Can You Fix Tooth Decay?
The short answer is a weak yes. The best answer is totally through prevention. Be aware of what tooth decay is, exercise good oral hygiene and be cognizant of the effects of your diet, and therefore avoid any tooth decay. If you have tooth decay it basically travels through six stages of progression. The solutions for fixing the tooth decay also progress, from quite simple to more difficult. Let us identify the initial cause of tooth decay, the six stages and the corrective solutions at those points, and finally how you can so easily avoid it altogether.
Research claims that 48% of the entire world’s adult population has tooth decay, or dental caries, in their permanent teeth. Most often in the back molars or premolars due to the increase in crevices, the decay begins with bacteria. Every single person on the planet has bacteria in their mouths. The good bacteria are essential in the digestive system, beginning the process of breaking foods down for nutrients. When left unattended the bacteria grows quickly and now the amount is out of balance. These bad, unwanted bacteria adhere to the surface of the tooth creating a clear sticky substance called plaque. The plaque transforms the sugars and the starches in the bacteria to acids which attack the enamel of the tooth. The first stage has begun.
At the first stage you can still apply a fluoride paste and negate the process. The enamel can still remineralize itself at this point and abate the progression. Once the enamel breaks down and the decay enters the dentin your solution is the removal of the decay and a dental filling being placed in the void. The third step is the infection entering the pulp chamber. A dental filling is still possible, but the pain will dictate the answer. Stage five is pus developing in the chamber infecting the active nerves. You might be looking at a root canal procedure now to remove the infected tissue and deadening the tooth. The final stage is a total extraction of the tooth. At this point often times an abscess has formed at the root and it is infecting the soft tissue around the tooth as well as adjoining bone.
The best solution is that of prevention. Enough can not be said about understanding your teeth and gums and the role they play in your everyday life. The health industry strongly encourages us to brush our teeth twice a day, slowly, for two minutes each time. Four minutes a day is all it takes to avoid tooth decay by removing that daily plaque buildup. Flossing once a day will remove the unwanted, damaging plaque from between your teeth. It is also suggested that you develop a maintenance program of visiting your family dentist twice a year for checkups. Not only will they monitor your teeth and gums with x-rays and regular probing, but they will also professionally clean your teeth, completing your efforts. They will also help you understand your diet to help you grasp the impact of the sugars and starchy foods you might enjoy. Take care of your teeth and gums through prevention.