soon as you get home - but don't drive!5. Prescription medications They're probably hundreds of prescriptions like anti-depressants, anti-anxiety pills and blood pressure medications that share the side effect of "dry mouth". Dry mouth is caused by low salivary flow. Saliva helps protect teeth from cavities by neutralizing acids, so the less saliva, the more prone you can be to cavities.4. Over the counter medications Many medications like allergy medications have the same effect as prescription medications. After all, medications like Allegra and Claritin, are meant to dry you out! Remember, the medications don't give you cavities - they make you susceptible to cavities when you eat sugar.3. Old dental work trapping food If you have old dental work, it could have aged enough to break down and allow gaps for food to hide in your teeth and expose them to sugar for long periods of time. A quick check-up with your dentist can save you a long trip to the dentist in the future.2. Braces It's a part of life for many of us. The good ol' metal mouth traps food like little magnets. It's important to follow your Doctor's advice on how best to keep your teeth clean during this time in your dental life.1. Avoiding your dentist! If you don't see your dentist for your regularly schedules appointments you're just begging to get cavities. Flouride treatments, regular cleanings and check ups are the best thing you can do to keep yourself cavity-free.