“How quickly does a cavity progress?”

Once the bacteria pass the enamel and get to the dentin, the process is faster (because dentin is not as dense as the enamel). It also depends how your oral hygiene (especially flossing) is. Diet plays a major factor too; the more processed carbohydrates and acidic foods you consume, the faster the cavities can progress.

There is no solid answer to this question. There are a lot of factors involved in how fast decay and progress. The younger you are the faster it travels. If you are 60 and older usually the rate of progress is less

Hi,

Teeth are made up of 3 separate layers which are distinguished on an X-ray - enamel, dentin and pulp (nerve). The outer most layer or enamel is very hard and Davy progresses very slowly (and can be halted with fluoride), but once it enters the second layer (dentin), pain can arise, sensitivity and the decay will progress faster as this layer is soft and innervated with nerves. So, possibly months and even weeks depending on diet and genetic makeup of the individual.
Hope this helped!!

If a cavity has started on the enamel, the protecting outer layer of the tooth, it progresses slowly. If the cavity starts on the root surface, it can progress pretty quickly. Similar to a small leak in your roof that will only get bigger, how important is it until significant problems arise? Small cavity is an easy repair and less costly. Just do it!