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TOOTH DECAY
Cavities left neglected can lead to root
canals, infection, permanent destruction of tooth surfaces, even loss of teeth
and poor health!
Dental caries is a chronic
infectious disease.@
Tooth decay is a bacterial disease+
What is tooth decay?
Tooth decay is the disease
that is not life threatening and the good news is that it is preventable!
Cavity
Few people
view decay for what it is - a chronic infectious disease.
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What causes
tooth decay?
It occurs when your teeth are frequently
exposed to foods containing carbohydrates such as starches and sugars like soda
pop, candy, cake and even sticky fruits. T
Cavities have been identified as a bacterial infection
caused by specific bacterial*. Bacteria inhabit the plaque
and form up to 500 different products including acid Plaque interacts with food deposits on your teeth
to produce acid that will slowly dissolve the calcium in your teeth, the surface
of the tooth..."enamel" is 97% calcium, causing tooth decay
and some of the other products cause gum disease and bad
breath.. The
bacteria that causes decay is know as Streptococcus mutans. Because
the acidic plaque rests against the tooth, the acid
dissolves the calcium molecules from the tooth surface. When
enough calcium dissolves from the tooth surfaces, the
surface breaks and forms a hole. That is how cavities form.
An active lesion demineralizes the tooth and
can be diagnosed based upon color, surface texture and
x-rays. White spots can be active lesions if they are
not glossy, and feel rough to the explorer placed parallel
to the tooth.
An
area of decay may take as long as 6-8 years or as short as 6 months to dissolve
the outer layer (enamel) of the tooth. If you have a "cavity"
this outer layer has collapsed producing a hole that cannot repair itself
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How to make a cavity:
Click above to see decay
process
 |
Don't brush or floss so bacteria can make
acid which causes calcium loss from the enamel of your teeth
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Eat foods with sugar between meals which
produces acid for 20 minutes. Just think of the bacteria count of your
mouth after three meals, that can equal 60 minutes of acid production a
day! Try drinking three pops and 3 cups of coffee/tea with
sugar between those meal and you will have 180 min of acid production
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Don't drink water with fluoride or use any
dental products with fluoride
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Snack on foods and drinks high sugar and acid
to feed the bacteria in your mouth and decrease your saliva production
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| Smoke a pack of cigarettes a day
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Click here to find the three elements
needed for tooth decay!
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Who gets cavities?
We are all at risk
because of the bacteria in our mouths. But people who eat diets high in
sugar, drink unfluoridated water, have dry mouths, take different medications;
who have a lot of fillings and who don't brush often are more at risk for
cavities. However, children and senior citizens are the highest risk group
for cavities. Decay that is unique to adults are:
| Root cavities-As you age, your gums can recede, leaving
parts of your tooth root exposed. Since there is no enamel covering your
tooth roots, these exposed areas easily decay. Most people over 60 have root
cavities as a result of gum disease
|
| Repeated decay around existing fillings-Decay can form
around existing fillings and crowns.
This is because these areas are not as smooth as a natural tooth surface and
can decay easier.
|
| Cavities from dry mouth-dry mouth
is a present due to a decrease in saliva.
|
Cavity
Formation Signs and Symptoms Self-Test
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What areas are likely to
decay?
|
Surfaces |
|
Teeth next to each other
because this area is hard to clean |
|
Pits |
|
Fissures in the
"chewing" (occlusal) surface of teeth |
|
Gum line |
Decay
Potential of Certain Foods
(picture courtesy of University of Florida
College of Dentistry)
PLEASE don't let this happen to you
are your child
The longer
you wait to have a tooth treated the more intensive, lengthy and costly the
treatment will be.
Abscess
Self Test
Cavity
Prevention News
Sodium Bicarbonate and
Hydrogen Peroxide: The Effect on the Growth
of Streptococcus mutans
This experiment studied the effects of sodium
bicarbonate and hydrogen peroxide on the
cariogenic bacteria Streptococcus mutans
through analysis with a spectrophotometer.
The growth of S. mutans was analyzed using
seven different environments. Twelve wells
in each of the seven rows of a multi-well
plate were used to incubate the test
materials. In combinations of 10 µl
distilled water, 100 µl broth, 10 µl 10%
sucrose, 10 µl S. mutans, 10 µl 10% sodium
bicarbonate, and 10 µl 3% hydrogen peroxide,
seven different environments were created
for testing. Environments had either sodium
bicarbonate or hydrogen peroxide with S.
mutans, or a
combination of sodium bicarbonate and
hydrogen peroxide with S. mutans. The plate
was incubated at 37°C and measured at 0, 18,
20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, and 42 hours by
optical density with a spectrophotometer.
Results showed bacterial
growth was prevented by sodium bicarbonate,
hydrogen peroxide, and the combination of
sodium bicarbonate and hydrogen peroxide.
Although hydrogen peroxide is bacteriocidal
and sodium bicarbonate is bacteriostatic,
there were no significant differences among
the three treatment groups in
spectrophotometer readings at any of the
nine readings over 42 hours.
There was no significant difference among
the effects of hydrogen peroxide, sodium
bicarbonate, or the sodium bicarbonate and
hydrogen peroxide combination, as measured
by optical density. The hydrogen peroxide,
sodium bicarbonate, and the sodium
bicarbonate and hydrogen peroxide
combination prevented bacterial growth of S.
mutans. The results show that products
containing these agents have the
ability to stop the growth of S. mutans.
Products containing sodium bicarbonate
and/or hydrogen peroxide may be useful to
caries- prone patients. More studies are
needed to confirm these results on patients.
Author(s): Kelly J Silhacek RDH, BS ;
Kristin R Taake RDH, BS Source: Journal of
Dental Hygiene
Volume: 79 Number: 4 Page: 7
Publisher: American Dental Hygienists'
Association
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Given the high risk of bias
in the available studies and lack of consistency between
different outcome measures, there is no reliable evidence
that application of ozone gas to the surface of decayed
teeth stops or reverses the decay process. There is a
fundamental need for more evidence of appropriate rigor and
quality before the use of ozone can be accepted into
mainstream primary dental care or can be considered a viable
alternative to current methods for the management and
treatment of dental caries.
Citation: Rickard GD, Richardson R,
Johnson T, McColl D, Hooper L. Ozone therapy
for the treatment of dental caries (Cochrane
Review). In: The Cochrane Library,
Issue 3, 2004. Chichester, UK: John Wiley &
Sons, Ltd
Tooth Pain Guide:
click on "For The Patient" and than on "Tooth Pain Guide".
Treatment
According to Lexi COmp's Drug book written
by the Pharm Dept at BCDS Pen V K is still
the drug of choice for dental infections.
*J
of Practical Hygiene 2004; 13(2)]
+ADA, Academy
of Pediatrics...., Dentistry Today pg 38
September 2003
@Caries
Preventive Knowledge and Practices Among
Dental Hygienists. Abstract of national
study, J Dent Res, 77:123 (JL Forrest, AM
Horowitz, Y Shmuely, 1997)
Picture courtesy of
Dentalcare.
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