How Teeth Decay
Our goal is to help you prevent tooth decay and keep your natural teeth for a lifetime. That’s why we want you to understand the process of tooth decay, from start to finish. Armed with this knowledge, you can take steps to stop tooth decay in its tracks.
Bacteria and sugar are the culprits
Thousands of bacteria exist in everyone’s mouth. Most of these bacteria are beneficial. But there are two types of bacteria, mutans streptococcus and lactobacillus, that are the primary culprits in the tooth decay process. If you’re not brushing and flossing regularly, or if your oral environment is out of its natural balance, these bacteria reproduce quickly in your mouth, establishing huge colonies whenever they are given the opportunity to feast on foods that contain sugar.
Sugars, which are the building blocks of starchy foods like pasta, crackers, bread and sweets, can build up on your teeth if you don’t brush regularly. This sugar buildup is one component of plaque, a sticky film of saliva, food debris, and bacteria that’s constantly forming on your teeth. If it’s not removed, plaque mineralizes and can turn into rock-hard tartar in as little as 24 hours.
To survive and multiply in your mouth, the decay-causing bacteria feed off of the simple sugars that are produced from the starches you eat. This causes a chemical reaction in which the sugars ar broken down into simpler elements. One of these elements is an acid. As you probably know, acid breaks down many things, including your tooth enamel. Every time you eat a starchy food, your teeth are bathed in this acid for 20 minutes or more.
The process of decay
The acid slowly dissolves the hard, protective enamel layer on your teeth, forming a demineralized area that appears as a white or brown spot on your tooth. That spot is the first visible sign of tooth decay. If the area does not remineralize, it will progress until a hole, also known as a cavity, develops on the surface of your tooth. It’s vital that we treat your tooth decay early, before it can penetrate the surface of your tooth. Once a cavity has entered the softer dentin layer of your teeth, it can grow more quickly and may lead to a much more complicated and expensive set of problems.
How to avoid decay
You can cut down the frequency of acid production in your mouth by limiting the number of times you eat each day. Also, when you brush and floss properly and regularly, there’s very little plaque on your teeth. Consequently, the number of decay-causing bacteria on the surfaces of your teeth will be dramatically reduced, and in turn, they won’t be producing the enamel-destroying acid. You should also use toothpaste that contains fluoride, which will strengthen your tooth enamel so it’s more resistant to decay. And what about the times when you can’t brush? You’ll need to use other methods, like rinsing with water or a fluoride mouth rinse or chewing sugarless gum, to minimize the acid attacks and protect your teeth.
Showing posts with label Tooth Decay. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tooth Decay. Show all posts
Friday, May 28, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
How Teeth Decay
As part of our ongoing commitment to you and your oral health, we want to keep you as informed as possible about your mouth. One of the biggest keys to successful oral health is building a knowledge and understanding of how your mouth works. While we can tell you to brush and floss daily, avoid sugary drinks, etc., until you as a patient understand the why our efforts will not be as beneficial as they could be.
The following information is meant to help you prevent tooth decay and keep your natural teeth for a lifetime. That’s why we want you to understand the process of tooth decay, from start to finish. Armed with this knowledge, you can take steps to stop tooth decay in its tracks.
Bacteria and sugar are the culprits
Thousands of bacteria exist in everyone’s mouth. Most of these bacteria are beneficial. But there are two types of bacteria, mutans streptococcus and lactobacillus, that are the primary culprits in the tooth decay process. If you’re not brushing and flossing regularly, or if your oral environment is out of its natural balance, these bacteria reproduce quickly in your mouth, establishing huge colonies whenever they are given the opportunity to feast on foods that contain sugar.
Sugars, which are the building blocks of starchy foods like pasta, crackers, bread and sweets, can build up on your teeth if you don’t brush regularly. This sugar buildup is one component of plaque, a sticky film of saliva, food debris, and bacteria that’s constantly forming on your teeth. If it’s not removed, plaque mineralizes and can turn into rock-hard tartar in as little as 24 hours.
To survive and multiply in your mouth, the decay-causing bacteria feed off of the simple sugars that are produced from the starches you eat. This causes a chemical reaction in which the sugars ar broken down into simpler elements. One of these elements is an acid. As you probably know, acid breaks down many things, including your tooth enamel. Every time you eat a starchy food, your teeth are bathed in this acid for 20 minutes or more.
The process of decay
The acid slowly dissolves the hard, protective enamel layer on your teeth, forming a demineralized area that appears as a white or brown spot on your tooth. That spot is the first visible sign of tooth decay. If the area does not remineralize, it will progress until a hole, also known as a cavity, develops on the surface of your tooth. It’s vital that we treat your tooth decay early, before it can penetrate the surface of your tooth. Once a cavity has entered the softer dentin layer of your teeth, it can grow more quickly and may lead to a much more complicated and expensive set of problems.
How to avoid decay
You can cut down the frequency of acid production in your mouth by limiting the number of times you eat each day. Also, when you brush and floss properly and regularyly, there’s verylittle plaque on your teeth. Consequently, the number of decay-causing bacteria on the surfaces of your teeth will be dramatically reduced, and in turn, they won’t be producing the enamel-destroying acid. You should also use toothpaste that contains fluoride, which will strengthen your tooth enamel so it’s more resistant to decay. And what about the times when you can’t brush? You’ll need to use other methods, like rinsing with water or a fluoride mouth rinse or chewing sugarless gum, to minimize the acid attacks and protect your teeth.
The following information is meant to help you prevent tooth decay and keep your natural teeth for a lifetime. That’s why we want you to understand the process of tooth decay, from start to finish. Armed with this knowledge, you can take steps to stop tooth decay in its tracks.
