Flossing with cavities?

I feel like this is a VERY silly question but it has been bugging me. I went to the dentist a few days ago and they told me I have a cavity between my upper left lateral and upper left cuspid teeth. Because of booking issues, I will not be able to get it filled for a few weeks. What I'm concerned with is it getting worse in the time between. I am working to brush and floss better, but I am also worried that flossing in-between the two teeth with the cavity will make it worse. I feel like it is helping to wear away an already weakened tooth. I guess what I'm asking if it is still ok to floss there. Should I be gentle when I floss between those two teeth or treat them as regular? Thank you so much.

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Answer: It is safe, and actually recommended, to floss a tooth with a cavity.

It is safe, and actually recommended, to floss a tooth with a cavity. A cavity (or dental caries) is formed when certain bacteria in our mouths feed on sugars to produce acid which wears away at tooth structure. Flossing will remove food debris, plaque and sugars that will contribute to this phenomenon. Therefore, when flossing a tooth with a cavity on it you are effectively keeping the area clean and decreasing the amount of harmful substances in the location of the cavity. Unfortunately flossing this area will not reverse the cavity but may slow down its progression. If the cavity has gone beyond the first layer of the tooth (the enamel) and entered the second layer (the dentin) the cavity should be filled. In this case you report that you are going to have this tooth filled in a few weeks. So by flossing the area, brushing your teeth and decreasing the frequency of sugar during that time you will hopefully decrease the progression of the cavity. The tooth will still need a filling, but hopefully not as large a filling as if the cavity were to progress in the face of lack of flossing and brushing.

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