Cavities Part Ii

Everything You Ever Needed to Know About Cavities – Part II

Cavaties Part I introduced you to key factors involved in tooth decay and also touched on the importance of maintaining a neutral pH level inside the mouth. The following article will elaborate on pH balance, the different types of cavities and what you can do to prevent tooth decay.

Of course, that's not a very practical solution as you and I would die, of course. So we do eat every day, but the foods we choose aren't always the best for our health or the health of our teeth.

When we eat carbohydrates, for example, the body breaks them down into various sugars including sucrose, fructose, maltose, dextrose and glucose. Fermentable carbohydrates actually begin breaking down while still in the mouth (as opposed to the digestive tract where other foods begin the process). If you consume cookies, cake, chips, crackers, candy, sugary drinks and cereal, then you are eating fermentable carbohydrates.

Once the sugars in these foods interact with the natural bacteria found in the mouth, acids are produced. These acids are what cause a drop in pH level. When pH drops to 5.5 or lower, the drop causes the minerals inside the teeth to start dissolving. This is demineralization.

This loss of minerals is what weakens teeth. The damage will continue for as long as pH is at or lower than 5.5. Remember brushing teeth returns pH to a neutral level, between 6.2 and 7.0 which is why brushing is so important in preventing tooth decay. Some of the bacteria inside your mouth love sugar so as long as sugar is present, these bacteria keep producing more and more acid.

Once there is a break in the enamel, food particles can get inside the tooth and cause pain. That's when you'll show up at the dentist/s office begging for help. The dentist will clear away the debris and decay and fill the cavity. If you don't get the cavity filled, the decay can spread into the dentin and even to the pulp and the nerves.

Acute caries (the proper term for a cavity) develop quickly, in just a few months. Children whose enamel tends to be weaker and young adults are more prone to acute carries. Chronic carries take longer to progress, and sometimes don't progress much at all. Older individuals are more prone to this type of cavity. When decay forms in the roots, root caries develop and they too are more common in older individuals. When decay continues to form even after a cavity has been filled or a crown has been put into place, that is called recurring decay.

Just like Smoky the Bear tells us about forest fires; only you can prevent cavities and it's not that hard if you brush and floss regularly to remove bacteria, drink fluorinated water, seal the teeth that are most vulnerable, and limit your intake of fermentable carbohydrates.

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