What are your emergency hours?

Business hours: 8am, 5pm Monday, Thursday. After-hours: voicemail routes to the on-call doctor. For life-threatening emergencies, call 911.

Can I come in without an appointment?

Please call first, we'll almost certainly see you, but calling ahead means the right doctor and equipment are ready.

What if I'm not a current patient?

We see emergency patients we've never met before. If you become a regular after, great, no obligation.

Does insurance cover emergency visits?

Most dental plans cover an emergency exam and X-ray. Any treatment beyond that is covered per your plan's rules, we verify before we start.

Should I go to the ER instead?

Go to the ER if there's facial swelling affecting breathing or swallowing, uncontrolled bleeding, or trauma with possible head injury.

What counts as a true dental emergency?

Severe tooth pain that keeps you awake, a knocked-out permanent tooth, a cracked or broken tooth with sharp pain, uncontrolled bleeding after an extraction, a lost crown or filling leaving the tooth exposed, and swelling in the face or jaw that is spreading. If swelling involves the eye or throat or you have trouble breathing, go to the emergency room first and call us after.

How much does an emergency dental visit cost in Provo?

Emergency exam and X-ray typically runs between $150 and $250 before any treatment. Treatment cost depends on what is needed. A simple filling, a crown, a root canal, or an extraction all price differently. We give you the number for the treatment plan before you say yes, and we accept most PPO insurance plans along with CareCredit financing.

What should I do if a tooth is knocked out?

Pick the tooth up by the crown, not the root. Rinse it gently with milk or saline if it is dirty. Do not scrub it. Try to place the tooth back in the socket and bite down on a piece of gauze. If you cannot replant it, put the tooth in a cup of milk and get to our office within 60 minutes. The faster the tooth is back in place, the better the chance it survives long-term.

What Causes Cavities, and How to Prevent Them

Updated October 15, 2026

Cavities are caused by acid. Plaque bacteria on your teeth feed on sugars and cooked starches and turn them into acid. That acid pulls minerals out of your enamel. When it happens often enough, a weak spot becomes a hole, which is a cavity.

Quick answers

What causes cavities?

Plaque bacteria plus sugars and starches, given enough time and frequency. The bacteria make acid, and repeated acid attacks wear away minerals in your enamel faster than saliva and fluoride can repair them.

Does sugar cause cavities?

Sugar feeds the bacteria that make the acid, so yes, it plays a central role. Refined starches like crackers, chips, and white bread do the same thing. How often you eat them matters as much as how much.

How do you prevent cavities?

Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, clean between your teeth every day, drink water between meals, keep sweets and starchy snacks with meals, and keep your regular dental visits.

How a cavity forms, step by step

You eat or drink something with sugar or starch. Plaque bacteria start using it right away.
The bacteria make acid. That acid pulls minerals such as calcium and phosphate out of the enamel surface.
Saliva and fluoride repair early damage. Between snacks, saliva neutralizes acid and helps put minerals back.
Frequent snacking tips the balance. If acid attacks come one after another, repair never catches up. Over time the enamel breaks down into a cavity.

Why how often matters as much as what

Every sugary or starchy snack and every sip of a sweet drink starts a new acid attack. Sipping a soda over two hours is harder on your teeth than drinking the same soda with lunch, because your teeth spend far longer under attack. The goal is to give your mouth time to recover.

Five habits that prevent cavities

Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. Fluoride helps repair early weak spots in enamel.
Clean between your teeth daily. Plaque between teeth is where a lot of cavities start.
Make still water your default drink. Fluoridated tap water, where available, adds protection. Water also rinses food away.
Keep sweets and starchy snacks with meals. Have them and finish them instead of grazing for hours.
Keep your preventive visits. Exams and X-rays catch early decay while it is small and simple to treat.

Who has a higher risk?

Some people get cavities more easily. Tell your dentist if you have dry mouth, reflux or frequent vomiting, diabetes, several recent cavities, or trouble brushing. Your dentist can adjust your care, for example with extra fluoride or more frequent cleanings.

For a full guide to what to eat, see foods that are good for your teeth.

Talk it through at your next visit

Every X-ray we take also gets a Pearl AI second read, which helps flag early decay. At Advanced Dental Care in Provo, cleanings and exams include time with a hygienist who can look at your own risk and help you adjust your habits. Request an appointment or call (801) 758-2443.

Related guides

Sources and further reading

Adapted from the Advanced Dental Care Nutrition and Oral Health patient guide. Aligned with ADA guidance; not an ADA publication.

This guide is general education from Advanced Dental Care in Provo, Utah. It is not a substitute for advice from your own dentist or physician.

MORE PATIENT EDUCATION

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Bring this guide to your next visit. We will make it personal.

Your dentist and hygienist can tailor this advice to your teeth, your health, and your habits.

Request an Appointment New Patients: (801) 758-2443