Bacteria and sugar are the culprits
Thousands of bacteria exist in everyone’s mouth. Most of these bacteria are beneficial. But there are two types of bacteria, mutans streptococcus and lactobacillus, that are the primary culprits in the tooth decay process. If you’re not brushing and flossing regularly, or if your oral environment is out of its natural balance, these bacteria reproduce quickly in your mouth, establishing huge colonies whenever they are given the opportunity to feast on foods that contain sugar.
Sugars, which are the building blocks of starchy foods like pasta, crackers, bread and sweets, can build up on your teeth if you don’t brush regularly. This sugar buildup is one component of plaque, a sticky film of saliva, food debris, and bacteria that’s constantly forming on your teeth. If it’s not removed, plaque mineralizes and can turn into rock-hard tartar in as little as 24 hours.
To survive and multiply in your mouth, the decay-causing bacteria feed off of the simple sugars that are produced from the starches you eat. This causes a chemical reaction in which the sugars ar broken down into simpler elements. One of these elements is an acid. As you probably know, acid breaks down many things, including your tooth enamel. Every time you eat a starchy food, your teeth are bathed in this acid for 20 minutes or more.
The process of decay
The acid slowly dissolves the hard, protective enamel layer on your teeth, forming a demineralized area that appears as a white or brown spot on your tooth. That spot is the first visible sign of tooth decay. If the area does not remineralize, it will progress until a hole, also known as a cavity, develops on the surface of your tooth. It’s vital that we treat your tooth decay early, before it can penetrate the surface of your tooth. Once a cavity has entered the softer dentin layer of your teeth, it can grow more quickly and may lead to a much more complicated and expensive set of problems.
How to avoid decay
You can cut down the frequency of acid production in your mouth by limiting the number of times you eat each day. Also, when you brush and floss properly and regularyly, there’s verylittle plaque on your teeth. Consequently, the number of decay-causing bacteria on the surfaces of your teeth will be dramatically reduced, and in turn, they won’t be producing the enamel-destroying acid. You should also use toothpaste that contains fluoride, which will strengthen your tooth enamel so it’s more resistant to decay. And what about the times when you can’t brush? You’ll need to use other methods, like rinsing with water or a fluoride mouth rinse or chewing sugarless gum, to minimize the acid attacks and protect your teeth.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Defending Your Mouth
Soft Drinks
The beverage of choice
For many people, soft drinks are the beverage of choice. But if you drink them all day long, you may not realize the damage you can be doing to your teeth. The damage is two-fold.
Tooth decay caused by soft drinks
First, soft drinks contain 10 to 12 teaspoons of sugar per serving. So, when you drink a soda, you are essentially bathing your teeth in liquid sugar. The bacteria that naturally live on your teeth feed on that sugar and produce acid. Without proper care, the acid dissolves the surface of your teeth and creates a cavity.
Dental erosion caused by soft drinks
Second, soft drinks – especially diet sodas – contain acids. The acids wash over your teeth, affecting the entire tooth structure. Over time, they erode the hard, protective enamel, causing your teeth to get thinner and expose the sensitive dentin layer inside your tooth. When the dentin layer is exposed, you may become sensitive to hot, cold, and sweet foods. And your teeth can appear yellow. As your teeth continue to get thinner, the edges can crumble and lose their natural shape. When the enamel is worn away, it exposes the dentin layer to both decay and pain. This is not a problem only for adults. Children and teens have frequent access to soft drinks. Because their teeth are still forming, the damage to them can be great. Colas (regular and diet), sports drinks, energy drinks, vitamin waters, fruit juices, sweet teas, blended coffee drinks and wine all contain sugars that can damage your teeth. A 16-ounce blended coffee drink can contain 500 calories and 69 grams of sugar!
Better choices
Your best choice for a beverage is fluoridated water. If you must consume soft drinks, however, remember:
The beverage of choice
For many people, soft drinks are the beverage of choice. But if you drink them all day long, you may not realize the damage you can be doing to your teeth. The damage is two-fold.
Tooth decay caused by soft drinks
First, soft drinks contain 10 to 12 teaspoons of sugar per serving. So, when you drink a soda, you are essentially bathing your teeth in liquid sugar. The bacteria that naturally live on your teeth feed on that sugar and produce acid. Without proper care, the acid dissolves the surface of your teeth and creates a cavity.
Dental erosion caused by soft drinks
Second, soft drinks – especially diet sodas – contain acids. The acids wash over your teeth, affecting the entire tooth structure. Over time, they erode the hard, protective enamel, causing your teeth to get thinner and expose the sensitive dentin layer inside your tooth. When the dentin layer is exposed, you may become sensitive to hot, cold, and sweet foods. And your teeth can appear yellow. As your teeth continue to get thinner, the edges can crumble and lose their natural shape. When the enamel is worn away, it exposes the dentin layer to both decay and pain. This is not a problem only for adults. Children and teens have frequent access to soft drinks. Because their teeth are still forming, the damage to them can be great. Colas (regular and diet), sports drinks, energy drinks, vitamin waters, fruit juices, sweet teas, blended coffee drinks and wine all contain sugars that can damage your teeth. A 16-ounce blended coffee drink can contain 500 calories and 69 grams of sugar!
Better choices
Your best choice for a beverage is fluoridated water. If you must consume soft drinks, however, remember:
- Use a straw
- Do not drink for extended periods of time
- Do not hold the liquid in your mouth before swallowing
- Cut down on the amount you drink
- After you drink, rinse your mouth with fluoridated water
- Wait at least 20 minutes before brushing
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