What Causes Tooth Decay?
The simple answer is bacteria. That is the foundational source for tooth decay. Also called dental caries, or cavities, it begins with the number of bacteria in your mouth. We will first identify why these bacteria are there, the difference between good and bad bacteria, and then describe how it can, when neglected, develop quickly into the damaging agent that attacks your teeth. We’ll list off the stages of tooth decay and conclude with how terribly easy it is for you to prevent tooth decay altogether.
There are millions of bacteria in your mouth every day. And the bacteria can literally multiple every five hours. The good bacteria are quite helpful in beginning the digestive process to start to break foods down for the necessary nutrients. The balance of good to bad can shift due to a poor diet, too much sugar or starches, poor oral hygiene, and other health related issues.
When left unattended the bacteria will adhere to the enamel of a tooth and create a clear sticky substance called plaque. The plaque in turn will take those sugars and create acids and the damage begins. The acids begin their attack by eroding the enamel of the tooth. Again, if neglected, the infection continues past the enamel to the dentin and finally the living tissues of the pulp.
Tooth decay can progress through six stages. From stage one when it is just a chalky white finish on the enamel to the final stage resulting in a tooth extraction, it happens frequently. Almost half of the entire world’s population has some stage of tooth decay in their permanent teeth. Stage two is when that chalky white color turns brown or black. Stage three is when it enters the next level of the tooth, the dentin. Stage four is now into the pulp chamber infecting live nerves and stage five is when pus is developed resulting most likely with an abscess at the root. Through each stage the discomfort increases. A toothache can become extremely painful once the infection reaches the center of the tooth.
The tooth decay symptoms are not overly evident. You might have tooth sensitivity, bad breath, or a bad taste in your mouth. That might progress to pain when you bite down, a sharp pain with hot or cold food or drink, and then the throbbing toothache.
The tooth decay can be negated and reversed in its early stage. With a fluoride paste the enamel can be remineralized and the infection abated. After that the solutions are to remove the decay and replace with a dental filling. The solution for infected pulp is a root canal procedure and the final answer is the extraction.
Any and all of this can be avoided with good oral hygiene. If you brush your teeth twice a day, slowly for two minutes, you can remove that bad plaque. Flossing just once a day will remove it from between your teeth. Compliment those simple efforts with visiting your family dentist twice a year for a professional cleaning and you can eliminate the biggest cause of tooth decay.