Cavity Facts

Fast facts

• Cavities, also called tooth decay, often go untreated.
• Untreated cavities can cause pain and infections that may lead to problems with eating, speaking, playing, and learning.
• Untreated cavities can lead to abscess, a severe infection. This can spread to other parts of the body and have serious, and in rare cases fatal, results.
• Children aged 6 to 9 from lower income households were more than twice as likely (25%) to have untreated cavities than children from higher income households (10%).1
• Half of children (50%) aged 6 to 9 years have had cavities in their primary (baby) or permanent teeth.1
• 1 in 10 adolescents (10%) aged 12 to 19 years have at least one untreated cavity.1
• 1 in 5 adults (21%) aged 20 to 64 years have at least one untreated cavity.1