You get it when your gums pull back and expose the surface beneath, called the dentin. This soft layer has thousands of tiny tubes that lead to the tooth’s nerve center (the pulp). They allow the hot, cold, or sweet food to reach the nerve in your tooth, which kicks off your pain.

Tooth decay occurs when foods containing carbohydrates (sugars and starches), such as breads, cereals, milk, soda, fruits, cakes, or candy are left on the teeth. Bacteria that live in the mouth digest these foods, turning them into acids. The bacteria, acid, food debris, and saliva combine to form plaque, which clings to the teeth. The acids in plaque dissolve the enamel surface of the teeth, creating holes in the teeth called cavities.

Raise a glass if this sounds familiar: You’ve been drinking rose’ or Pinot Grigio all summer because they’re seasonally appropriate and you know they won’t stain your teeth like red wine. When it comes to dental health, you are drinking responsibly. Or are you? 

Although cavities are largely preventable, they remain the “most common chronic disease of children aged 6 to 11 years and adolescents aged 12 to 19 years,” according to the CDC. In fact, kids miss over 50 million hours of school each year due to dental problems and related illnesses