Caries are permanently damaged areas on the surface and/or deeper layers of the teeth. It consists of demineralization of the enamel caused by a combination of factors: bacteria in the mouth, frequent food intake, sugary drinks and poor oral hygiene.
Caries is formed when carbohydrate foods remain on the teeth or are not completely removed by brushing and flossing, the prolonged presence of these form bacterial plaque, which in turn produces acids that attack the enamel creating small holes. If left untreated, they can spread, affect deeper layers of the tooth, cause intense pain, infections and even destroy the tooth completely.
Failure to remove plaque also contributes to the accumulation of tartar, which is the hardening of plaque in the form of calculus on the surface of the teeth, at the edge of the gums and under the gums, producing other oral ailments.
Although caries usually appears at an early age, adults are also at risk.
There are these types of caries:
Crown caries: These are the most common, occurring in both children and adults, and usually on the chewing surfaces or between the teeth. Once a treatment with fillings for caries has been carried out, either with resin or amalgam, these restorations have an optimal life span and need to be replaced every 6 to 10 years depending on the material, its quality, chewing and hygiene of each person, otherwise the dental piece can easily decay again.
Root caries: as we advance in age, the gums recede, leaving exposed parts of the root of the tooth, as the roots are not covered by enamel, these exposed areas can be easily affected. Restorations for this type of caries also have to be changed every few years.
Recurrent caries: can form around previous restorations (fillings) and around or inside existing prosthetic crowns. This can happen due to poorly performed treatments or lack of attention to such treatments by the patient.
Some reasons why they appear:
Poor oral hygiene: it is essential to brush your teeth after every meal, do it correctly implementing in detail a brushing technique appropriate to the needs of each person, the dentist is the one who is responsible for explaining which is the ideal and how it is carried out, in general is accessed to sanitize the spaces between the teeth, the cracks formed by the cusps of the molars and the gum line, which is where bacteria generally accumulate more easily forming tartar. If teeth are not cleaned or are cleaned incorrectly, bacterial plaque accumulates on the dental enamel favoring its activity and forming caries.
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- Diet rich in sugars and starches (carbohydrates): this type of food, especially if eaten between meals, makes it easier for cariogenic bacteria to become active in order to digest them, producing acids that demineralize the teeth. If this is done, the best thing to do is to brush your teeth after eating them.
- Lack of fluoride: fluoride is necessary for remineralization of teeth, this is the reason why most toothpastes contain this mineral in very low doses that are not harmful to the human body and are very important for the health of teeth.
- Dry mouth: one of the functions of saliva is to contribute to the elimination of bacteria, so the loss of salivary flow helps the multiplication of these microorganisms and to enhance their activity. Tobacco and alcohol favor dry mouth, as do certain diseases and medications.
- Lack of education on dental health: it is the responsibility of parents to teach their children everything related to dental health and how to maintain it: hygiene, techniques, diet, etc. Also, at least once a day support them in their tooth brushing, making sure and helping them to implement the correct technique to remove plaque, this dynamic is recommended to be done preferably in the evenings after having eaten the last food of the day.
- Skipping regular dental check-ups is a particularly important factor. Brushing and flossing, even if done correctly, is sometimes not enough to prevent tartar buildup on or between the teeth and under the gums. A routine dental cleaning every six months and if necessary, a deep cleaning with curettage will prevent many cavity problems.
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How to prevent:
The most immediate way to treat tooth decay is to see a dentist to clean and fill the cavity.
To prevent cavities, certain measures should be taken to strengthen the teeth:
- Avoid, or at least minimize, the consumption of sugary foods and beverages that feed bacteria in the mouth.
- Brush regularly with fluoride toothpaste, which helps prevent cavities by reducing enamel damage and accelerating the remineralization process.
- Flossing daily to remove plaque and food particles in the spaces between the teeth where the toothbrush cannot reach, this also helps gum health by preventing tartar buildup.
We invite you to schedule an appointment for an assessment with us at makeoverdentalstudio@hotmail.com or call us at MX (664)634-2023 / EU (619) 202-0423.
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