Taking care of our teeth and mouth is possibly one of the important things we learn about health. Cavities are the most prevalent teeth problems of this era causing destruction of tooth enamel. Many kinds of research and clinical studies have shown that tooth decay is profoundly influenced by our lifestyle, what we eat and how good we are with brushing?
Prevention of cavities is better than curing them!!
Modern dentistry has completely changed the management of dental cavities from drilling the cavities to a proactive approach to prevent the risk of further infection. The proactive approach by most dentists includes applying personalised methods to prevent the formation of dental decay.
Dental decay- An infectious disease that progresses with time.
Tooth decay is the destruction of the tooth’s surface or enamel. It occurs when the bacteria in our oral cavity produce acids that attack the enamel surface. Our teeth are covered with calcium and phosphate which are in the form of mineralized crystallines structure called enamel. Saliva is one of the essential natural fluids providing natural protection to your teeth, flushing away food that neutralizes the acidic and basic environment of our mouth.
PH scale measures the ranges of acidity 1-14
- The ph of mouth is neutral which is 7
- The extremely basic ph value is 14
- The extremely acidic ph value is 1
Food and bacteria retained in the mouth cause tooth decay. Plaque is a sticky substance getting on your teeth, and it contains the acidogenic bacteria that eat the sugar or carbohydrates. The moment bacteria starts to feed, the destruction begins. At a PH of 5.5, the enamel structure starts to demineralize that’s shows loss of calcium and phosphates. If the decay is left untreated, decay will continue its work throughout the complete tooth and all of its parts. With the passage of time, the decay will move into the dentin causing sensitivity and irritation.
If the dentin is exposed to decay then the process of demineralisation will easily start at pH 6.2 – 6.8, because the dentin is more vulnerable to decay.
Are you at risk of Dental Decay?
Did you know that dental decay can form anywhere on a tooth surface? bacteria can attack all surfaces of a tooth, including the upper area, the sides and the root if it’s visible.
Good oral health and dental caries vary from person to person, it is the result of a slight balance between disease-causing and health-protecting factors such as lifestyle, eating patterns and oral hygiene practices. The ultimate solution to prevent cavities is good oral hygiene practices, healthy eating, visiting a dentist every 6 months and to keep a track of personalized risk assessment of cavities.
Read More – Tooth Caries in Adults